Leading Provider of Simulation and Modeling Software for Pharmaceutical Discovery and Development Scheduled to Present on September 13, 2010; Rodman & Renshaw Annual Global Investment Conference NYC

What if the constants we take for granted are not really constant?
Seems like every time we learn something new, whether it is in biology or cosmology, we learn something else that just makes us sit back and say Wow. So it is with a recent story in The Economist about new information regarding one of the universal “constants” alpha.

Simulations Plus Reports Preliminary Revenues for Fourth Fiscal Quarter of FY2010
New Record Fiscal Year Follows Record 1st, 2nd and 3rd Quarters; Rodman & Renshaw Annual Global Investment Conference NYC

Beyond Filters: ADMET Risk™ for Multi-objective Drug Development
We calculated predictions for over 30 properties relevant to absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) for a large and pharmaceutically pertinent...

Kinda like standing in front of a development team, huh?
G.H. Hardy* said, “A mathematician, like a painter or a poet, is a maker of patterns. And just as in poetry and painting, the mathematician’s patterns must be beautiful. Beauty is the first test,” he said. “There is no permanent place in the world for ugly mathematics.”

Not too complicated for words.
Jackson Pollock’s Autumn Rhythm (seen here) is an example of a complex painting that can be grasped with a few moments of contemplation, according to Terry Teachout (links to a dead page) in the Wall Street Journal. Pollock worked during the mid 20th century, when nature was assumed to be random. However, as Robert Taylor (links to content that is no longer available) explained in a 2002 Scientific American article:

Shanghai: A Cacophony of People
Update: For another perspective on tech employment in the United States and China, see Andy Grove’s recent article in Bloomberg Businessweek.

The biowaivers extension for BCS Class III drugs: the effect of dissolution rate on on the bioequivalence of BCS Class III IR drugs predicted by computer simulation
The Biopharmaceutical Classification System (BCS) guidance issued by the FDA allows waivers for in vivo bioavailability and bioequivalence studies for immediate-release...

In Silico Classification of Major Clearance Pathways of Drugs with Their Physiochemical Parameters
Predicting major clearance pathways of drugs is important in understanding their pharmacokinetic properties in clinical use, such as drug-drug interactions and genetic...

Plasma pharmacokinetics of two consecutive doses of ferumoxytol in healthy subjects
Intravenous (IV) iron is used to treat iron-deficiency anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Ferumoxytol is a novel iron formulation administered rapidly as two IV boluses of 510 mg each. In this placebo-controlled, double-blind...

Improving productivity with model-based drug development: an enterprise perspective
The productivity of the pharma enterprise has fallen, as evidenced by a decline in regulatory submissions and less commercial success.

A pH-Dilution Method for Estimation of Biorelevant Drug Solubility along the Gastrointestinal Tract: Application to Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling
Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling tools have become an integral part of the modern drug discovery−development process.

Robots
Take a look at BigDog and his amazing robot pals in this link to the New York Times. Or, if you love cute and cuddly, you should check out Paro.

Simulations Plus Reports Third Quarter FY2010 Financial Results
Another Record Quarter with Revenues up 15% and Earnings up 30% over Last Year’s Q3

World (Cup) Cultures
One of the true pleasures of my job is the opportunity to travel and meet people from all over the world. Different cultures presume different business and social behaviors, of course.* But I have found that in spite of the differences, there are at least two similarities among world cultures: a passion to cheer for your national team to win the World Cup and a nearly universal reviling of the vuvuzelas.