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News » February 2006
Pharmaceutical, healthcare, medical and
NHS news
DIY abortions at home
Posted:
17/02/2006
Women can safely have DIY abortions at home, a study has
concluded. The pilot study, set up by the Department of Health (DoH), found
that women less than nine weeks pregnant could safely have the medical abortion
outside of hospital.
AstraZeneca appeals in patents
case
Posted: 17/02/2006
AstraZeneca has lodged its appeal over
losing the patent for hypertension treatment Toprol XL (metoprolol succinate).
In January US court ruled that two patents for the extended release tablet were
invalid and unenforceable finding in favour of the defendants KV
Pharmaceutical, Andrx Corp and Novartis's Eon Labs.
Solvay Laboratories pharma
sales up 30 per cent
Posted: 17/02/2006
Belgian firm Solvay has
released its results for 2005 with pharmaceutical sales up 30 per cent to 2.27
billion euros. The company as a whole had profits of 816 million euros for the
year.
'More
women' prescribed headache drugs
Posted: 17/02/2006
GPs are more
likely to prescribe headache drugs to middle-aged women than men, a study has
claimed. Researchers at King's College London found women aged between 45 and
54 were three times as likely to visit their GP about headaches while men were
more likely to be referred to hospital.
Alarm over drugs fast
tracking
Posted: 17/02/2006
Fast tracking new drugs could have a
negative effect on patients in the longer term, a senior doctor in Britain has
claimed. An article published in the British Medical Journal by consultant
neurologist Abhijit Chaudhuri discusses the issues surrounding the fast
tracking of new drugs.
Merck KGaA profits up
Posted:
17/02/2006
The German chemical and pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA had
its profits rise for the final quarter of last year by 34 per cent to 109.5
million euros. The growth was said to be down to increased demand for liquid
crystals for computer displays.
WHO calls for concrete action
on counterfeit drugs
Posted: 17/02/2006
The World Health
Organisation (WHO) is calling for global cooperation, political commitment and
creative solutions to counter what it describes as the silent epidemic of
counterfeit medicines. At an international conference in Rome the body is
aiming to put together a global task force to focus on legislation, law
enforcement and innovative technology solutions. Dr Howard Zucker, WHO
assistant director general for health technology and pharmaceuticals, said:
"People don't die from carrying a fake handbag or wearing a fake t-shirt. They
can die from taking a counterfeit medicine.
ABPI: UK medicines research
under threat
Posted: 17/02/2006
New figures show that the UK boom
in medicines research could be under threat, according to the Association of
the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI).
Pliva Pharma buys
Novartis subsidiary
Posted: 16/02/2006
Pliva is to buy a Spanish
subsidiary from Novartis' generics division Sandoz. The Croatian firm will pay
21.5 million euros for Uso Racional (UR), a well known and established generic
brand in Spain with expected sales of 12 million euros for 2006.
Forest Laboratories
ups research spending
Posted: 16/02/2006
Forest Laboratories has
decided to up figures for research and development (R&D) spending. The move
comes as a way to include new agreements with US firms Mylan Laboratories and
Replidyne.
Cash boost for NHS mental
health
Posted: 16/02/2006
Health secretary Patricia Hewitt
yesterday announced details of an allocation of over ?2 billion worth of
capital investment in health services over the next financial year. Capital
funding is used to acquire and modernise buildings, land and equipment within
the NHS and can only be used to fund these aspects.
Allergan Botox could be used to fight
cancer
Posted: 16/02/2006
Botox could be used alongside
chemotherapy and radiation to fight cancer, new research has suggested. The
cosmetic treatment produced by Allergan, which is normally used to smooth
wrinkles, was found to destroy resistant cancer cells in tests on mice.
Woman loses Herceptin
battle
Posted: 16/02/2006
A woman suffering from early-stage
breast cancer has lost a legal battle to force her health authority to treat
her with Herceptin. High court judge Mr Justice Bean ruled this morning that
that Swindon primary care trust (PCT) in Wiltshire did not need to pay for Ann
Marie Rogers, 54, to be treated with the drug, which can cost up to ?20,000 for
one year of treatment.
