Medicine Market Research Articles

Out-of-Pocket Expenditure for Diabetes Mellitus and Its Determinants in Recent Times in India

Introduction: Diabetes is one of the major disease burdens in the world. Globally around 463 million people (at a prevalence of 9.3%) suffered from diabetes recently. Apart from morbidity and mortality, diabetes poses high economic burden on healthcare systems, especially on national economies in developing countries like India. Estimation of the cost burden of diabetes can help decision-makers to understand the magnitude of the problem, prioritize research efforts and interventions, and plan resource allocation, especially in resource-poor settings. The focus of our review was to summarize cost burden of diabetes and its determinants from existing literature in the last 10 years in India. Materials and Methods: All literatures published in the period 2010–2020 were accessed through two databases: PubMed and Google Scholar. Reference lists of the article were again searched for further literatures. Cost calculated in different times was converted to current price in 2020 for ease of comparison. Results: Studies reported a wide range of expenditures in different settings of care. Inequity of expenses across income quintiles among patients was found. Complication of diabetes, insulin therapy, treatment in private facility, and events of hospitalization were the factors associated to high expenditure burden. Conclusion: Financial risk protection for vulnerable people and control over medicine market price will reduce out-of-pocket expenditure for diabetes. Comprehensive strategy to delay onset of complication as well as its early detection can be an opportunity to cut down diabetes-related economic burden.

Analysis of the Korean generic medicine market: Factors affecting the market share of generic medicines.

This study probed the market share of generic medicines by patients’ age and sex, type of medical facilities, route of administration, number of generic brands, market size (drug expenditure), and therapeutic class and investigated factors associated with a high market share of generic medicines in Korea. We analyzed using national health insurance data between 2010 and 2019. The dependent variable was the generic medicine market share, measured as the number of prescriptions and expenditures. Multivariable regression analysis was conducted using the numbers of generic brands, market size by each ingredient and therapeutic class, relative price, the number of prescriptions, and therapeutic class. Total pharmaceutical expenditures have increased due to the high use of single‐source drugs. The number of prescriptions and expenditures for generic medicines were 0.3 billion prescriptions and $7.8 billion, respectively, accounting for 46.5% and 46% of the total market. Multivariate analysis showed that the number of prescriptions (>20 thousand) and the market size of main active ingredients (>$1 million) were associated with an increased market share, whereas the number of generic brands (compared to <3) was associated with reduced generic medicine market share. In conclusion, we found that supply policies to promote the market entry of generic medicines by mandating price consistency between generic medicines and off‐patent original medicines had limitations in increasing the generic medicine market share. Policy should be put in place both to ensure the timely market entry of generic medicines and to promote the use of cheaper generic medicines.

Welfare and research and development incentive effects of uniform and differential pricing schemes

This paper is about the application of optimization methods to the analysis of three pricing schemes adopted by one manufacturer in a two-country model of production and trade. The analysis focuses on pricing schemes—one uniform pricing scheme, and two differential pricing schemes—for which there is no competition coming from the so-called parallel trade. This term denotes the practice of buying a patented product like a medicine in one market at one price, then re-selling it in a second so-called gray market at a higher price, on a parallel distribution chain where it competes with the official distribution chain. The adoption of pricing schemes under which parallel trade does not arise can prevent the occurrence of its well-documented negative effects. In the work, a comparison of the optimal solutions to the optimization problems modeling the three pricing schemes is performed. More specifically, conditions are found under which the two differential pricing schemes are more desirable from several points of view (e.g., incentive for the manufacturer to do Research and Development, product accessibility, global welfare) than the uniform pricing scheme. In particular, we prove that, compared to the uniform pricing scheme, the two differential pricing schemes increase the incentive for the manufacturer to invest in Research and Development. We also prove that they serve both countries under a larger range of values for the relative market size, making the product more accessible to consumers in the lower price country. Moreover, we provide a sufficient condition under which price discrimination is more efficient from a global welfare perspective than uniform pricing. The analysis applies in particular to the case of the European Single Market for medicines. Compared to other studies, our work takes into account also the possible presence in all the optimization problems of a positive constant marginal cost of production, showing that it can have non-negligible effects on the results of the analysis. As an important contribution, indeed, our analysis clarifies the conditions—which have been overlooked in the literature about the mechanisms adopted to prevent parallel trade occurrence—that allow/do not allow one to neglect the presence of this factor. Such conditions are related, e.g., to the comparison between the positive constant marginal cost of production, the parallel trade cost per-unit, and the maximal price that can be effectively charged to the consumers in the lower price country.

