NICE has issued draft guidance recommending Lundbeck/Otsuka’s Abilify for the treatment of teenagers with bipolar disorder
News
Biotie bags option to acquire Neurelis
Biotie Therapies Corp of Finland has obtained an exclusive option to acquire US epilepsy specialist Neurelis.
Boehringer to build biopharma facility in China
Boehringer Ingelheim has expanded its presence in China by signing a pact with Zhangjiang Biotech & Pharmaceutical Base Development Co to build a biopharmaceuticals facility in Pudong, Shanghai.
FDA panel backs less restrictions on GSK’s Avandia
The majority of members on a US Food and Drug Administration advisory panel have recommended modifying the restrictions placed on GlaxoSmithKline’s controversial diabetes drug Avandia.
Three more drugmakers slash workforces
The week has ended badly for a number of workers in the US pharmaceutical industry, with Endo Health Solutions, Impax Laboratories and Zogenix all announcing lay-offs.
‘Big data’ initiative unveiled for health research
An international initiative to promote the sharing of standardised genetic and clinical data was revealed yesterday by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute.
Celgene gets another FDA approval for Revlimid
Celgene Corp has been boosted by the news that US regulators have approved a supplemental New Drug Application for Revlimid (lenalidomide) for the treatment of patients with mantle cell lymphoma.
Hunt unveils vulnerable elderly plan
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced plans for a new strategy for the care of vulnerable, older people – the largest subgroup of NHS users – to help drive up efficiency and outcomes across the system.
Industry tells MHRA: “don’t forget UK”
The new, expanded Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is set to become a global player, but industry has urged it “not to forget its UK work” or to lose its informal scientific advice focus.
In April, the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) transferred to the MHRA from the Health Protection Agency (HPA), joining the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) which was launched in April 2012. These developments represent a great opportunity for the MHRA to become a major international regulatory agency with expertise in every aspect of pharmaceutical regulation, especially in biological drugs, which are beginning to dominate the market and where its expertise is unrivalled, Dr Stephen Inglis, director of the NIBSC, told a joint MHRA/BioIndustry Association (BIA) meeting in London this week.
Meda quashes Sun Pharma rumours, expands Cipla alliance
Sweden’s biggest public pharma company, Meda, has dismissed rumours of a takeover by India’s Sun Pharma, saying “there are currently no such discussions.”
mHealth could cut costs by 100 billion euros by 2017
Adoption of mobile health technology could save the European Union almost 100 billion euros by 2017 as well as add 93 billion euros in GDP.
Olympic legacy gives UK top phenome research unit
A UK lab formerly used to test samples from Olympic athletes has been reconfigured to focus on research into how genes and environment operate in tandem to cause human illness.
One in four with newly-diagnosed ED is a young man
Usually regarded as a sign of getting old, an analysis from Italy has been published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine which shows that one in four men seeking help for newly-developed erectile dysfunction was younger than 40.
Private equity firms circling PRA?
Three private equity firms are rumoured to be considering bids for PRA International, just as the contract research organisation is said to be exploring a public offering.
Reconfiguration ‘not a dirty word’ say NHS managers
NHS managers have been told that reconfiguring secondary care in the UK must go ahead, and both politicians and staff needed to get on board to make tough decisions.
