Three new medicines have been cleared for use by NHS Scotland by cost regulator the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC), bringing patients new options for breast cancer, fungal infection and warts.
News
FDA approves AbbVie’s leukaemia drug Venclexta
US regulators have issued a green light for AbbVie’s novel blood cancer drug Venclexta, approving its use in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia who carry the 17p deletion chromosomal abnormality and have been treated with a least one prior therapy.
Speedy US review for Genentech’s cancer immunotherapy
Genentech’s experimental lung cancer immunotherapy atezolizumab has been granted a priority review by the US Food and Drug Administration, with a decision now expected by October 19.
AZ, Lilly Alzheimer’s drug trial gets green light for Ph III
AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly’s experimental Alzheimer’s disease drug AZD3293 has been given the green light to progress into late-stage testing, after a safety analysis by an independent data monitoring committee.
New campaign compels exhausted GPs to ‘take a break’
GP leaders have launched a new campaign designed to encourage GPs to take a break before reaching breaking point in order to keep patients safe.
Allergan signs $3.3bn deal with Heptares
Allergan has signed a $3.3-billion deal with Heptares for access to the UK-based group’s portfolio of experimental neurological therapies, as it sheds off disappointment from its failed $160-bn merger with Pfizer.
NICE poised to reject Celgene’s Vidaza for some AML patients
It is looking unlikely that the reach of Celgene’s Vidaza as a treatment for the blood cancer acute myeloid leukaemia will be extended on the NHS in line with its expanded regulatory approval in Europe.
FDA wants black-box warning for Clovis’ NSCLC drug
Shares in US group Clovis Oncology were trading down nearly 20 percent after regulatory advisors recommended the strongest safety warnings for its experimental lung cancer drug rociletinib, throwing a shadow of doubt over its future.
EU approval for Revolade for children with rare blood disorder
The European Commission has approved Novartis’ Revolade (eltrombopag) as a first-in-class therapy for children aged one and over with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) that have not responded to other treatments.
England’s pledge to recruit more GPs failing
Health secretary Jeremy Hunt’s plans to bring as many 400 doctors from India to the UK are an “admission of failure” of its recruitment policies, says the BMA.
Government pushes on with junior doctor contract imposition
The government has ruled out further talks with the British Medical Association and says it has “no choice” but to continue with the imposition of a new contract.
New EU lung cancer indication for Boehringer’s Giotrif
The European Commission has widened the license for Boehringer’s non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) drug Giotrif, approving it as the first oral treatment option for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung.
New tax inversion curb won’t affect Baxalta deal, says Shire
Shire says that it expects its purchase of Baxalta to go ahead despite new US laws designed to curb ‘tax inversion’ deals.
Global threat of diabetes highlighted by WHO
The number of people with diabetes has nearly quadrupled since 1980, with an estimated 422 million people living with the condition across the world in 2014, says a WHO report.
Pfizer and Allergan confirm merger termination
Pfizer and Allergan have confirmed that they have mutually agreed to terminate their proposed $160 billion combination deal.
