Author: Selina McKee

There was good news for lung cancer patients in the UK this week after the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence waved through GlaxoSmithKline’s Hycamtin onto the National Health Service.

Former National Health Service chief executive Sir Nigel Crisp has voiced support for prising the health service away from the Department of Health, leaving it to run as a stand-alone organisation without political interference.

The cost watchdog for England and Wales has published findings of an appraisal consultation giving the thumbs up to Schering-Plough/Johnson & Johnson’s Remicade and Abbott Laboratories’ Humira for Crohn’s disease on the NHS.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has published preliminary recommendations rejecting the use of Roche’s cancer drug Avastin on the National Health Service for patients with advanced bowel cancer.

Shares in UK group GW Pharmaceuticals were on the rise yesterday following the publication of promising results from a trial of its cannabis-based drug Sativex in cancer pain in a peer reviewed journal.