The pharmaceutical industry is a business sector dedicated to the manufacture, preparation and marketing of medicinal chemicals for the treatment and prevention of diseases
2. History of the pharmaceutical industry
The pharmaceutical industry emerged from a series of various activities related to the production of substances used in medicine. The chemicals extracted from plants or animals are known as organic as opposed to inorganic compounds derived from other sources; it was believed that the first could only be produced by living organisms, hence its name.
3. what is their funtion? A)INVESTIGATION At present the research in the laboratories of pharmaceutical companies focus their interest in finding improved treatments for cancer, diseases of the central nervous system, viral diseases such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), arthritis and circulatory system disesases, which are the illnesses that mainly afflict developed countries, and ultimately, they generate more profit. Little research is done on the prevailing conditions of developing countries (eg Chagas disease in South America), because the return on investment in these markets is low. The use of live animals in medical research is the subject of controversy. While pharmacists have developed and continue to develop techniques to prevent their use, live animals (mainly rats and mice) remain crucial for many procedures.
B)MANUFACTURING
C)MARKETING
Many of the pharmaceutical companies spend more on advertising than on research
D)FINANCING
Decision of the Ministry of Health who arranges a price. These financed products then requiere a medical prescription
patents and generics A group of investigators create a product. Then, they register a patent. They make a lot of copies of this product and put it in sell. If another company wants to commercialize this product during the 15 years that lasts this period of patent, they must pay first group, but only if they allow. If the first group doesn´t allow them to make the product they can´t fabricate it. When the period of 15 years finishes anybody could copy the product without paying. Then, the product could be cheaper. The copies made after the period of the patent are called generics.
Current 5. Situation : money, cost of medicines ... Currently, the global pharmaceutical industry is growing strongly . Most laboratories are located in Europe and the USA. The budgets of many companies exceeds GDP of many states.