Oil and Gas – The performance of a refinery is evaluated by its refinery margin. A refinery margin is the money a company makes by buying an unprocessed commodity (crude oil) and selling the refined product (gasoline, jet fuel, diesel etc.).

Gross Refinery Margin = Price of refined product – Price of crude oil

Net Refinery Margin = Gross Refinery Margin – Refinery Operating Costs – Transportation and Storage

Watch the below video to learn:

• How to calculate a refinery margin
• What changes can affect the calculations of the refinery margin
• How this is used to evaluate the performance of refinery
• How this is used when deciding what type of refinery to build

Evaluating a refinery is one of many of the topics covered by our expert trainer in the 12 hour MBA in Oil & Gas. The 12 Hour MBA in Oil & Gas is an online training course that explores all the critical issues and challenges surrounding the oil & gas industry.

Download the brochure to find out more

Don’t’ miss out on this opportunity! Register online and save an extra 10% by entering the promotional code 07D488EA43.

A recent report by Frost & Sullivan shows that the biosimilars market earned revenue of $172 million in 2010. However this figure is expected to grow at an annual rate of 56.7% over the next seven years, reaching $3.99 billion by 2017.

Areas that will experience particular growth will include existing biosimilar segments such as erythropoietin and human growth hormones, but also emerging areas, such as monoclonal antibodies, insulin and interferon.

The report highlights the fact that, though there will be considerable opportunities for growth, the need for substantial investment will hinder smaller firms, due to the high costs of production and manufacturing. Building alliances could offer one possible solution, as well as improving sales and marketing communication.

The MBA Training Company offers a wide range of courses in the life science industry – download our life science catalogue to read more. Of particular interest may be the 3 Day MBA in Antibodies, taking place on 12 – 14 March in London and the 3 Day MBA in Pharmaceutical Alliances, taking place on 25 – 27 April in London – don’t miss out!

The influenza virus is found naturally in man, pigs, birds and many other animals and can move between species. It is a very mobile virus and can rapidly change itself to produce new viruses to which there is no natural protection. However, the initial step towards a new virus becoming a pandemic in man is, obviously, for it to be able to infect man, this is the first warning signal but it needs to be able to spread from human to human to achieve pandemic status.

What are H and N ?

The influenza virus comes in many forms A/B/C etc but it is only the A type that causes pandemics in man. On the surface of the A virus are two antigens (proteins) called Haemagglutinin and Neuraminidase (H and N respectively). As the virus mutates these antigens change and are given numbers to reflect these changes hence H1N1 etc.

H1N1 Swine Flu

In 2009 a swine influenza virus (called H1N1) caused a pandemic, starting a human to human spread in Mexico with early indications of a high mortality. The WHO responded, a pandemic was declared, the world’s vaccine manufacturers mobilised vaccine manufacture, and the virus spread rapidly around the world. Typically influenza impacts the older age groups and those with pre-existing diseases. H1N1, however, impacted on young adults and this was probably because older people had a cross sensitivity protection from exposure to H1N1 in the 1950/60s. The initial high mortality was not reflected as it spread globally, although fatalities occurred they were more isolated than in Mexico. The vaccine was taken up widely in the US but less enthusiastically in Europe. The virus continues to circulate and is causing cases on a worldwide basis, but the strain is part of the seasonal vaccine and there is widespread immunity in the general population.

H5N1 – Bird (Avian) Flu

The H5N1 virus was first identified in the US in a wild mallard duck and is found widely throughout bird populations in Asia. Samples taken from poultry markets in China have shown that it is widely spread in the whole poultry population. A recent outbreak in Hong Kong seagulls led to a cull of chickens following the report of the death of a man on mainland China. It has the ability to infect man but, currently, cannot be transmitted from man to man. Each case reported to date has occurred in those who directly handle live poultry. It is however a significantly pathogenic virus and has caused 345 deaths out of 584 cases (Feb 2012) as it causes a viral pneumonia.

There are a number of vaccines already prepared for H5N1 and approved under the pandemic influenza approval systems. These would proceed into production in the event that the virus mutates to human to human transmission.

Recently a team in Rotterdam have created a highly contagious strain of H5N1 in the laboratory. Five mutations were introduced into the H5N1 genome and this was then passed between ferrets for 10 passages. The resultant virus was highly contagious. There is now a wide spread debate about the experiment. Clearly if the detailed technology is published any terrorist group could create lethal viruses, however the scientific community sees this as a dramatic advance that could help the understanding of influenza to prevent future epidemics. The debate continues.

