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Period: to
THREE’S COMPANY
Nine research projects of the pharmaceutical industry between the year 1900 to the present day. -
Tetanus Vaccine
Tetanus is a well-known disease that has affected people for centuries. Gaston Ramon established a laboratory in 1920 to investigate antitoxic serum. During testing Ramon found anti-toxins that could inactivate tetanus toxins which could then produce anti-toxin rich vaccines. In 1925 Ramon used tetanus toxoid on test subjects with success and the Tetanus Vaccine was developed.
Performance must be fixed to prevent the disease. The cost is acceptable. Time is optimized for high quality. -
Penicillin Antibotic
Alexander Fleming discovered the first true antibiotic in the form of mould juice at St Mary's Hospital, London. This was to be come pure penicillin. 1939 - 1941 was the project phase as much research and experimentation went into turning it into a drug for human consumption. Performance was fixed as people's lives were at stake so they needed to be sure it was a quality drug. Cost is acceptable and time is optimised to ensure the final result was of the highest quality. -
Contraceptive Pill
Margaret Sanger an American activist convinces endocrinologist Gregory Pincus to work on a birth control pill. 1953 Katherine McCormack becomes the money behind the project, after many large scale trials in 1960 it was approved for use as a contraception. Performance was fixed as the drug had to be of highest quality. Time was optimised as there was an increasing demand for women to have a choice of when and if they had children. Cost was acceptable as Katherine McCormack has a great fortune. -
Warfarin
Warfarin is derived from WARF (Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation) and –arin from coumarin (brand name) and was approved for human use in 1954. It is used as an anticoagulant or blood thinner and is on the WHO list of essential medicines to prevent blood clots and strokes.
Quality is fixed because of the dangers associated with this drug.
Time is optimised as an urgent result is needed without compromising quality.
Cost is accepted because of the importance of the drug to mankind. -
The rescue inhaler
This project was executed by the Riker Laboratories in 1957 to produce a simple and easy way to inhale medication. This was unique as the inhaler was portable, simple to use and was very accurate at dispensing the correct amount of medication. It is still recommended today by the WHO. Performance of the inhaler must be fixed due to the importance of its delivery of medication. Cost is acceptable as the outcome is of importance. Time is optimized to get a safe and reliable product. -
The Implantable Heart Pacemaker
Wilson Greatbatch, an electrical engineer developed the first implantable heart pacemaker.This was accidentally stumbled upon in 1956 and was further researched and tested on animals and used on humans from April 1960.
It was unique as it was the first implantable pacemaker in humans and the dliverable was to save lives.Time was fixed as people needed treatment immediately. Trade off is cost because of its worldwide lifesaving outcomes and quality continues to be enhanced with further research. -
Obesity medication - Duromine
Duromine (Phentermine) is an appetite suppressant. iNova Pharmaceuticals built on previous research and the drug was in production by 2007. It is unique in that it is a slow-release drug, which controls hunger throughout the day. It is planned and temporary and the product deliverable is a safe, effective drug. Performance is fixed due to potential effects on human health. Time is optimised because a result is needed without compromising quality. Cost is acceptable due to the wealth of iNova. -
Expansion of GlaxoSmithKline Manufacturing Facility
Drug company GlaxoSmithKline announced an expansion of its Melbourne plant so it can introduce the latest machinery. This investment is so it can cater to markets where low cost treatment demands are high such as China and Turkey. The plant manufactures drugs for a number of conditions. Cost is fixed as the project budget is A$31 million, Quality enhanced as the expansion needs to be good quality. Time accepted as they predicted completion to be January 2016 but this date could have been moved. -
Zika virus vaccine product development
In 2015 an outbreak of Zika virus occurred in Brazil which caused a World Health Organization (WHO) alert to be issued. Zika is a mosquito-borne virus which is linked to birth defects. In mid-2016 the WHO developed a Zika virus vaccine target product profile as there is no vaccine. Performance must be fixed as there can be no negative results.The cost is acceptable as their needs to be an outcome.The project must optimize the time as a result is needed urgently but must be of high quality.
