News

France’s medicines watchdog, the National Security Agency of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM), is facing criminal charges of manslaughter and unintentional injuries over its alleged negligence surrounding Servier’s diabetes drug Mediator, which may be responsible for as many as 2,000 deaths. 

Sanofi and fellow French firm Transgene say they are working together on “the creation of a new state-of-the-art industrial platform” dedicated to the production of immunotherapies.

A new report published in the British Medical Journal has cast new doubt on the cost effectiveness of telehealth in helping patients with long term conditions.

New figures from Cancer Research UK shows that young cancer deaths have dropped by 50% over the past 30 years.

AstraZeneca has said it plans to shed 2,300 sales and administration jobs, just days after cutting back its R&D workforce by 1,600.

A new study shows that family doctors have been giving placebo drugs to their patients who thought they were getting an active medicine.

The NHS has achieved its financial savings target, largely as a result of freezing wages, but other savings are being achieved by rationing patients’ access to certain treatments, a committee of MPs has reported.

NICE will take on responsibility for assessing the full value of medicines when new pricing arrangements are introduced in 2014, the UK Government has announced.

There was good news for French drug giant Sanofi this week as data from an extension study backed the long-term efficacy of its multiple sclerosis drug Lemtrada.

Takeda Pharmaceutical International has strengthened its Latin American foothold via the birth of a wholly-owned subsidiary in Ecuador.

US biopharmaceutical companies are currently developing 465 new medicines that target the 10 leading chronic conditions affecting people aged 65 and over, according to new industry data.

Canadian drugmaker Valeant Pharmaceuticals has signed a deal to acquire dermatology specialist Obagi Medical Products in a deal valued at around $344 million.

Spanish drugmaker Almirall has said it may decide to withdraw multiple sclerosis spasticity treatment Sativex from the German market after a breakdown in talks with the country’s reimbursement authorities.

Biogen Idec has posted positive new data for its investigational multiple sclerosis drug Plegridy showing that it can help cut relapse rates over the long term.

Chancellor George Osborne has unveiled a package of measures in the Budget 2013 designed to boost the UK’s life sciences sector, including a more favourable tax environment.