News

US regulators have expanded the scope of Eisai’s first-in-class epilepsy drug Fycompa to include the treatment of patients with a severe form of epileptic seizures.

GlaxoSmithKline will sell its meningitis vaccines Nimenrix and Mencevax to Pfizer to satisfy regulatory conditions for its asset-swap deal with Novartis.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has promised GPs a new deal to alleviate pressure on over-stretched services, through increased investment, reduction in bureaucracy, and the drafting in of more healthcare professionals to areas in most need.

Portola Pharmaceuticals’ andexanet alfa significantly reversed the blood-thinning effects of a Factor Xa inhibitor in a late-stage trial, which hit all of primary and secondary targets.

Shares in Tekmira have taken a downturn after it emerged that its experimental Ebola vaccine was unlikely to hit efficacy goals in a mid-stage trial.

Teva has raised its stake in Mylan to 4.61%, which will allow it to take its acquisition bid to court “should it become necessary”.

European regulators have issued a green light for Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Opdivo as a treatment for advanced skin cancer, making it the first PD-1 inhibitor to win approval in the region.

A record load of fake drugs and devices has been seized by UK watchdog the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency estimated to be worth just shy of £16 million.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has not recommended funding the use of Celgene’s Otezla on the National Health Service in England and Wales to treat psoriatic arthritis.

Shire has been named the most reputable pharma company in the US in a new report from the Reputation Institute

Amgen’s biologic Vectibix has hit the primary goal of a Phase III trial boosting overall survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who have failed to respond to chemotherapy compared to best supportive care.

China has denied Gilead a patent on its blockbuster hepatitis C drug Solvaldi, paving the way for cheap generic versions to appear in the country.

The UK Bioindustry Association (BIA) has responded to the government’s most recent review on antimicrobial resistance with its own suggestions for how to encourage new antibiotics.

Healthcare leaders in England are moving plans for a high-tech NHS up a gear with a series of changes designed to improve services and transform care, including the possibility of free Wi-Fi across the NHS.

Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is facing regulatory action after forecasting the most extreme deterioration in finances across the sector this year.