The Impact of Consequences Awareness of Public Environment on Medicine Return Behavior: A Moderated Chain Mediation Model

With global aging trends and prosperity in the medicine market, the number of unused or expired household unused or expired medicines is increasing. Medicines which are discarded improperly result in serious pollution. From the perspective of behavioral science, the main contribution of this paper is the construction of a chain mediation model to analyze the influence mechanism between consequences awareness of the public environment and proper return behavior of unused or expired medicines. The model explores the moderating effect of personal health awareness with through observation of to the mediating effect of personal norms and return intention. Using a sample size of 366 residents from China, the proposed hypotheses are empirically tested. The results show: firstly, the direct effect of residents’ consequences awareness of public environmental awareness on the proper medicine return behavior is not significant; secondly, return intention plays a mediating role in the positive effect of consequences awareness of the public environment on proper return behavior; thirdly, personal norms and return intention play a chain mediating role in the positive impact of consequences awareness of the public environment on proper return behavior; and lastly, personal health awareness moderates the chain mediation path by strengthening the positive effect of return intention on proper return behavior.

Impact of rituximab biosimilars on overall survival in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a Dutch population-based study

AbstractIn 2017, the European Medicines Agency approved rituximab biosimilars (R-biosimilars) for treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Thereafter, the Netherlands was one of the first countries to implement R-biosimilars, given lower costs compared with rituximab originator (R-originator). This study's objective was to investigate whether overall survival (OS) of patients with DLBCL receiving R-biosimilars is similar to patients treated with R-originator. DLBCL patients ≥18 years, diagnosed between 2014 and 2018, who received at least 1 cycle of rituximab combined with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (R-CHOP) were identified in the Netherlands Cancer Registry. Patients were categorized into R-originator or R-biosimilars groups based on data from a central repository of the Dutch medicinal drug market. The primary end point was 3-year OS, defined as the time between diagnosis and all-cause death. By the end of 2018, 91% of purchased rituximab were biosimilars. In total, 4429 patients were identified with 876 in the R-biosimilars group and 3553 in the R-originator group. Patients in the R-biosimilars group less frequently received >6 cycles of R-CHOP compared with patients treated with R-originator (24% vs 30%, P = .003). The 3-year OS did not differ between patients treated with R-originator or R-biosimilars (73% vs 73%, P = .855). This was confirmed with a multivariable Cox regression analysis accounting for sex, age, International Prognostic Index score, and number of R-CHOP cycles. In conclusion, the 3-year OS is similar for patients treated with CHOP in combination with R-originator or R-biosimilars and, therefore, favors the use of R-biosimilars in DLBCL treatment management.

\u201cDrugs to avoid\u201d to improve quality use of medicines: how is Australia faring?

BackgroundEach year, the French independent bulletin Prescrire publishes a list of medicines, “Drugs to avoid”, that should not be used in clinical practice as their risk-to-benefit ratio is unfavourable. This study assessed the market approval, reimbursement and use of these medicines in Australia.MethodsThe approval status of the medicines included in 2019 Prescrire “Drugs to avoid” list was assessed by searching the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods website. Funding status was assessed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) website, the Australian public insurance system. Use levels were determined by examining governmental reports on prescribing rates including the Australian Statistics on Medicines (ASM) reports, drug use reports released by the Drug Utilisation Sub Committee (DUSC) and PBS statistics.ResultsOf the 93 medicines included in the Prescrire 2019 “Drug to avoid” list included, 57 (61%) were approved in Australia in 2019 including 9 (16%) that were sold as over-the-counter medicines, 35 (38%) were listed on the PBS, 22 (24%) were registered but not listed on the PBS. Although most of these medicines were used infrequently, 16 (46%) had substantial use despite serious safety concerns. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors were used by 22% of patients receiving a treatment for diabetes in 2016. More than 50,000 patients received an anti-dementia medicine in 2014, a 19% increase since 2009. Denosumab became the 8th medicine, in terms of total sales, funded by the Australian Government in 2017–2018.ConclusionsPrescrire’s assessments provide a reliable external benchmark to assess the current use of medicines in Australia. Sixteen “drugs to avoid”, judged to be more harmful than beneficial based on systematic, independent evidence reviews, are in substantial use in Australia. These results raise serious concerns about the awareness of Australian clinicians of medicine safety and efficacy. Medicines safety has become an Australian National Health Priority. Regulatory and reimbursement agencies should review the marketing and funding status of medicines which have not been shown to provide an efficacy and safety at least similar to alternative therapeutic options.

