The launch of the first liquid form of Martindale’s Teglutik (riluzole) has been welcomed by healthcare professionals as a “great benefit” for patients with motor neurone disease (MND).
News
Pharma to advance £200m to UK government to fund 2016 medicines bill
A new financial agreement with the UK government will see pharmaceutical companies bring forward payments of around £200 million to help pay for NHS patients’ medicines in 2016.
93 medicines recommended by CHMP in 2015
Nine new medicines were recommended for marketing approval at the last meeting of the of the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), bringing the total to 93 for 2015.
Lilly’s Portrazza one step closer to approval in Europe
Patients with a devastating type of lung cancer have fresh hope after the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) issued a positive opinion for Eli Lily’s Portrazza (necitumumab).
UPDATED: Amgen’s Kyprolis beats Janssen’s Velcade in multiple myeloma trial
Amgen’s Kyprolis has beaten Janssen’s Velcade on progression-free survival in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma taking part in the Phase III Endeavor trial.
AZ completes acquisition of ZS Pharma
AstraZeneca has completed its $2.7-billion acquisition of ZS Pharma, bolstering its cardiovascular and metabolic disease portfolio.
BMA calls for resignation of chief inspector of general practice
GP leaders are calling for the resignation of the Care Quality Commission’s chief inspector of general practice Steve Field for making “unjustified comments” that have undermined the role of the profession.
BMS sheds its HIV R&D to ViiV
Bristol-Myers Squibb has set up two individual agreements with ViiV Healthcare to divest its pipeline of investigational HIV drugs at various clinical development stages, under its strategy of winding down virology discovery efforts.
EU OKs Amgen’s Imlygic as first oncolytic immunotherapy
Amgen’s closely-watched Imlygic has become the first oncolytic immunotherapy approved in the European Union for patients with metastatic melanoma.
Trial indicates ovarian cancer screening may cut deaths
New findings from the world’s biggest ovarian cancer screening trial, which included more than 200,000 women over 14 years, suggest that a yearly blood test might reduce the number dying from the disease by around 20%.
FDA approves Lilly’s diabetes drug Basaglar
Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim’s insulin Basaglar has now been awarded full clearance by US regulators, following a tentative approval in 2014, offering the first “follow-on” insulin glargine product to treat diabetes.
One week left to enter International Clinical Researcher of the Year
Entrants have just over one working week left to submit their essay for the International Clinical Researcher of the Year 2016 competition!
AZ announces $4-billion deal for majority stake in Acerta
AstraZeneca how has confirmed that it intends to take a majority stage in privately held US/Dutch clinical stage biopharma Acerta Pharma in a deal valued at $4 billion.
AZ invests heavily in China, buys Takeda’s respiratory unit
AstraZeneca and its global R&D arm MedImmune has unveiled a range of strategic initiatives to fuel the delivery of innovative biologics and targeted medicines to patients in China, the firm’s second largest market globally and a key growth platform.
FDA finally OKs Merck’s general anaesthesia reversal agent Bridion
Merck & Co’s neuromuscular blockade antidote Bridion has won US approval for the reversal for general anaesthesia induced by the agents rocuronium or vecuronium, following a stream of knock-backs over safety concerns.
