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.
News
Speedy US OK for AZ’ targeted lung cancer therapy
US-based patients with a particular form of lung cancer could now get access to the first targeted therapy for their condition, after the country’s Food and Drug Administration issued accelerated clearance for AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso (formerly AZD9291).
Job losses loom as Roche restructures for specialised drugs
Roche is restructuring its manufacturing network for small molecules to focus on specialised medicines produced in lower volumes.
Mental health services in England under ‘huge strain’
Mental health services in England are under “a huge amount of strain” as large-scale changes have had a negative impact on patient care, says a briefing paper by health think-tank The King’s Fund.
NHS fails to hit key targets as winter looms
Concerns over the ability of the National Heath Service to handle the spike in demand over the winter period are growing after several key targets for A&E admissions, ambulance response times and cancer referrals were missed last month.
The country’s top marketers recognised at Marketer of the Year awards
Actelion claimed the prestigious title of marketing company of the year at the PharmaTimes Marketer & Communications Team of the Year awards last night.
US expands scope of Gilead’s Harvoni
The US Food and Drug Administration has expanded the scope of Harvoni allowing its use in patients with genotype 4, 5 and 6 chronic hepatitis C virus infection and in those co-infected with HIV.
BMA unveils planned dates for industrial action
In an unusual move, the British Medical Association has unveiled three dates in December for planned industrial action by junior doctors in England ahead of the outcome of its current ballot, which closes next week.
Alarm bells ring over low flu jab uptake
GP leaders say they are seriously concerned about poor uptake of this year’s flu vaccine, which they warn is risking the health of thousands of people.
Antibiotics use rising in England’s deprived areas
Despite initiatives to reduce the number of prescriptions for antibiotics in England a rise is being recorded in the country’s most deprived areas.
New entrepreneur training hopes to plug clinician ‘brain drain’
NHS England and Health Education England have rolled out a new national training programme to help nurture and keep the most inventive and innovative clinicians on UK shores.
NICE publishes first guideline on menopause
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published its first set of guidelines for the treatment of menopause, stressing that women should no longer have to suffer in silence.
No causal link between HPV jabs and POTS, CRPS, finds review
There is no evidence to support a causal link between human papillomavirus vaccines and the development of two conditions – complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), European regulators have confirmed.
BI hooks into academic institutions to boost IBD research
Boehringer Ingelheim has linked hands with four different academic institutions under an overarching aim to accelerate the development of new therapies for inflammatory bowel disease.
FDA clears Roche’s Cotellic for use in melanoma combo
The US Food and Drug Administration has green lighted Roche’s Cotellic for use in combination with Zelboraf to treat some patients with BRAF V600E or V600K mutation-positive unresectable or metastatic melanoma.
