[Updated with more comprehensive information on April 30, 2024] Which major pharmaceutical company leads the way in research and development? Data reveals that the top R&D spender in 2023 was Merck & Co., by a wide margin. While Pfizer had almost as much revenue as Merck ($60.1 billion vs. $58.5 billion), its R&D ratio was…
A timeline of Aduhelm’s rise and fall
The story of Aduhelm has been rocky now for years. Biogen turned heads when its controversial Alzheimer’s therapy won accelerated approval from the FDA against the advice of its own advisory panel in mid-2021. The company had high hopes for the antibody at that point, pricing it at an average of $56,000 per year. Aduhelm…
Johnson & Johnson pharma rebrand highlights innovation as a pillar to reinforce trust
Global pharma and medical device giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has ditched its iconic cursive logo that dates back to the late 19th century, and rebranded its Janssen pharma division as Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. The move underscores the company’s push to prioritize higher-margin prescription drugs. This strategic move comes amidst a backdrop of…
The Allen Institute is employing AWS Cloud and machine learning to decode brain mysteries
High-resolution mapping of the human brain involves managing and interpreting a colossal amount of data. Shoaib Mufti, the head of data and technology at the Allen Institute for Brain Science, described the organization’s approach to these challenges in a recent interview. The project uses artificial intelligence to analyze millions of data points from brain imaging…
The Brain Knowledge Platform aims to illumine the brain’s cellular universe
Despite substantial progress in brain research, our understanding of the human brain remains limited. “We really don’t understand the fine circuitry of the brain — even in a relatively simple organism like a mouse,” confessed Ed Lein, a senior investigator at the Allen Institute for Brain Science. But AI in neuroscience research promises to change…