Author: Lynne Taylor

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the dangers of counterfeit drugs, and is asking all stakeholders and interested parties to submit key ideas for regulatory reform by May 9.

It is “simply too early” to say if steps being being taken through the UK government’s National Programme for Action to reduce health inequalities and infant mortality and to improve life expectancy in England have yet had any effect, according to Professor Sir Michael Marmot, chairman of the Scientific Reference Group on Health Inequalities.

The UK Department of Health needs to examine whether increases to prescription charges are preventing patients from obtaining the medicines they need, a senior health official has agreed with Members of Parliament.

The US prescription drug market grew just 3.8% last year, which is down from more than 8% in 2006 and the lowest rate of rise since 1961, IMS Health has reported.

Thailand’s Public Health Minister, Chaiya Sasomsap, is set to advise the government today (Tuesday) that it should continue to override the patents on three cancer drug treatments – Novartis’ Femara (letrozole), Sanofi-Aventis’ Taxotere (docetaxel) and Genentech’s Tarceva (erlotinib).