Pharmaceutical nationalism as an instrument to ensure the access to medicines

Keywords: pharmaceutical nationalism, access to drugs, compulsory licensing, governmentuse, exclusion from intellectual property rights&#x0D; The article concerns the emergence of the phenomena of«pharmaceutical nationalism» in the year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pharmaceuticalnationalism is manifested in the qualitative and quantitative aspects. In the contextof a qualitative manifestation of pharmaceutical nationalism, we presume the politicalwill on establishing of a new state protectionist policy to local manufacturers ofmedicines, the establishing of preferences, exemptions of the patent monopoly basingon international legal instruments (TRIPS-flex). The quantitative aspect of pharmaceuticalnationalism is the primacy of satisfaction of the needs of the domestic marketof medicines in quantities that could ensure the biological security of individually foreach state, independently of the interests of others. The article also raises the issue ofthe need and means of forming pharmaceutical nationalism in Ukraine.The world community is calling for the demonopolization of research results on theprevention and treatment of COVID-19. WHO invites developers and companies towork together to ensure the disclosure of treatments and methods if they prove effective.International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions also presentedan open letter to WIPO urging WIPO to use all available flexible intellectual propertymechanisms to maximize global access to information (research data) on the treatmentof COVID-19. Canada, Israel and the EU are working to prevent the monopolizationof COVID-19 prevention and treatment.Ukraine should actively work to develop legislation in the field of compulsory licensing,as provided for in Art. 31 TRIPS Agreement. From a political point of view, itis the historical chance of Ukraine to become «he second India» or «the first Ukraine»in Europe in the production of generic medicines and biosimilars.

Prospects for application of phytopreparations in the complex treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus (DM) occupies an important place in the structure of mortality, as well as among the causes of disability and deterioration in the quality of life of the population. In this regard, the study of phytopreparations is promising for practical medicine in order to identify new medicinal plants that actively affect metabolic processes to prevent complications of DM, and create new phytopreparations. That drugs could enhance the effect of sulfonamides and potentiate the effect of insulin, thereby reducing the dose of the latter, and it is important for long-term chronic diseases, such as DM.&#x0D; The aim. To study the prospects for the use of phytopreparations in the complex treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.&#x0D; Materials and methods. The analytical, logical, generalization methods were used in the work. The analytical method of the study involved deepening the search for phytopreparations and the prospects for their use in the complex treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus and generalization of the data obtained. The logical method of exploratory research of promising phytopreparations was applied in a certain logical sequence, as a result of which the specificity, stage-by-stage and generalization of the relevance of the use of phytopreparations in the complex treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus was provided for scientific research. The generalizing research method was to determine and prove the characteristics of phytopreparations (analysis and synthesis) and their advantages over synthetic drugs.&#x0D; Results and discussion. The main directions of herbal medicine for DM are associated with reproduction of the effects of insulin, normalization of glucose uptake, stimulation of regeneration of β-cells of the Langerhans islets, elimination of excess glucose from the body – phytopreparations with diuretic properties; elimination of hypoxia – phytopreparations-antihypoxants. In DM, herbal medicine will reduce the frequency of side effects in classical antidiabetic therapy. For any type of diabetes, herbal medicine is prescribed to patients as an improvement in the microcirculation of tissues, normalization of the functions of the cardiovascular and nervous systems, kidneys and eyes.&#x0D; Conclusions. Despite a wide range of drugs used to correct the hemodynamic and metabolic manifestations of the insulin resistance syndrome, they do not fully meet the needs of practical medicine due to the presence of pronounced side effects. In addition, the pharmaceutical market of herbal medicines is very limited and represented mainly by species of medicinal plants, which have certain inconveniences in their use. All this indicates the relevance of the search, creation and introduction of effective and, at the same time, low-toxic drugs based on the medicinal plant raw material into medical practice for the pharmacotherapy of type 2 diabetes and its complications