Boehringer
Ingelheim and Eli Lilly change Yentreve AriClaim deal
Posted:
16/02/2006
Eli Lilly is to buy back worldwide marketing rights for
Yentreve/AriClaim (duloxetine hydrochloride) from Boehringer Ingelheim. As a
stress urinary incontinence (SUI) treatment, along with future related urinary
incontinence indications, the drug will continue to be marketed outside the US
by Lilly but other treatments using duloxetine will remain under both firms.
GlaxoSmithKline antibiotic goes
to FDA review
Posted: 16/02/2006
The US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has begun its review of GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK)
investigational antibacterial retapamulin. GSK submitted a new drug application
(NDA) for retapamulin in November last year and expects to receive approval
later this year.
Sanofi-Aventis recalls
Clexane syringes
Posted: 16/02/2006
Sanofi-Aventis has recalled
30 batches of the anticoagulant Clexane (enoxaparin). The move was made after
quality control tests found there was the possibility that there could be an
over-concentration of the active ingredient in a limited number of
syringes.
Eli Lilly to withdraw
advice leaflet
Posted: 16/02/2006
The Medicines and Healthcare
products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has forced Eli Lilly to withdraw an advice
leaflet. The leaflet, providing doctors with advice on treatments for mental
health, was written on behalf of Diabetes UK and carried the logo of the
charity, reports the Financial Times.
Wyeth
Pharmaceuticals study finds no oestrogen heart disease link
Posted:
15/02/2006
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals has published a report that reveals
there is no increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) with oestrogen. The
Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study found conjugated oestrogen therapy did
not increase the risk of CHD in women aged 50 to 79 after an average of 7.1
years.
Napp
Pharmaceuticals found to breach MHRA advertising guidelines
Posted:
15/02/2006
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
(MHRA) has found that Napp Pharmaceuticals broke its advertising rules. A
complaint was lodged about the firm's advert for the painkiller BuTrans
(buprenorphine matrix patch) in the British Medical Journal in November
2005.
Health boards looking
to increase transparency
Posted: 15/02/2006
Health boards across
Scotland are looking into introducing registers for all medical staff to allow
them to declare if they have any links with drug companies. The news comes
following fears that some of the world's pharmaceutical giants have too much
influence over what drugs some doctors prescribe. NHS Greater Glasgow has told
the Herald that following a consultation it hopes to have a register, which
would be publicly available, in place by June.
Magic heart pill could drain health
resources
Posted: 15/02/2006
Treating as many people as possible
with the new polypill would not be cost effective, a study has claimed.
Polypill - which combines aspirin, a statin, three blood pressure-lowering
agents and folic acid - could slash the risk of coronary artery disease and
stroke, but health experts have said giving it to everyone at risk from the
diseases would be too much of a drain on resources.
MPs back
blanket smoking ban
Posted: 15/02/2006
MPs have voted to extend a
smoking ban in public places to all pubs and private clubs in England. The free
vote in the House of Commons went 384 to 184 in the government's favour last
night to remove the exemption of private members' clubs and establishments that
serve food. MPs also voted to ban smoking in workplaces, including 106,000
licensed premises.
Roche and GlaxoSmithKline
Bonviva gets Scottish approval
Posted: 15/02/2006
The Scottish
Medicines Consortium (SMC) has given its approval of Bonviva (ibandronic acid)
for the use within NHS Scotland for the treatment of osteoporosis. The body
stated that the once a month treatment was found "to significantly reduce the
risk of vertebral fractures in postmenopausal women".
Cephalon posts losses as revenue up
19 per cent
Posted: 15/02/2006
Cephalon has reported an increase
of revenue for 2005 of 19 per cent to $1.2 billion. The firm's total sales hit
$1.16 billion, a rise of 18 per cent on 2004 levels, with the biggest seller
being the narcolepsy drug Provigil (modafinil) with sales of $512.8 million.
However, despite these figures the company made a loss for the year of $175
million, compared with a loss of $74 million in 2004.
AstraZeneca withdraws
Exanta
Posted: 15/02/2006
AstraZeneca is to withdraw the
anticoagulant Exanta (melagatran/ximelagatran) from the market and end its
development. The venous thromboembolism (VTE) treatment has been withdrawn due
to new data about the possibility of liver damage.
GlaxoSmithKline Arixtra found
effective
Posted: 15/02/2006
Studies of the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
drug Arixtra (fondaparinux sodium) have found it to be effective. Artemis
(Arixtra for Thromboembolism prevention in a Medical Indications Study) found
the treatment reduced the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) by 46.7 per
cent.
