Roche’s Ocrevus has been approved for use in Europe to treat adults with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) and early primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS).
News
Heptares, ICL sign gastrointestinal R&D pact
Heptares Therapeutics, the UK-headquartered wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan’s Sosei Group, has formed a new drug research and development pact with Imperial College London focused on gastrointestinal disease.
NHS Confed orders reports into NHS funding needs
The NHS Confederation has tasked the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Health Foundation with analysing the funding needs of the UK’s health and care systems over the next 15 years.
EU approves AZ’ biologic Fasenra for severe asthma
AstraZeneca’s biologic Fasenra has been approved for use in Europe as an add-on maintenance treatment in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma.
NHS England to fund more GP-based pharmacists
NHS England has approved funding for more than 160 additional GP surgery-based clinical pharmacists able to offer expert medical advice and treatment to patients.
Does your team always deliver?
If so, you ought to know that the 2018 PharmaTimes Clinical Researcher of the Year – The Americas application process for teams has been made MUCH simpler this year, so if you thought you didn’t have enough time to enter, think again!
NICE backs wider use of MSD’s Simponi
Cost regulators for therapies funded by the NHS in England and Wales have added MSD’s Simponi (golimumab) to the list of treatments recommended for severe non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis.
Vertex’ CF therapy Orkambi cleared for younger patients
European regulators have expanded the scope of Vertex’ Orkambi to include children with cystic fibrosis aged six through 11 who have two copies of the F508del mutation.
US ‘breakthrough’ badge for MSD/Eisai cancer combo
A combination therapy being developed by MSD and Eisai for kidney cancer has been awarded Breakthrough Designation in the US.
MSD launches Clostridium difficile antitoxin in the UK
MSD has launched Zinplava in the UK, offering patients a novel therapeutic option for the prevention of Clostridium difficile recurrence.
Celixir’s cell therapy gets green light for heart failure trial
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has issued a green light allowing Celixir to carry out a potentially pivotal Phase IIb human clinical trial with its stem cell therapy Heartcel.
Sanofi, Regeneron beef up investment in immunotherapies
Sanofi and Regeneron are boosting their investment in development programmes for the PD-1 antibody cemiplimab in oncology and dupilumab in Type 2 (tissue specific) allergic diseases.
UCB, Amgen’s Evenity under review in Europe
The European Medicines Agency has accepted UCB and Amgen’s submission seeking approval for use of bone-boosting drug Evenity in post-menopausal women and in men at increased risk of fracture.
Shire to split operations in two
Shire has unveiled plans to split its operations into two separate entities – a neuroscience division and rare diseases one, and will later decide whether they should be listed independently.
Axovant shares plummet on dementia drug failure
Shares in Axovant Sciences Ltd sank almost 50 percent after investors shrank back on new of the failure of lead drug intepirdine in a mid-stage study in patients with a particular kind of dementia.
