The US Food and Drug Administration has agreed to review Novartis unit Sandoz’ pegfilgrastim – a biosimilar to Amgen’s Neulasta and its third biosimimilar now filed in the country.
News
Global drug spend to reach $1.4 trillion
Total global spending on prescription drugs could reach $1.4 trillion by 2020, according to a new report.
NHS finance chief question five-year plan as finances deteriorate
Health service finance chiefs are not confident that the NHS’ Five Year Forward View is achievable or that their organisations can deliver the efficiency savings needed to plug the gaping hole in funds, a survey by the Healthcare Financial Management Association has found.
NICE says ‘no’ to personalised bowel cancer drugs
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published interim guidance barring patients with advanced bowel cancer from routine NHS access to Merck Serono’s Erbitux and Amgen’s Vectibix, the only two personalised options still available for the disease.
Novartis’ Ultibro beats GSK’s Seretide in cutting COPD flare-ups
Novartis has presented data showing that its chronic obstructive pulmonary disease drug Ultibro was superior in reducing flare-ups compared to GlaxoSmithKline’s blockbuster Seretide.
UPDATE: Amgen’s cholesterol-buster Repatha turned down for NHS use
Cost watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has turned down Amgen’s Repatha – the world’s first approved PCSK9 inhibitor – as an option for people with high cholesterol and mixed dyslipidaemia.
US breakthrough status for Pfizer, Merck rare skin cancer drug
US regulators have awarded breakthrough status to an experimental therapy being developed by Pfizer and Merck KGaA for a rare and aggressive form of skin cancer.
FDA speedy review for BMS’ Opdivo in kidney cancer
US regulators are undertaking a priority review of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s immunotherapy Opdivo for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma, the most common form of kidney cancer which kills more than 100,000 people every year.
Monitor consults on first ever NHS whistle-blowing policy
UK regulators have unveiled plans for the first ever National Health Service whistle-blowing policy to encourage and support those wishing to ring alarm bells over poor quality care, after a line of safety scandals in which patient harm could have been avoided if staff concerns had been listened to and addressed.
Roche’s Kadcyla too expensive for NHS, says NICE
Breast cancer patients and campaigners will be hugely disappointed with news this morning that Roche’s Kadcyla will not be routinely available on the National Health Service in England and Wales.
UK researchers develop pancreatic cancer treatment ‘breakthrough’
Ulster University has developed a pioneering treatment for pancreatic cancer, which researchers are hailing as the first breakthrough in over 40 years that could significantly boost survival rates.
US regulators approve J&J’s multiple myeloma drug
The US Food and Drug Administration has cleared Johnson & Johnson’s Darzalex as a treatment for patients with multiple myeloma.
NHS England streams extra £16m into GP pharmacists scheme
NHS England is to more than double its funding for a pilot scheme placing pharmacists in GP practice teams, now streaming a total of £31 million into the programme.
Private sector frees extra capacity to help NHS winter pressures
The independent sector has freed capacity for over 250,000 additional surgical operations and diagnostic tests to help support the NHS between December and March next year, in order to help it meet demand over the winter.
FDA nod for Baxalta’s long-acting haemophilia drug
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Baxalta’s long-acting haemophilia drug Adynovate for both treatment and prevention of bleeding episodes in adults and adolescents with Haemophilia A.