АНАЛИЗ УДОВЛЕТВОРЕННОСТИ НАСЕЛЕНИЯ КАЧЕСТВОМ ПРЕДОСТАВЛЕНИЯ УСЛУГ ПО ЛЬГОТНОМУ ЛЕКАРСТВЕННОМУ ОБЕСПЕЧЕНИЮ

Drug therapy is one of the main components of medical care for the population, and the provision of drugs is an important indicator of its availability and quality. The purpose of our work was to analyze satisfaction with the quality of the provision of services for preferential drug provision. The works of domestic and foreign scientists in the field of preferential drug provision, as well as regulatory and organizational documentation on pharmaceutical activities were taken as an information base. The survey method served as the main research method. The objects of the study were the visitors of the pharmacy organizations of the Oryol region, who receive drugs under the program of preferential drug provision. The study found that 49.0% of respondents had difficulties in making an appointment with a doctor; cases of refusal to issue a prescription were indicated by 29.0% of the respondents; 45.0% of the respondents had to spend a long time on obtaining a preferential prescription for a drug by the decision of a medical commission. The majority of respondents (54.0%) do not receive medicines on preferential terms on time (postponed for more than 10 days). Almost half of the surveyed respondents (48.0%) are not satisfied with the treatment with prescription drugs prescribed under the program of preferential drug provision, due to the lack of drugs prescribed by a doctor in the pharmacy organization at the time of contact and their preference for drugs from other manufacturers. Most of the respondents (61.0%) consider the range of preferential drugs to be insufficient for the treatment of their underlying disease. Some respondents (20.0%) are not satisfied with the service in a pharmacy organization; 19.0% are dissatisfied with the quality and completeness of information about medicines received from a doctor and a pharmacy worker. The results obtained were communicated to the management of medical and pharmaceutical organizations serving privileged categories of citizens in the Oryol region. The authors of the study developed a Standard Operating Procedure “Procedure for Selling Medicines to Beneficial Categories of Citizens”, which helps to optimize the quality of service in pharmacies for the population receiving medicines under the preferential drug provision program.

The Relationship between Word-of-Mouth, Satisfaction, Trust and Loyalty in Herbal Medicine Industry

Favourable word-of-mouth, customer satisfaction and trust are essential elements for strengthening customer brand loyalty to gain a sustainable advantage in a competitive market. However, there is a relative scarcity of research on the impact of word-of-mouth and customer satisfaction on brand loyalty through the mediated role of brand trust in the herbal medicine market. Consequently, this research aimed to assess the impact of word-of-mouth and customer satisfaction on loyalty through the mediating role of trust in the herbal medicine market. A survey questionnaire was utilised to obtain empirical data from a sample of 265 customers through systematic sampling strategy. Covariance-based structural equation modelling was employed to examine the hypotheses formulated to achieve the aim of the study. The research established that positive word-of-mouth, satisfaction, and trust significantly impact loyalty in the herbal medicine market. More importantly, the research indicated that the customers` trust partially mediated the impact of word-of-mouth and customer satisfaction on loyalty in the herbal medicine market. Hence, this research contributes to advancing the extant brand management literature by establishing the intervening role of trust in the relationship between word-of-mouth, satisfaction and loyalty in the herbal medicine market. This research further provides a reference point to encourage the practitioners to develop and track the customers` word-of-mouth, satisfaction and brand trust to enhance loyalty in the industry.

Identification and phylogenetic analysis of five Crataegus species (Rosaceae) based on complete chloroplast genomes.

