New Site for Patients & Patients' Families
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) has announced the launch of Innovation.org, a new web site that aims to provide patients and patients’ families with a wealth of timely health information, including an online, searchable database for new prescription drugs currently in development for diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s.
Key Features of the Site
The information sent to me by the company suggests we can:
First Impressions
Very much a corporate website look and feel. On visiting the site we are met by a bright sunshine logo, images of serious 'researchers', statements on the potential of the pharmaceutical industry which culminate in the picture of the happy family. Innovation is the key word and this is fine as it's what the site sets out to promote.
But, to business. I was interested in the new medications under development. I eventually found the relevant link (new meds in development) under the 'future of innovation'. Towards the bottom of a bit more blurb I discovered a further link to the database of new medicines. This brought me to three promising search options for disease, drug name or company. I selected the disease option and, naturally enough, chose Alzheimer's.
A list of drugs under development, indications, pharmaceutical companies and the phase of development is displayed. At this point I began to discover the limitations of this particular area of the site. I decided to find out more about Ablify (aripiprazole)as this is identified in development phase III. There is no link directly from the drug so this forced me to type 'Ablify' in the 'Search by Drug' menu. This resulted in a message saying, 'There are no medicines for Ablify listed in our database at this time'. Not to be put off when I tried 'aripiprazole' I got a result - of sorts.
And really this is where it ends because the result simply reorganized the information I had seen with the proprietary/generic name of the drug and the fact it was being developed for Alzheimer's by Bristol-Myers Squibb. Certainly using this section of site produces only the most rudimentary information.
This is a new website by its own admission. I think it has potential and no doubt things will refine and develop over time once cross-linking is sorted out and depth of information is provided. Don't take my word for it, pay the site a visit and judge for yourself Visit www.innovation.org
