Advisors to the European Medicines Agency have voted to support approval of Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug Saxenda, a higher dose form of its diabetes blockbuster Victoza.
News
Biogen tops global sustainability list
Biogen Idec has come first out of over 4,600 companies with a market cap of over $2 billion in a report assessing the most sustainable corporations in the world.
CQC puts three GP practices in special measures
In an unprecedented move, three GP surgeries in England have been placed into special measures by the Care Quality Commission and face closure if they continue to fail to meet normal quality standards.
EU approves Genzyme’s Gaucher disease drug Cerdelga
Patients with Gaucher disease in Europe will welcome news this morning that regulators have given marketing clearance to Genzyme’s Cerdelga (eliglustat), offering an oral first-line treatment for the rare genetic disorder.
EMA guide on new safety reporting standards
The European Medicines Agency has published a guide to support implementation of a new international standard for the safety monitoring of medicines due to go live in July 2016.
Gedeon Richter, Actavis’ antispychotic hits PhIII goals
Gedeon Richter and Actavis have unveiled positive results from a Phase III trial assessing the previously rejected cariprazine in preventing relapse in schizophrenia.
New heart attack test for women could double diagnoses
A new, more sensitive blood test could double the rate of heart attack diagnoses in women, potentially saving more lives if used in clinical practice, researchers have found.
Novartis’ IL-17A inhibitor first in US for psoriasis
Hot on the heels of a European approval regulators in the US have now also issued a green light for Novartis’ psoriasis drug Cosentyx (secukinumab), a bright star in the firm’s portfolio which is pegged to hit blockbusterdom by 2020.
Treatment of whistleblowers ‘still a stain on NHS reputation:’ MPs
The treatment of whistleblowers remains a stain on the reputation of the NHS, and has not only led to “unwarranted and inexcusable pain” for some people but has also undermined the willingness of others to come forward – with ongoing implications for patient safety, MPs have warned.
UPDATED: Obama launches personalised medicine plan
Although bereft of any actual details, President Barack Obama’s announcement about launching “a new Precision Medicine Initiative” has caused quite a stir.
BioInvent seals clinical trials pact with UK cancer charities
BioInvent International has signed a clinical trial pact with Cancer Research UK, Cancer Research Technology, and Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research to test the potential of its experimental antibody in reducing resistance to rituximab treatment in patients with certain blood cancers.
FDA lifts hold on trial of CytRx’ aldoxorubicin
US regulators have removed a partial clinical hold on trials of CytRx’ late-stage cancer drug aldoxorubicin, thereby permitting immediate enrolment of new patients.
Gilead and Strides sign HIV drug licensing deal
Bangalore, India-based pharma Strides Arcolab has bagged non-exclusive rights to manufacture and distribute Gilead’s HIV therapy Tenofovir Alafenamide (TAF), both as a single agent product and in combination with other drugs.
J&J posts 28% fall in Q4 net profit
Johnson & Johnson has posted a mixed bag of results for the fourth quarter or 2014, with a hefty drop in profit masking underlying growth in sales and a strong performance by prescription drugs.
MSF slams Pfizer, GSK for high vaccine prices
Pressure group Médecins Sans Frontières is calling on drug giants Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline to slash the cost of their pneumococcal vaccines in developing nations to $5 a shot, to help increase its affordability and save more lives.
