News

Regulators in the USA have given the green light to Astellas Pharma’s new organ rejection drug Astagraf XL.

France’s pharmaceutical market fell 1.5% to 27.2 billion euros in 2012, a decline driven by a 2.8% drop in pharmacy sales, say new official figures.

After a bitter struggle for control of the company, Vivus and dissident shareholder First Manhattan Co seem to have buried the hatchet, with the latter winning control of the board.

Celgene Corp has halted a late-stage study evaluating Revlimid for a rare type of leukaemia after an imbalance was observed in the number of deaths in elderly patients treated with the drug versus patients on chemotherapy.

As a bribery scandal continues to engulf GlaxoSmithKline in China, UCB has revealed that its offices have been visited by authorities this week.

Menarini has launched dapoxetine for premature ejaculation in Singapore, having recently published a survey highlighting the rising problem of sexual dissatisfaction in the Asia-Pacific region.

UK patients with advanced prostate cancer have been given access to a new treatment that could prolong survival following the launch of Astella’s Xtandi in the country.

Pay-for-delay deals have forced US patients to pay an average of 10 times more than necessary for at least 20 blockbuster drugs, claims a new report.

The UK’s Health Research Authority (HRA) is pressing ahead with an action plan to promote transparency in research after securing “comprehensive” support for the proposals it put out for consultation last May.

As GlaxoSmithKline’s problems in China continue, the drugs major has confirmed that its finance director in the country, Steve Nechelput, had been banned from foreign travel.

By March 31 this year, the NHS reform programme had cost £1.1 billion, or 15% more than expected by that point, says the National Audit Office.

Novartis CEO Joe Jimenez has outlined the firm’s determination to be the major force in biosimilars.

WuXiPRA, the joint venture set up earlier this year to provide Phase I-IV clinical-trial services to clients of WuXi PharmaTech and PRA in China, Hong Kong and Macau, has appointed the former head of Theorem Clinical Research, Dr. James Pusey, as the Shanghai-based venture’s president and general manager.

Eleven out of 14 NHS trusts investigated by Sir Bruce Keogh for higher than average death rates have been placed into ‘special measures’ to help secure improvements to patient care.

Novartis has revealed details of what the Swiss major calls “a final agreement” with Daniel Vasella, which will see the departing chairman receive a lucrative consultancy contract.