The chloroplast genomes of the five Crataegus species were shown to have a conserved genome structure. Complete chloroplast genome sequences were more suitable than highly variable regions for the identification and phylogenetic analysis of Crataegus species. Hawthorn, which is commonly used as a traditional Chinese medicine, is one of the most popular sour fruits and has high economic value. Crataegus pinnatifida var. pinnatifida and C. pinnatifida var. major are frequently adulterated with other Crataegus species on the herbal medicine market. However, most Crataegus plants are difficult to identify using traditional morphological methods. Here, we compared five Crataegus chloroplast (CP) genomes comprising two newly sequenced (i.e., C. pinnatifida var. pinnatifida and C. pinnatifida var. major) and three previously published CP genomes. The CP genomes of the five Crataegus species had a conserved genome structure, gene content and codon usage. The total length of the CP genomes was 159,654-159,865bp. A total of 129-130 genes, including 84-85 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes, were annotated. Bioinformatics analysis revealed 96-103 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and 48-70 long repeats in the five CP genomes. Combining the results of mVISTA and nucleotide diversity, five highly variable regions were screened for species identification and relationship studies. Maximum likelihood trees were constructed on the basis of complete CP genome sequences and highly variable regions. The results showed that the former had higher discriminatory power for Crataegus species, indicating that the complete CP genome could be used as a super-barcode to accurately authenticate the five Crataegus species.

An overview of the current status of follow-on biologicals in Iran

Background The advent of follow-on biologicals in Iran and biosimilars worldwide have provided various treatment options for several severe and chronic diseases. The goal of the present study was to provide an overview of their current status in Iran. Methods A comprehensive search of clinical trial registry sites and other databases that publish scholarly articles, such as PubMed and Google scholar, enabled the current follow-on biologicals landscape in Iran to be mapped. In addition, the annual national wholesale data of pharmaceutical products published by the Iranian pharmaceutical regulatory were analysed. The share of biotechnological therapeutics in terms of the whole medicines market, was evaluated, along with the share of follow-on biologicals and the potential and actualized cost-saving associated with using them. Data were collected and analysed over the 2013–2018 time period. Results At the time of writing, 21 follow-on biologicals were available in Iran and these are related to 17 different originator molecules. In 2018, approximately 13.5% of medicines spending in Iran was devoted to biotechnological therapeutics. Follow-on biologicals comprised approximately 47.2% of the biotechnological therapeutics’ total market value, up from 35.2% in 2013. The use of follow-on biologicals in Iran was associated with more than US$300 million cost-saving in 2018. A number of follow-on biological candidates, mostly monoclonal antibodies, are under development and will be subject to head-to-head clinical trials against originator products prior to regulatory approval and marketing. Conclusion Despite a significant rise in the use of follow-on biologicals in Iran, the proportional use of biotechnological therapeutics compared to the total medicines market has remained constant in recent years. Iranian healthcare authorities can improve patients’ access to life-saving biological medicines through promoting the use of follow-on biologicals instead of costly originators after making sure of the quality, efficacy and safety of the follow-on biologicals. The significant cost saving associated with using follow-on biologicals can also be utilized for other biotechnological medicines that are not currently in Iran’s drug list.

Medicine storage, wastage, and associated determinants among urban households: a systematic review and meta-analysis of household surveys

BackgroundIrrational household storage of medicines is a world-wide problem, which triggers medicine wastage as well as its associated harms. This study aimed to include all available evidences from literature to perform a focused examination of the prevalence and factors associated with medicine storage and wastage among urban households. This systematic review and meta-analysis mapped the existing literature on the burden, outcomes, and affective socio-economic factors of medicine storage among urban households. In addition, this study estimated pooled effect sizes for storage and wastage rates.MethodsHousehold surveys evaluating modality, size, costs, and affective factors of medicines storage at home were searched in PubMed, EMBASE, OVID, SCOPUS, ProQuest, and Google scholar databases in 2019. Random effect meta-analysis and subgroup analysis were used to pool effect sizes for medicine storage and wastage prevalence among different geographical regions.ResultsFrom the 2604 initial records, 20 studies were selected for systematic review and 16 articles were selected for meta-analysis. An overall pooled-prevalence of medicine storage and real wastage rate was 77 and 15%, respectively. In this regard, some significant differences were observed between geographical regions. Southwest Asia region had the highest storage and wastage rates. The most common classes of medicines found in households belonged to the Infective agents for systemic (17.4%) and the Nervous system (16.4%). Moreover, income, education, age, the presence of chronic illness, female gender, and insurance coverage were found to be associated with higher home storage. The most commonly used method of disposal was throwing them in the garbage.ConclusionsFactors beyond medical needs were also found to be associated with medicine storage, which urges effective strategies in the supply and demand side of the medicine consumption chain. The first necessary step to mitigate home storage is establishing an adequate legislation and strict enforcement of regulations on dispensing, prescription, and marketing of medicines. Patient’s pressure on excessive prescription, irrational storage, and use of medicines deserve efficient community-centered programs, in order to increase awareness on these issues. So, hazardous consequences of inappropriate disposal should be mitigated by different take back programs, particularly in low and middle income countries.