A (H3N2) v`

H3N2 is endemic in pigs in Asia. In the last 4 months CDC have received over 12 reports of an H3N2 virus that has a matrix gene from a 2009 pandemic H1N1 strain in the viral shell. This has been given the nomenclature A (H3N2) v. It appears to be able to spread from pig to man and man to man. The CDC has prepared a vaccine seed strain in case the strain spreads and HHS is preparing a clinical trial with vaccine from Sanofi Pasteur and Novartis. No vaccine has been ordered but the manufacturers have been given the working seeds. Some cross protection to H3N2 viruses circulating in the 1990s is expected. This has also been found in pigs in Hong Kong

Cases of an H1N1v have also been identified.

H3N8

An H3N8 virus has caused the deaths of several hundred harbour seals off the New England coast. It is of low infectivity to man but the public are being warned not to approach the dead seals.

H4N8

A report in Virology from Japan has described an H4N8 which was found in shorebirds that is lethal to mice.

H5N2

The H5N2 outbreak in South African ostrich farms has devastated the industry following the cull of 38K birds.

H6N5

This has been isolated from a wild bird in South Korea, although this was transmissible in ferrets it was not pathogenic in pigs or poultry.

H7N2

This has infected two people.

H7N3

This has infected three people.

H9N2

This has infected three people.

H10N7

This has infected three people.

What will be the next pandemic ?

The influenza virus passes regularly across species and is highly mutant changing its immunological appearance. Small changes cause the seasonal influenza, however a large change which allows the virus to pass from man to man causes an epidemic. It is impossible to predict which virus will case the epidemic and when. The WHO have a worldwide surveillance organisation which detects the earliest changes and minimises the time until an effective vaccine is made available. The only certainty is that there will be another pandemic and the next one may be much more aggressive than H1N1.

Dr Kevin Bryett

Course Director

3 Day MBA in Vaccines

The 3 day MBA in Vaccines will get you up-to-date on the latest developments. Download the brochure for to find out more.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity – register now!

Ryanair was formed in 1985 and was the first of the European lost cost carriers. The airline was formed and produced based on the principles used within the United States (e.g. South West Airlines). Watch the below video and find out:

• Why Ryanair are the 2^nd Largest airline in Europe
• How many routes do they operate out of
• How many aircrafts do they operate
• How they stopped British Airways from using the tag line “the people favourite airline”
• What is their growth rate since 1985
• Where do they operate from and how many routes do they travel to

Ryanair case study is just one of the many case studies and topics that is presented throughout the online 12 hour MBA training course in Airports.

Download the brochure to find out more. Don’t’ miss out on this opportunity! Register online and save an extra 10% by entering the promotional code 07D488EA43.

The restructuring has been prepared to respond to the loss of patent exclusivity for Diovan, the market-leading hypertension medication, expected in the US in September 2012. The main element of restructuring will take place in the important US market, where Novartis Pharmaceuticals will continue to focus on expanding its presence in specialty businesses aligned with the product portfolio and pipeline. As a result the company will reduce its cost base as well as its field force by approximately 1,630 positions and headquarters by approximately 330 positions. The changes are planned to take effect in the second quarter of 2012, and associates will be notified in early April, 2012. The restructuring is expected to produce full-year saving of approximately USD 450 million as of 2013, about half of which is expected to be realized in 2012 due to reorganization timelines.

Click here to read the full article

If you like to find out more about the challenges and latest developments within the Pharmaceuticals industry then join us on our 3 day MBA in Pharmaceuticals in Boston on the 12-14 March 2012 and we will walk you through the vital issues and challenges facing today’s #pharmaceutical industry. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity!

For enquiries on seat reservation or course programmes, call Evon on (+44) 20 7608 7028 or email evon.wong@terrapinn.com

Saudi is currently pumping just under record rates of 10 million barrels per day (mbpd) and has the ability to ramp up to 12.5 mbpd. Although it is possible for Saudia Arabia to operate at a steady rate beyond 10 mbpd it would take the kingdom’s production to untested levels.

Making an extra 1 million to 1.5 mbpd available would offer immediate relief to world oil markets. Gulf countries however are reluctant to push output to the very brink as this may leave them bereft of a supply cushion.  

Click here to read the full article

If you like to find out more about the oil and gas industry and its latest developments then join us on our 3 day MBA in Oil and Gas in Toronto on the 14-16 March 2012 and we will walk you through the vital issues and challenges facing today’s #oil and #gas industry. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity!

For enquiries on seat reservation or course programmes, call Evon on (+44) 20 7608 7028 or email evon.wong@terrapinn.com

The oil and gas jobs market reflects this optimism according to a recent joint report from OilCareers.com and Air Energi. The Global Oil & Gas Workforce Survey: Expectations for hires and pay rates in the oil and gas industry (H1) 2012 suggests that the main challenge for the industry this year will be ensuring the sustained flow of adequately skilled professionals.