Free sex tests 'to
hit high street'
Posted: 14/02/2006
Free tests for sexually
transmitted infections (STIs) may be made available on the high street in a bid
to clean up Britain's worsening sexual health record, it has emerged. Ministers
are said to be considering plans to allow people to purchase kits to test for
common diseases such as gonorrhoea and chlamydia.
Gangs target NHS hospitals
Posted: 14/02/2006
NHS medical equipment is being stolen to order by
criminal gangs, police fear. Hundreds of thousands of pounds of medical
equipment has recently been stolen from hospitals and similarities between the
crimes are leading the police to suspect that organised criminal gangs could be
behind the thefts.
GlaxoSmithKline buys
Croatian research site for $50m
Posted:
14/02/2006
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is to buy a research institute from the
Croatian firm Pliva. The Istrazivacki Institut is Pliva's research and
development arm based in Zagreb and is renowned for its work into macrolides.
Wyeth
Pharmaceuticals forms Irish collaboration
Posted:
14/02/2006
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals has announced a collaboration with
Dublin-based Opsona Therapeutics. The partnership will aim to discover and
develop compounds to treat inflammatory diseases, based on Toll-like receptor
(TLR) targets.
RPS: stick with opiate
brand
Posted: 14/02/2006
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS)
has urged for sustained release morphine preparations and opioid patches to be
prescribed by brand name.
MHRA to investigate
herbal medicine
Posted: 14/02/2006
The Medicines and Healthcare
products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is to investigate regulation of herbal
medicines. The new Herbal Medicines Advisory Committee (HMAC) met for the first
time yesterday to give ministers and the MHRA independent expert advice on the
recently introduced registration scheme for traditional herbal medicines and on
unlicensed herbal remedies.
Pfizer lowers
growth expectations
Posted: 14/02/2006
Pfizer has released its
forecast for 2006 with net income set to be around $11.5 billion, a return to
2004 levels, after falls in 2005. The company also announced that this year
there would be six new medicines launched and five new medicines would be filed
for approval over the coming two years.
GlaxoSmithKline drug side
effects up after TV programme
Posted: 14/02/2006
A series of
current affairs programmes about GlaxoSmithKline's antidepressant drug Seroxat
(paroxetine) were followed by a sudden increase in the number of adverse
reactions reported by UK doctors, researchers have shown. Reports to British
doctors about the drug rose by 61 per cent after three editions of the BBC's
Panorama explored concerns about the drug.
Biogen gets US approval for
lymphoma treatment
Posted: 13/02/2006
Biogen with its partner
Genetech have receive approval for Rituxan (rituximab) treatment of patients
with diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (DLBCL). The US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) gave the go ahead for the treatment in combination with
CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone) or other
anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimens.
Bristol-Myers Squibb $185m settlement
approved
Posted: 13/02/2006
A US judge has approved Bristol-Myers
Squibb's $185 million settlement in the case surrounding the investigational
compound Vanlev (omapatrilat).
Abbott Laboratories
suspended from ABPI
Posted: 13/02/2006
Abbott Laboratories has
been suspended from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry
(ABPI) for breaches of the code of practice. The initial suspension of six
months stems from complaints about inappropriate hospitality for health
professionals.
Shire Pharmaceuticals
speaks out on FDA ADHD review
Posted: 13/02/2006
Following a US
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review into attention-deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) drugs Shire Pharmaceuticals has moved to speak out. The FDA
advisory panel said that ADHD treatments should carry black-box warnings that
they could be linked to a greater risk of sudden death from cardiovascular side
effects.
Life expectancy increases for
English men
Posted: 13/02/2006
English men enjoy a higher life
expectancy than all but Italy and Sweden among EU countries, according to
government health statistics. Figures published by the Office for National
Statistics (ONS), show that men in England were expected to live for 76.6 years
in 2003, almost two years above the average in the EU.
NHS frequent flyers driving up
costs
Posted: 13/02/2006
Re-admission by patients with long-term
conditions costs the NHS ?2.3 billion a year, new research has found. Known as
'frequent flyers' by doctors, one in four emergency admissions are people who
have already been seen by A&E at least three or more times in the past
year.
