News

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has caused a stir with its proposed measures to tackle antibiotic resistance, which include setting up “antimicrobial stewardship teams” to keep a closer watch on local prescribing.

Sanofi has linked up with Lead Pharma of the Netherlands to develop drugs for a broad range of autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease.

Later this week the European Medicines Agency will present key findings of a major five-year project exploring how to improve the assessment of medicines in the region.

Fresenius Kabi has sold its German subsidiary CFL to NewCo Pharma, for an undisclosed sum.

As it bids to halt the decline of its respiratory business across the pond, GlaxoSmithKline has unveiled Jack Bailey as replacement for Deirdre Connelly as president of US pharmaceuticals.

After filing a complaint with the European Commission to stop an Italian law promoting off-label use of drugs, the continent’s pharmaceutical companies are preparing to act as similar legislation is being touted in France.

Bexion’s Saposin C – the active ingredient in the brain tumour therapy BXQ-350 – has been awarded Orphan Drug status by US regulators.

Through “foresighted and visionary planning”, Singapore has achieved first-rate healthcare “at a cost lower than in any other high-income country in the world.”

Alzheimer’s Research UK has unveiled a £30-million drug discovery project under which three new flagship discovery Institutes at the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford and University College London will drive the search for new treatments.

Hospira has begun launching its Remicade biosimilar Inflectra (infliximab) in major European markets for patients suffering from a range of inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn’s disease and psoriasis.

Overseas visitors taken ill while in England will soon be charged differently for using the National Health Service, as part of a drive to stamp out health tourism and prevent loss of income.

A US court has confirmed that a key patent on AstraZeneca’s Pulmicort Repsules is invalid and Actavis has immediately launched its version of the asthma drug.

US regulators have approved Eisai’s Lenvima (lenvatinib) for the most common form of thyroid cancer.

A ground-breaking ‘breath test’ for lung cancer is about to go into clinical trials at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, UK.

The US Food and Drug Administration will undertake a speedy review of Novartis’ closely-watched heart failure drug LCZ696, cutting the total review time from 12 months to eight.