Some perspectives on vaccines, biologicals, and the pharmaceutical industry

Sumary: The pharmaceutical industry, especially larger corporations, has made spectacular advances in medicine, many of which are relatively unappreciated for their inventiveness, their contributions to economies, and most of all their contributions to world health.  Some of the most extreme examples are those in the field of biologicals, including vaccines and therapeutic proteins.  The industry is not without challenges today, however.  A victim of its own success, it is assailed on a number of fronts that could potentially be disastrous for industry leaders.  This talk will discuss some of the issues facing ‘Big Pharma’ in general, and more specifically biologicals, the strategies that are being employed to combat them, and give some perspectives on where some potential alternative solutions may be found.