Roche halts Avastin
trial recruitment
Posted: 13/02/2006
Roche has temporarily
suspended recruitment in its trails using Avastin, following the deaths of four
patients. The Avant trial involved the use of Avastin and other drugs to
prevent colon cancer reoccurring after surgery.
Bayer considers buying Pfizer
consumer health
Posted: 13/02/2006
Following Pfizer's
announcement that it was considering selling off its consumer healthcare
division, Bayer has thrown its hat into the ring as a possible buyer. Bayer
chief executive Werner Wenning told the newspaper Sonntag when questioned about
buying the Pfizer division that it was a possibility.
MHRA
reclassifies Schering Health Care, Pfizer and Novartis drugs
Posted:
10/02/2006
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
(MHRA) has reclassified a number of medicines to make them easier for people to
obtain. Among the list is Schering Health Care's emergency contraceptive
Levonorgestrel which has been re-graded from a prescription only medicine (POM)
to a pharmacy (P) medicine with an increase of a maximum strength from 0.75 mg
to 1.5mg.
Government meets pharma industry
to ensure UK position
Posted: 10/02/2006
The government met with
pharmaceutical industry chiefs yesterday to make sure the UK continues to bring
in investment. The meeting formed part of the Ministerial Industry Strategy
Group (MISG) and discussions looked at how the Long Term Leadership Strategy,
which aims to ensure that the UK remains an attractive option for the
pharmaceutical industry, was progressing.
Doctors concerned over new healthcare
plans
Posted: 10/02/2006
Patients will be confused by plans to
introduce a new kind of non-medically qualified healthcare professional,
according to medics. The British Medical Association (BMA) claims that
proposals for medical care practitioners (MCPs), who would be allowed to
diagnose patients and prescribe drugs, could affect the quality of care
patients receive.
Report calls for NHS investment
review
Posted: 10/02/2006
The government must be clear of the
benefits before it commits to further NHS funding, an influential think tank
has argued. A report by the King's Fund thinktank claims that a full and
detailed review of the costs and benefits of existing policies has still not
been completed.
Chugai board confirm company
split
Posted: 10/02/2006
The board of Chugai Pharmaceutical has
confirmed the planned company split that will make the production business a
separate firm. The split will be implemented on May 1st when Chugai Techno
Business, to be renamed Chugai Pharma Manufacturing, will become a subsidiary
of Chugai and take on parts of the business relating to the manufacture of
pharmaceutical products.
AstraZeneca gets first
European approval for Pulmicort inhaler
Posted:
10/02/2006
AstraZeneca has received its first regulatory approval for a
new pressurised metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) for the asthma treatment Pulmicort
(budesonide). The inhaler, developed by SkyePharma, received clearance in
Finland and further approvals in EU and non-EU markets are being awaited.
Bayer drug faces FDA
warning
Posted: 10/02/2006
The US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) has issued a warning over Bayer's Trasylol (aprotinin injection).
Trasylol is used in heart bypass surgery to prevent blood loss, but two
scientific publications have found higher risks of serious side effects
including kidney problems, heart attacks and strokes in patients who undergo
artery bypass graft surgery.
Elan Pharma and Eisai in $100m rights
deal
Posted: 10/02/2006
Ireland's Elan has agreed to sell its
European rights for Prialt (ziconotideto) to Eisai. The deal for the severe
chronic pain treatment will see Eisai pay up to $100 million, with $50 million
being paid on the closing of the agreement plus $40 million paid out on meeting
revenue milestones.
Wyeth vaccine to be part of UK
childhood immunisation programme
Posted: 09/02/2006
Wyeth has
announced that its vaccine Prevenar is to be included in the UK immunisation
programme for children. The drug prevents pneumococcal infections which are
caused by the bacterium streptococcus pneumoniae. The infection is responsible
for a range of diseases which affect young children and babies, such as
septicaemia, pneumonia and meningitis.
Former Roche UK building
to be world class research centre
Posted: 09/02/2006
A former
Roche Pharmaceuticals building in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, is to
become a world class research and development centre for biosciences and
pharmaceuticals. The complex has been purchased by the University of
Hertfordshire with ?8 million of funding from the East of England Development
Agency (EEDA).