Ending Commercial Lion Farming in South Africa: A Gap Analysis Approach.

Simple SummaryIn South Africa, African lions (Panthera leo) are bred on farms for commercial purposes such as tourism, trophy hunting, and the international traditional medicine market. Despite its legal status, South Africa’s growing lion farming industry is a contentious issue. In 2020, a high-level panel was appointed to review the policies, legislation, and management of breeding, hunting, trade, and handling of four wildlife species, namely rhino, elephant, leopard, and lions. In May 2021, it was announced that the government will stop issuing permits to new entrants into this industry as well as the issuance of hunting permits and will start amending permit conditions to prohibit breeding and exclude tourism interactions with captive lions, effectively ending the lion farming industry. In order to follow this line of action, a comprehensive, well-managed plan will be required to ensure a responsible transition away from the current industry. Here, using a “gap analysis” management tool, we outline some of the key considerations necessary for a responsible, well-managed exit from the lion farming industry in South Africa. We compiled key background information about the current state of the industry and use this information to identify desired management states and specific steps that could facilitate a successful phase out of lion farming.African lions (Panthera leo) are commercially farmed across South Africa for sport hunting, tourism, and the international bone trade, primarily in Southeast Asia. Despite its legal status, South Africa’s growing lion farming industry is a contentious issue. In 2020 a high-level panel was initiated to review the policies, legislation, and management regarding the breeding, hunting, trade, and handling of four wildlife species, including lions. In May 2021, it was announced that the government intends to amend existing permit conditions to prohibit lion breeding and tourism interactions with captive lions, as well as to stop issuing permits to new entrants into the industry, effectively ending lion farming. In order to follow this line of action, a comprehensive, well-managed plan will be necessary to execute a responsible exit from the industry as it currently stands. Using a “gap analysis” management tool, we aim to: (1) outline some of the key considerations regarding the current state of the lion farming industry in South Africa; and (2) propose specific action steps that could be taken within five key areas (regulation, animal welfare, health and safety, equitability, and conservation) to help inform a responsible transition away from this type of wildlife farming in the biodiversity economy. For our gap analysis, we conducted a semi-systematic literature search to compile key background information about the current state of the industry. This information was then used to identify corresponding desired management states, and steps that could facilitate a successful phase out of lion farming in South Africa. We hope our approach helps identify key considerations for a responsible transition and can help aid decisions during the management of this process.

Techniques of synergistic effect formation in marketing communications on the aesthetic medicine market

The article analyses the experience of the Russian distribution company of the market of aesthetic medicine in implementing the communication strategy of a new educational product in a turbulent marketing environment. The paper formulates the principles of establishing profitable communication with core audiences, substantiates the choice of marketing communications instruments, as well as the techniques for their combination and the development of advertising material used for achieving synergistic effect from marketing and advertising activities. The authors notice a high value of Integrated marketing communications in the projects of launching new products to the market. The results of the study can be used by marketing specialists to form an effective communication system in small and medium-sized businesses that provides a commercial enterprise with a highly profitable result from advertising campaigns with limited deadlines and budgets.

Macrofungi as a Nutraceutical Source: Promising Bioactive Compounds and Market Value.