Attempts to combat the issue include internships and virtual mentorship, as well as offsite education programmes and more flexible government allowances towards working retirees. Activity levels in key regions are set to stay high, with, for instance, the UK receiving 46 new production licences at the start of 2012. As a result, it is expected that both contract and salaried pay rates will increase in many key regions.

Demand for fabrication, operations and production staff will be particularly high, though people with professional sciences and engineering backgrounds will also be in high demand, with personnel in these areas proving especially difficult to find. But, as Mark Guest, Managing Director of OilCareers.com, points out: “Despite all the challenges, I believe our industry remains fundamentally attractive. With plenty of opportunities on the table it’s an exciting time to be involved in the energy sector.”

Human resources management is one of the key elements covered at the 3 Day MBA in Oil & Gas Production Management – our expert trainer Hussain Ahmed will teach you all you need to know about how oil and gas production works, including how to manage staff effectively in the face of an ageing workforce and increasing project demands. Taking place in Aberdeen from 12 – 14 March and Dubai from 29 – 31 May, this is an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.

Do you want to know how to find oil and gas? Watch the below video and follow they three key steps to evaluating a well.

1. Sample or Mud log (Lithologic Logs)
2. Cores
• Full Diameter and Core Plugs
• Sidewall Cores
3. Driller-Time Log
• Rate of Penetration (ROP)
• Drilling Break

Evaluating a well is just one of the subject areas touched upon throughout the 12 hour MBA in Oil & Gas. Our expert trainer Mian walks you through the fundamentals of the oil & gas industry and helps you to explore, discover and evaluate the critical issues and challenges faced.

Download the brochure to find out more. Don’t’ miss out on this opportunity! Register online and save an extra 10% by entering the promotional code 07D488EA43.

The global pharmaceutical industry is experiencing exponential change. A mass of conflicting drivers are competing to make the prediction of value ever more complex.

1) Demographics - Demographics are pushing market potential upwards through an ageing population and the move to lifestyle related diseases in the increasingly affluent developing markets of the world.

2) Economic climate - The counter pressures are ever around us as the economic squeeze tightens. Governments are imposing arbitrary price reductions across the board and tearing up previously stable pricing and reimbursement agreements. Compulsory generic prescribing is being seen in markets previously wedded to a purely branded ethos.

3) Technology - In the face of these conflicts, the industry is facing equally challenging shifts in technology. There is a reasonable argument to say that most common diseases in developed markets can now be controlled by established therapies.

4) R&D - Where does that leave R&D with its ever decreasing productivity? New models of research include outsourcing and an increasing trend by big pharma towards using small start-up biotech companies as incubators to minimise development risk.

Orphan drugs, once a low-value niche area of business are now in the spotlight.

These issues and more are addressed in our intensive programme throughout the 3 day MBA in Pharma.

Written by: Stuart Wineberg – expert trainer for the 3 day MBA in Pharma

To find out more visit the 3 day MBA in Pharma or register to download the brochure. Don’t miss out on this opportunity.

However, the rare disease field has, for a long time, been characterised by patient focus, partnership and passion, which means that the rare disease community sees the situation from the patient’s perspective. There is a huge unmet medical need in orphan diseases – about 95% of rare diseases lack treatment; 80% of the diseases are of genetic origin, but 40% of new drugs are in oncology.

There are several stakeholders within rare diseases – patients, physicians, networks, governments and regulatory agencies – and a commitment to collaborate. Patients are highly engaged and empowered and take an active role in both research activities and HTA (health technology assessment) activities.

There is also a focus from the US Congress and the European Commission on stimulating and funding research for rare diseases. A consortium has recently been established for international collaboration on research for rare diseases – the International Rare Disease Research Consortium (IRDiRC). The objective is not only to facilitate research for patients with rare diseases; they are also considered as models for more common diseases. This means that a breakthrough for a rare disease might have implications in developing drugs for more common diseases.

There are challenges on the journey from proof of concept to patient access to a new drug. There are challenges in diagnosing patients and designing clinical trials (few patients, heterogeneous diseases and lack of optimal end point). And when the drug is approved by regulators, the next hurdle is reimbursement. Small clinical trials are not able to provide convincing data on cost effectiveness and are therefore not always reimbursed, so new models are now being discussed for assuring patient access to new treatments.

Getting new drugs to patients more quickly and overcoming all of the associated hurdles remains the focus of the orphan drugs arena. The 3 Day MBA in Orphan Drugs will equip you with ways in which to do so, as well as getting you up-to-date on the latest developments and teaching you ways in which to collaborate and interact with key industry stakeholders. Don’t miss out – register now!