Allergan chief looks for new
treatments
Posted: 09/02/2006
The head of Botox-maker Allergan
has said that the company may be interested in buying up drugs designed to
treat urology ailments and neurological conditions. Chief executive David Pyott
told Reuters in an interview that urologists and neurologists would also grow
to be important to the firm, as Botox could be allowed for use by migraine
sufferers.
Call to extend free care policy
in Scotland
Posted: 09/02/2006
Scotland's policy of free personal
care should be extended to all disabled people, carers groups have argued.
Giving evidence to Holyrood's health committee, Carers Scotland and Alzheimer
Scotland lobbied MSPs to extend the policy, claiming that the current
restriction was an "ageist policy".
Health authority can't afford
wages
Posted: 09/02/2006
An NHS health authority is having to
borrow nearly 97 million to pay its staff next month. Surrey and Sussex health
authority is heading for a deficit of 83 million for the financial year ending
in March.
Schwarz
Pharmaceuticals in UK recall
Posted: 09/02/2006
Vials of the drug
Isoket have been recalled by Schwarz Pharmaceuticals. In a statement the
company said that 50ml vials of the drug, which is used to treat angina, had
been contaminated by an impurity from the rubber stopper. The recall only
applies to Isoket vials and not to the 0.1 per cent strength Isoket ampules,
which were not recalled by the company.
AstraZeneca extends
partnership
Posted: 09/02/2006
NPS Pharmaceuticals has extended
its relationship with AstraZeneca to develop treatments targeted at
metabotropic glutamate receptors (MGLRRs). The renewed agreement extends
research co-operation for three years minimum, with capacity to continue for
another two years at the companies choosing. Development is aimed at finding
ways to treat gastrointestinal and central nervous system disorders through
MGLRRs.
GlaxoSmithKline full year profits up 16 per
cent, hints at Pfizer acquisition
Posted: 09/02/2006
Shire
Pharmaceuticals files ulcerative colitis treatment
Posted:
08/02/2006
Shire Pharmaceuticals has applied for European marketing
authorisation for its mild to moderate ulcerative colitis treatment SPD476.
Novartis gets green flag to buy
Chiron
Posted: 08/02/2006
Novartis has received approval from the
European Commission for its proposed acquisition of Chiron. The decision
follows similar clearances in the US and means the firm can buy the remaining
shares in Chiron that it does not currently own. When the deal was announced
Novartis chairman and CEO Dr Daniel Vasella outlined the firm's strategy for
the future of Chiron.
Warning over care home
prescriptions
Posted: 08/02/2006
Almost half of all nursing and
care homes across England fail to meet the national minimum standards for
giving the correct medication to inhabitants, inspectors have said.
UK
hit by flu B and norovirus
Posted: 08/02/2006
High levels of
influenza B and norovirus has led to the Health Protection Agency (HPA) to
issue warning to people on how to best control the spread of the disease.
Influenza B is circulating in a number of UK regions with the west midlands
being particularly hit, while norovirus, commonly known as winter vomiting
disease, is thought to be affecting around one million people with children
highly affected.
GlaxoSmithKline
post-op bowel treatment trial positive
Posted:
08/02/2006
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), along with its partner Adolor
Corporation, has announced its trials for Entereg (alvimopan) have brought
positive results. The drug used in speeding up recovery times of
gastrointestinal (GI) function following bowel resection surgery and was found
to make a "statistically significant" difference compared to a placebo.
Pfizer to explore
selling off consumer healthcare division
Posted:
08/02/2006
Pfizer has announced that it is considering selling its
consumer healthcare division that has the brands Listerine and Benadryl. The
firm could also create a separate spin-off company for the division that
brought in sales last year of $3.9 billion, or continue to retain it.
Bailiffs sent into NHS
trust
Posted: 08/02/2006
Debt collectors had to be sent into an
NHS trust to retrieve late payments, the BBC reports. Leicester city council
officials sent in bailiffs to University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust after
it failed to pay ?420,000 in business rates.
GlaxoSmithKline
executives targeted by extremists
Posted: 08/02/2006
Two
GlaxoSmithKline Executives have reportedly been targeted by animal rights
extremists. The Independent reports that non-executive director Sir Ian Prosser
and company secretary Simon Bicknell were targeted with letters being sent to
their neighbours making a series of allegations.
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