The NIH has released its interim report on the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative (see IBO 4/15/13). Prepared by an Advisory Committee to the Director working group, the report is based on consultations with the scientific community and public workshops. It identified six themes: appropriate experimental systems and models; cross boundaries in […]

The World Economic Forum’s (WEC) “Global Competitiveness Report 2013–2014” identified Switzerland as the world’s most competitive country. Singapore, Finland, Germany and the US rounded out the top five most competitive countries. To determine rankings, the WEC considered 12 pillars, including innovation, which were based on its annual Executive Opinion Survey, and data from other international […]

Epigenetic modifications are responsible for heritable changes in gene expression that do not affect the gene itself. Chromatin remodeling, DNA methylation and gene expression regulation by non-coding RNAs are all epigenetic mechanisms. Epigenetic mechanisms of action can serve as valuable targets of drug development. In fact, two DNA methylation inhibitors and two histone deacetylase (HDAC) […]

The number of employees at the 11 largest pharmaceutical companies declined 4% to 932,825 between 2007 and 2012. Three firms recorded a decline in headcount: Pfizer (-12%), AstraZeneca (-10%) and Sanofi (-2%). The only company to boost employment by more than 5% was Johnson & Johnson (9%). The annual change last year in employee numbers […]

Conducted this spring, the KPMG “2013 Food and Beverage Outlook Survey” consists of the responses of 100 US senior executives. Most respondents (58%) expect their companies’ capital spending to increase over the next year, but more than a quarter (28%) expect it to stay about the same. During the same period, nearly half (48%) expect […]