Jeremy Hunt has kept his position as Secretary of State for Health in prime minister Theresa May’s reshuffled cabinet.
News
NICE backs Lartruvo for soft tissue sarcoma
Patients with soft tissue sarcoma in England and Wales look set to win routine NHS access to Eli Lilly’s Lartruvo after cost regulators backed funding for the drug in draft guidelines.
Four new medicines win nod for NHS Scotland
The Scottish Medicines Consortium has accepted four new medicines for routine use by NHS Scotland, offering patients new options for kidney cancer, liver disease and the prevention of nausea and vomiting.
Merck pauses Keytruda studies to assess patient deaths
Merck has paused new enrolment in two studies assessing its immunotherapy Keytruda treatment in combination with other therapies in multiple myeloma to address safety concerns.
AZ unveils new data on Farxiga backing earlier use
AstraZeneca has presented findings from a real-world analysis potentially supporting earlier and wider use of the SGLT-2 inhibitor class of drugs in the diabetes treatment pathway.
NICE refuses to expand use of Roche’s IPF drug Esbriet
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) it remaining steadfast in its position that Roche’s Esbriet should only be funded by the NHS for patients with moderate forms of the fatal lung scarring disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
EU clears J&J’s Actelion buy, with conditions
The European Commission has issued a conditional green light for Johnson & Johnson’s planned $30 billion purchase of Actelion, laying out the commitments it feels are necessary to ensure that clinical development of the firms’ innovative insomnia drugs will not be adversely affected by the merger.
Sanofi/Regeneron unveil more positive data for PCSK9 inhibitor
Sanofi and Regeneron have unveiled new data further backing the safety and efficacy of PCSK9 inhibitor Praluent in lowering cholesterol in patients with diabetes.
First PhIII trial of AbbVie’s upadacitinib a success
AbbVie’s experimental drug upadacitinib has hit primary and secondary targets in the first late-stage trial of the drug involving patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Roche hands back rights to NewLink’s immunotherapy
Roche’s Genentech is handing back rights to NewLink Genetic’s investigational immunotherapy navoximod, pushing the latter’s stock down more than 30 percent.
UCL researchers identify Huntington’s disease biomarker
Research led by scientists at UCL have identified the first blood test able to predict the onset and progression of Huntington’s disease (HD).
NICE rejects Zurampic for hyperuricaemia in gout patients
Cost regulators for the NHS in England and Wales have published draft guidelines barring adults with gout from routine access to Gruenenthal’s Zurampic-based therapy for treating hyperuricaemia.
RCP launches report to streamline referrals
The Royal College of Physicians has published a report that aims to streamline referral processes and improve continuity of care.
NHS performance continues to crumble, finds report
The NHS once again failed to hit key access targets during the final quarter of the year, according to latest quarterly monitoring report from The King’s Fund, which also highlighted that financial predictions remain gloomy.
Astellas and Gedeon named for ABPI Code breaches
Astellas UK and Gedeon Richter (UK) have been named in advertisements for breaching the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry’s Code of Practice.
