Ingrid Lönnstedt: Demystification of the power of a scientific study

”You surely do realize that even the smallest changes in study assumptions may influence the estimated sample size needed. And how is it even possible to guess the magnitude of the treatment effect before performing the study?” writes Ingrid Lönnstedt in a column.

Samuel Lagercrantz: We are currently seeing medical breakthroughs in these areas

Samuel Lagercrantz, Editor in Chief of Life Science Sweden, lists three medical fields in which we are currently seeing major breakthroughs and two fields in which we can see some long-awaited positive developments.

Anna Törner: The clinical trial – Periscope to reality

What happens to the patients in the clinical trial is not very interesting, writes Anna Törner in a column.

Första godkännandet för behandling byggd på gensaxen Crispr

För första gången har en behandling som bygger på den Nobelprisvinnande genredigeringstekniken Crispr fått ett marknadsgodkännande. Det är brittiska myndigheter som ger grönt ljus för Casgevy, en behandling mot sickelcellssjukdom och beta-thalassemi.

The physician at the tech giant: “Observations in the emergency room made my mind up”

When Nasim Farrokhnia was in third grade at school in Tehran, the capital of Iran, her father gave her a book about Marie Curie, which soon became her favourite book. Perhaps her interest in science was born there and then, as science and new technology have since been a constant feature of her working life. Today, she is a Healthcare Manager in Microsoft’s Western Europe team.

The first drugs to slow down Alzheimer’s – but what does it mean for patients?

New treatments for early Alzheimer’s are bringing hope to thousands of patients and their families. The question is, who will get the treatment, how will the right patients be found in time, and will the healthcare system’s resources be sufficient? Life Science Sweden has spoken to Swedish researchers in Alzheimer’s who voice cautious hope but also see further challenges.

19 medicines in Sweden are under investigation in a major EMA inquiry

19 medicines marketed in Sweden are affected by an ongoing extensive European investigation into suspected fraud at an Indian contract research organisation. Among them are medicines for HIV, epilepsy, cancer and Parkinson’s, which may be withdrawn unless new evidence can be provided that they are up to standard.

Anna Törner: The minute between life and death

“I have never told anyone about this day that happened more than 20 years ago. But I sometimes reflect on what happened, on what might have happened. When I try to understand why I haven’t told anyone, I find the answer: a feeling of shame. There is no forgiveness for something like this, even though it is very human to be distracted for a moment,” Anna Törner writes in a column.

Rapid developments in AI – “All stakeholders are struggling to understand it”

Artificial intelligence is being discussed more and more, and developments in the field are moving rapidly. As the Swedish Medical Products Agency testifies, keeping up with developments is not easy.

Swedish and Ukrainian Medical Product Agencies sign an agreement

The Directors-General of the Swedish and Ukrainian Medical Products Agencies have signed a cooperation agreement.

Study: Chat GPT is more empathetic than doctors

The AI tool Chat GPT is not only more accurate when it comes to answering patient questions – the chatbot is also perceived as almost 10 times more empathetic than real doctors, a new study reveals.

Confidence in childhood vaccines is in decline worldwide

Since the pandemic, confidence in vaccinating children has plummeted. In a new report, UNICEF urges world leaders to act before the situation worsens. In 52 out of 55 countries surveyed, public perception of the importance of vaccinating children has declined.

Vinnova is going to establish a new innovation cluster

Vinnova, the Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems, has been commissioned by the government to establish a national innovation cluster for advanced medicines.

“An entire industry is about to be wiped out”

According to Jennie Ekbeck, CEO of Umeå Biotech Incubators, Sweden risks not having any small diagnostic companies left in five years.

Column: ”Life as a F1 race”

"The F1 car makes several pit stops during a race and during a lifetime the human being may also have to come in several times for maintenance", Björn Ursing writes in a column.

Rapid development in blood analysis – “Sweden is leading the race”

Thousands of analytical tests using just one single drop of blood. What was revealed as a hoax just a few years ago is now a reality, according to KTH professor and serial entrepreneur Mathias Uhlén.

Column: ”Authentic leadership and clear mandates pave the way for more female CEOs”

”I believe that the aspect of having clear mandates and titles on the one hand and women progressing into top positions must be explored further”, Helena Strigård writes in a column.

Individual DNA passport could result in fewer drug side effects

You may be required to show a DNA passport when you pick up medicines at the pharmacy in the future. According to a new study, patients might suffer 30% fewer side effects if the drug treatment is adapted to their genes.

The government proposes fines for pharmaceutical companies that fail to notify drug shortages in time

According to a compilation from the Swedish Medicines Agency, the number of residually notified medicines increased by 54 % in Sweden last year compared to the previous year. In a bill presented by the government a number of proposals are put forward

Ny satsning på precisionsmedicin på Karolinska – “Vi vill nå en ny kompetensgrupp“

Ny kompetens krävs inom det snabbt växande området precisionsmedicin. Det uppger Karolinska universitetssjukhuset, som tillsammans med Karolinska institutet öppnar “Sveriges första innovationsmiljö” för utveckling av precisionmedicinska teknologier.

Scharlakansfeber hos barn väcker oro i Storbritannien

Ett ovanligt stort antal fall av scharlakansfeber har fått Storbritanniens hälsomyndigheter att uppmana föräldrar till uppmärksamhet på sina barns symtom.

He is zooming in on topical preparations

According to Zelmic CEO David Sagna, topical products in drug development is a growing market, and to keep pace with the development, the company is awaiting approval for its new GMP facility.

Swedish breakthrough in Alzheimer’s: “We can finally present great data”

Treatments for Alzheimer’s disease are currently among the hottest topics in drug development. Two Swedish research companies with high ambitions and successes in the field participated in Bioscience 2022 conference at Life City in Hagastaden, Stockholm.

Oncopeptides läkemedel godkänt i Storbritannien