Macrofungi production and economic value have been increasing globally. The demand for macrofungi has expanded rapidly owing to their popularity among consumers, pleasant taste, and unique flavors. The presence of high quality proteins, polysaccharides, unsaturated fatty acids, minerals, triterpene sterols, and secondary metabolites makes macrofungi an important commodity. Macrofungi are well known for their ability to protect from or cure various health problems, such as immunodeficiency, cancer, inflammation, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, and obesity. Many studies have demonstrated their medicinal properties, supported by both in vivo and in vitro experimental studies, as well as clinical trials. Numerous bioactive compounds isolated from mushrooms, such as polysaccharides, proteins, fats, phenolic compounds, and vitamins, possess strong bioactivities. Consequently, they can be considered as an important source of nutraceuticals. Numerous edible mushrooms have been studied for their bioactivities, but only a few species have made it to the market. Many species remain to be explored. The converging trends and popularity of eastern herbal medicines, natural/organic food product preference, gut-healthy products, and positive outlook towards sports nutrition are supporting the growth in the medicinal mushroom market. The consumption of medicinal mushrooms as functional food or dietary supplement is expected to markedly increase in the future. The global medicinal mushroom market size is projected to increase by USD 13.88 billion from 2018 to 2022. The global market values of promising bioactive compounds, such as lentinan and lovastatin, are also expected to rise. With such a market growth, mushroom nutraceuticals hold to be very promising in the years to come.

Determinants and consequences of brand credibility: a case study in the pharmaceutical industry

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual model that intends to identify the determinants and consequences of brand credibility, specifically in the pharmaceutical industry. Design/methodology/approach The hypotheses developed according to the proposed model were tested through an online questionnaire and answered by 225 individuals from Portugal. Findings The results show that the credibility of brand communication, perceived quality and brand familiarity are the key components that contribute most to the creation of a credible brand. Regarding consequences, this study confirms that, in the face of a credible brand, consumers are more willing to repeat the purchase, to pay more for it and to promote their opinion among other consumers. Originality/value This research innovates by presenting, for the first time, a conceptual model of brand credibility specific to the non-prescription medicines market, thus contributing to a better understanding of this issue by companies and brand managers of the pharmaceutical industry.

Аналіз вітчизняного ринку ветеринарних інсектоакарицидних засобів

The main condition for ensuring the economic efficiency of agricultural livestock rearing is the maintenance of wellbeing of farm animals, which is characterized by high productive qualities and the necessary reproductive capacity. At the same time, outbreaks of diseases of various etiologies, including parasitic, are often the cause of reduced productivity of animals. Pest insects control is important in the conditions of intensive animal husbandry, when at big farms and complexes animals are concentrated in large numbers. This increases the risk of reproduction and rapid spread of many insects that parasitize farm animals and are carriers of infectious and invasive diseases and cause economic damage due to reduced animal productivity and quality of raw materials. Protection of animals from ecto- and endoparasites requires the development and creation of highly effective antiparasitic drugs, because providing the necessary range of means to combat diseases of animals, inexpensive in price, in user-friendly forms is a way to further development of animal husbandry. Recent years mark a development of the domestic market of medicines for veterinary use, an increase in the number of registered drugs, the development of enterprises producing medicines, an increase in the number of companies engaged in pharmaceutical activities in both wholesale and retail. All this speaks of the prospects of the market of medicines for veterinary use. Specialists working in the field of production and sale of medicines need immediate, objective and reliable information on the state of the pharmaceutical market. This information has a significant volume and dynamism. Identifying the peculiarities of the formation of the market of veterinary goods at the state level should contribute to the improvement of management methods in this sphere, and the development of veterinary entrepreneurship. Therefore, the reorientation of domestic pharmaceutical companies to the principles of marketing will ensure the search, development and production of effective and competitive drugs, which will meet the pressing needs of customers. The aim of the work was to study the structure of the domestic pharmaceutical market, namely veterinary insectoacaricides. Our research focused on such tasks as studying the nomenclature of veterinary insectoacaricides of foreign and domestic manufacturers by the following indicators: manufacturers, species, forms of release and means of administration. The study of imported products also focused on the country of manufacture according to the State Register of Medicines. The study uses the methods of survey, analysis, comparison, generalization to get the required information. Statistical method was used to process the obtained data. Insectoacaricides are a significant share of the domestic pharmaceutical market. The study group is represented by 186 drugs of domestic and foreign manufacture, which is about 3% of the total number of all registered drugs. Of the 186 registered drugs, 35.5% (66) are imported and 64.5% (120) are domestic. Among insectoacaricides of foreign manufacture, the largest market share is occupied by Merial and KRKA, d.d., Novo mesto – 10.6% each (7 drugs each), KVP Pharma and Veterinar-Product GmbH – 9.1% (6 drugs), and among domestic companies the products of TOV “UKRBIONIT”; VK “KRUG”; TOV “NOVA PLUS” comprises 14.2% (17 drugs), TOV “Vetsintez” and TOV “NOVA PLUS” - 10.8% (13 drugs each), TOV “MEDIPROMTEK”, TOV company “Product”, TOV “NVP “SUZIRIA” – 8.3% (10 drugs each). The implementation of marketing activities which includes the research of the pharmaceutical market, allows companies to better adapt to market economy conditions, determine tactics of competitive behavior, adapt to change, improve strategy, change the production process according to consumer requirements and needs.

