Roche is buying the shares it does not already own in US molecular information company Foundation Medicine (FMI), in a deal valued at $2.4 billion.
News
US regulators reject Valeant’s Duobrii
The US Food and Drug Administration has rejected Valeant group Ortho Dermatologics’ plaque psoriasis therapy Duobrii.
Scotland to house world-first manufacturing innovation centre
A £56-million drug manufacturing innovation centre – the first of its kind in the world – has been announced for Renfrewshire in Scotland.
Tax rises on the horizon for NHS budget hike
Prime Minister Theresa May has confirmed that tax rises will be necessary to help fund the planned NHS budget increase.
AbbVie unveils high undetectable disease rates for venetoclax/rituximab combo
AbbVie has unveiled new data showing high and durable undetectable minimal residual disease rates in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia treated with venetoclax in combination with rituximab.
DDF, Immuneering form $1.3m Alzheimer’s research collaboration
Britain’s Dementia Discovery Fund has formed a research collaboration with US group Immuneering Corporation that aims to identify novel drug targets and candidates for Alzheimer’s disease.
Teva pulls fremanezumab cluster headaches trial
Teva is discontinuing a late-stage trial assessing the efficacy of its experimental anti-CGRP therapy fremanezumab in reducing cluster headaches.
Prime Minister reveals £20bn a year boost for NHS
By 2023/24 there will be £20 billion more a year being spent on the NHS “in real terms”, Prime Minister Theresa May has revealed.
Digital therapy group Healios raises £2.2 million
UK-based digital therapy group Healios has raised £2.2 million in its latest funding round.
Rare disease therapy Crysvita to be barred from NHS
Children and young people with X-linked hypophosphataemia (XLH) are unlikely to get routine access to Kyowa Kirin’s Crysvita on the NHS.
Keytruda approved for second blood cancer
US regulators have again expanded the list of approved uses of MSD’s immunotherapy Keytruda, issuing a green light for the treatment of primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL).
NICE rejects adjuvant use of Perjeta post-surgery
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence says adjuvant use of Roche’s breast cancer drug Perjeta in patients who have had surgery is not cost effective for the NHS.
Wales backs NHS use of Actelion’s Uptravi for PAH
Some patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) are now able to access Actelion’s selexipag on the NHS in Wales after a green light from the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG).
Mental health spend must double to raise treatment levels, finds report
Spend on mental health will need to double to bring the proportion of people receiving NHS treatment up from 40 percent to 70 percent, claims a report commissioned by the NHS Confederation.
Final NICE nod for Janssen’s Tremfya
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has now issued guidance recommending Janssen’s Tremfya as an option for treating plaque psoriasis in adults on the NHS.
