A collaboration between the UK’s National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), pharmaceutical multinationals and contract research organisations (CROs) has come up with recommendations for improving animal welfare in short-term toxicity studies.
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Scottish drugs watchdog told: “hold your meetings in public”
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) should hold its meetings in public, and invite companies whose drugs are being examined to give evidence at its main appraisal meetings, says an independent review.
Surprise as Merck & Co cholesterol combo gets FDA OK
The US Food and Drug Administration has controversially given the green light to Merck & Co’s Liptruzet, a combination of the company’s Zetia and Pfizer’s off-patent cholesterol-lower Lipitor.
£30 million investment in Centre for Health Information and Discovery
A centre for drug discovery and ‘big-data’ analysis has been launched at Oxford University in the UK with £30 million of new private and public investment.
AbbVie hep C combo designated as breakthrough therapy
AbbVie has been boosted by the news that regulators in the USA have agreed to fast-track its closely-watched oral hepatitis C treatment.
Australia: major review of chemotherapy drug funding
The Australian government has announced a major review into the current funding arrangements for chemotherapy drug dispensing, and that it will pay an additional A$60 pay for every chemotherapy transfusion for an interim period of six months.
Celgene signs Concert pact, apremilast impresses for PsA
Celgene Corp has entered into a collaboration with Concert Pharmaceuticals which will focus on developing deuterium-modified compounds targeting cancer and inflammation.
GSK gets £5m grant from Wellcome Trust
UK drug giant GlaxoSmithKline has received a cash injection of £5 million from the Wellcome Trust to help advance some of its early-stage projects focusing on finding treatments for diseases largely affecting the developing world.
GSK outlines plan to share patient data online
GlaxoSmithKline is to establish a new online system allowing researchers access to patient level data from the firm’s clinical trials.
India tightens up clinical-trial monitoring
India’s Drugs Controller General has moved to tighten up monitoring of clinical trials across the country as concerns continue to well up about the safety and integrity of trials as well as the impact of associated negative publicity on inward investment.
NHS 111 ‘serious incidents’ and patient deaths probe
A number of ‘serious’ incidents involving use of the newly-launched, out-of-hours urgent care line NHS 111 are reportedly under investigation, at least three of which include the death of a patient.
Pfizer sells Viagra online to combat fakes
Pfizer has launched a website to sell its erectile dysfunction blockbuster Viagra, in a bid to stop the sale of counterfeit pills from fake online pharmacies.
Arena pulls file for weight loss drug Belviq in EU
Arena Pharmaceuticals has decided to withdrew its marketing application for the anti-obesity drug Belviq in the European Union, a move which has spooked investors.
Aveo shares plunge on FDA panel ‘no’ for tivozanib
US biotech Aveo Oncology saw its shares in a downward spiral yesterday, trading 50% lower in late-afternoon trading after advisors to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejected its experimental kidney cancer drug tivozanib.
Generics hurt Teva sales but Copaxone keeps rising
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries has posted a 26.7% decline in net income to $630 million for the first quarter, hit by lower sales of its generics in the USA.