Diversity of Seahorse Species (Hippocampus spp.) in the International Aquarium Trade

Seahorses (Hippocampus spp.) are threatened as a result of habitat degradation and overfishing. They have commercial value as traditional medicine, curio objects, and pets in the aquarium industry. There are 48 valid species, 27 of which are represented in the international aquarium trade. Most species in the aquarium industry are relatively large and were described early in the history of seahorse taxonomy. In 2002, seahorses became the first marine fishes for which the international trade became regulated by CITES (Convention for the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), with implementation in 2004. Since then, aquaculture has been developed to improve the sustainability of the seahorse trade. This review provides analyses of the roles of wild-caught and cultured individuals in the international aquarium trade of various Hippocampus species for the period 1997–2018. For all species, trade numbers declined after 2011. The proportion of cultured seahorses in the aquarium trade increased rapidly after their listing in CITES, although the industry is still struggling to produce large numbers of young in a cost-effective way, and its economic viability is technically challenging in terms of diet and disease. Whether seahorse aquaculture can benefit wild populations will largely depend on its capacity to provide an alternative livelihood for subsistence fishers in the source countries. For most species, CITES trade records of live animals in the aquarium industry started a few years earlier than those of dead bodies in the traditional medicine trade, despite the latter being 15 times higher in number. The use of DNA analysis in the species identification of seahorses has predominantly been applied to animals in the traditional medicine market, but not to the aquarium trade. Genetic tools have already been used in the description of new species and will also help to discover new species and in various other kinds of applications.

Brazilian essential oils as source for the discovery of new anti-COVID-19 drug: a review guided by in silico study.

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in China and its spread worldwide has become one of the biggest health problem due to the lack of knowledge about an effective chemotherapy. Based on the current reality of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, this study aimed to make a review literature about potential anti-coronavirus natural compounds guided by an in silico study. In the first step, essential oils from native species found in the Brazilian herbal medicine market and Brazilian species that have already shown antiviral potential were used as source for the literature search and compounds selection. Among these compounds, 184 showed high antiviral potential against rhinovirus or picornavirus by quantitative structure–activity relationship analysis. (E)-α-atlantone; 14-hydroxy-α-muurolene; allo-aromadendrene epoxide; amorpha-4,9-dien-2-ol; aristochene; azulenol; germacrene A; guaia-6,9-diene; hedycaryol; humulene epoxide II; α-amorphene; α-cadinene; α-calacorene and α-muurolene showed by a molecular docking study the best result for four target proteins that are essential for SARS-CoV-2 lifecycle. In addition, other parameters obtained for the selected compounds indicated low toxicity and showed good probability to achieve cell permeability and be used as a drug. These results guided the second literature search which included other species in addition to native Brazilian plants. The majority presence of any of these compounds was reported for essential oils from 45 species. In view of the few studies relating essential oils and antiviral activity, this review is important for future assays against the new coronavirus.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11101-021-09754-4.