Vernalis’s decision to undergo major restructuring is a direct result of the non-approval of the company’s sNDA submission for Frova, for the treatment of menstrual migraine. A successful application had been anticipated to double the revenue potential of Frova.

Continue reading “Vernalis: Revised Research & Development Focus after Frova Decision Hits Home” »

India is the world’s sixth largest energy consumer, consuming about 3% of the world’s total energy per year.

In the face of growing demand, India’s electricity sector faces problems of capacity, poor reliability, and frequent blackouts. The anticipated electricity shortage is estimated at between 11 and 18%. Currently 79% of electricity comes from fossil fuels, mostly coal.

Continue reading “Despite Growing Demand, Environmental Concern makes Power Sector in India Turn Away from Coal” »

What’s a low-cost car? It’s clearly defined on low-cost but it’s a very broad category in terms of the sorts of vehicles that qualify – there are different approaches to getting to that low price point.

One talking point in the industry is the Nano and whether it might be exported to Europe – it was shown in Geneva after all. I reckon Geneva was more about Tata announcing itself on the world stage, just ahead of the JLR deal. Nano got the firm plenty of column-inches in the world’s press.

Continue reading “What Exactly is a Low-Cost Car?” »

Parallel traders are the thorn in the side for pharmaceutical companies operating in Europe. Local sales mangers see their bottom line eroded as independent exporters undercut them with their own product! The considerable efforts that pharma companies have gone to prevent this grey trade have largely failed. The majority of legal actions against traders have been thrown out as freedom of movement of goods enshrined in the Treaty of Rome underpins the European Union.

Now big pharma may have found a way of restricting parallel traders but taking on the distribution of product themselves and thus controlling the supply chain. The adoption of a direct-to-pharmacy (DTP) model, where pharmaceutical manufacturers sell their products directly to pharmacies and appoint a limited number of logistics service providers (LSPs) that are paid a fee to deliver the medicines on their behalf.

Continue reading “Big Pharma Uses Direct Tactics to Beat Parallel Traders” »

Many commentators have argued that today’s global ‘credit crunch’ has its origins in the relaxation of monetary policy following the bursting of the dot com bubble and efforts to avert a US recession post-9/11. Its impact on the global economy will be felt via the same transmission mechanisms that have led to past contagion. However, comparisons with the past may not be that relevant as the significant pace of economic globalisation has redefined the balance of power.

The report Surviving the Credit Crunch: How Vulnerable Are Emerging Markets argues that the global economy’s evolution over the past decade – notably the rise of China and India and the political and economic maturation of many emerging markets – mean that the identity of those most vulnerable, and the ways in which they are exposed, has changed.
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Mobile commerce is potentially important for a wide range of industries, including telecommunications, IT, finance, retail and the media, as well as for end-users. It will work best in those areas where it can emphasise the core virtue of mobile networks – convenience.

Japan and Korea were one of the first to offer low-cost models to content providers, and the mobile content market is flourishing in those markets. Most of the proceeds flow to the content providers yet, in the rest of the world, the mobile operators are adamant that they want to have a much larger share of the spoils. Strategy Analytics estimated that Japanese consumers made contactless payments worth $900 million using their mobiles in 2006, including prepaid travel tickets. This can be partly attributed to Sony’s FeliCa contactless payments standard that has been adopted by banks and mobile phones companies.

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The head of BP in Poland has announced that the company will continue to expand its presence in the country, with a particular focus on the motorway sector. This is likely to be a shrewd decision; the strong growth in fuel sales in Poland, as well as the large motorway construction projects currently underway, means that the market is full of opportunities for fuel retailers such as BP.

The CEO of BP’s Polish division, BP Polska, has vigorously denied rumors that the fuel retailer is to pull out of the Polish market, a move that would have provided the opportunity for GazpromNieft and Lukoil to purchase BP’s service station network. Instead, BP has reinforced its commitment to growing its footprint in Poland and has stated that it expects its revenues from the area to continue increasing in the future.
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Sainsbury has announced a 4.1% rise in underlying sales for the 12 weeks to March 22. As well as reporting a 13th consecutive quarter of like-for-like growth, Sainsbury has entered into a property joint venture with British Land, paving the way for redevelopment at the majority of the 39 stores included in the deal.

Sainsbury has continued to achieve credible total and like-for-like sales rises, announcing an increase in like-for-like sales for the 13th consecutive quarter. Sales have been driven by increased transaction numbers and higher average transaction sizes. Price inflation, at 2.1% during the last quarter, was also important here, with food volumes only marginally positive. Continue reading “Sainsbury: plenty to play for” »

While Maasai warriors from Tanzania managed to run the London marathon in shoes made from car tyres, a new report shows that Westerners increasingly demand specialist footwear designed for specific sports, activities and occupations.

In the case of sports footwear, one of the main market drivers is the ability of the shoe to improve the performance of the wearer. In some sectors, such as football boots, this feature is regarded by companies such as Adidas and Nike as being more important than cost. Fabric manufacturers are therefore being encouraged to develop high performance products which continually push the boundaries in terms of weight, moisture management properties and grip.

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Consumers seem to be very easily fooled. As soon as “reduced-fat” appears on a product they seem to fly off the supermarket shelves. In fact: it doesn’t mean you’re being healthy- instead it means increased carbohydrates, and in worse cases- fat-free means increased sugar and chemicals.

But this doesn’t stop consumers. A new report shows that, in 2007, sales of healthier-eating biscuits, including reduced-fat and reduced-calorie options and cereal bars, overtook sales of chocolate biscuit bars to represent the largest subsector of the biscuits sector.

Continue reading “Consumers Choose Healthier Snacks in Favour of Biscuits and Cakes” »