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GlaxoSmithKline, the world's second-largest drugmaker, has paid nearly $1 billion to resolve law suits over Paxil (paroxetine) since it began selling the antidepressant in 1993, Bloomberg News reported, citing court records and people familiar with the cases. 15 December 2009
Generics
The Polish pharmaceutical market has grown dynamically in the past five years, showing great resilience to the impact of adverse trends prevailing in the market. As demonstrated by the results of the most recent study conducted by the advisory company KPMG and the Poland-based research company PMR in June 2009, the current economic situation linked to the global economic crisis has not affected the good performance of the pharmaceutical industry; either, it has not had an adverse effect on the optimistic mood prevailing among pharmaceutical companies in Poland. 15 December 2009
Pharmaceutical
The Roberts Environmental Center (REC) at Claremont McKenna College in the USA has released an analysis of social responsibility reporting for the 26 largest pharmaceutical companies worldwide. The report contains a compilation of Pacific Sustainability Index (PSI) scores evaluating the environmental and social reporting of the companies. Scoring is based on the transparency, intent, and performance for both environmental and social issues. 15 December 2009
Pharmaceutical
In response to the 'Patent Box' (a scheme that will more than halve corporation tax to 10% for manufacturing income derived from patents from April 2013) announcement made as part of UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling's Pre-Budget Report on December 9 (The Pharma Letter December 10), drug giant GlaxoSmithKline has already drawn up detailed implementation plans for its first state-of-the-art UK-based biopharmaceutical manufacturing plant. This will make the UK the future home of the latest generation of biological medicines, the firm stated. 11 December 2009
Pharmaceutical
The US Senate recently began focusing on a proposal to allow some near-elderly Americans to buy into the Medicare program (The Pharma Letter December 10). Though it has not polled on this specific variation of Medicare expansion in recent years, the Kaiser Health Tracking Poll suggests that a general expansion of Medicare to cover uninsured people ages 55 to 64 is broadly popular. Overall, in surveys reaching back to 2000, roughly seven in ten Americans say they would favor expanding Medicare to cover the near-elderly uninsured. 11 December 2009
Generics
According to a report in the Spanish newspaper The Vanguard, the savings from competition that allows generic drug manufacturers to sell their products more cheaply than originator drugs does not end up in the pockets of the consumers nor of the public health system, with price discounts, to a large extent, benefitting pharmacies, according to the first study made by the Catalan Autoritat of Competencia (ACC). 11 December 2009
Biotechnology
The European Commission yesterday confirmed that its officials have started further surprise inspections at the premises of several companies active in the pharmaceutical industry in some European Union member states following a sector-wide inquiry which revealed problems in the speed generic drugs come to the market after patents have expired. Such practices are claimed to have cost health care providers about 3 billion euros ($4.5 billion) between 2007 and 2008. 10 December 2009
Pharmaceutical
As debate continued in the US Senate of health care reform, there was some apparent progress last night with Democrats agreeing a compromise, by dropping the demand for a wide-ranging government-run health insurance system. Instead, they are considering a national health scheme operated by private insurers and allowing American citizens aged over 55 years to buy the government's Medicare insurance plan for seniors. 10 December 2009
Biotechnology
The UK's BioIndustry Association (BIA) says it welcomes the proposal to introduce a 'patent box' announced in Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling's Pre-Budget Report yesterday. This measure was called for in the Bioscience Innovation and Growth Team Review and Refresh of Bioscience 2015, published earlier this year and is part of the package of measures outlined in the Office for Life Sciences 'Life Sciences Blueprint.' 10 December 2009
Generics
Under bipartisan legislation that US Senator Byron Dorgan (Democrat, North Dakota) is pushing to include in the health reform bill, it is estimated that the federal government could save $19.4 billion over the next ten years. The Senate is expected to vote this week on Dorgan's amendment. 10 December 2009
Generics
Contributing to the debate in the European Parliament and Council on the Falsified Medicines Directive from the so-called Pharmaceutical package, the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) said that patients safety and the access to high- quality medicinal products represent key issues in pharmaceutical policy, but further legislation is required. In this context, the EPHA welcomes the Commission's legislative initiative aimed at combating counterfeit medicine, and more particularly for the following reasons: 10 December 2009
Pharmaceutical
Thousands of physicians in America, who are deeply concerned over the direction of health reform legislation, have joined forces to deliver a strong message to Congress: 'it's not too late to get it right; slow down and change course.' These 17 state and national medical societies, including the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons, represent more than 92,000 physicians from coast to coast, and are unified in their opposition of the 'Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act' (HR 3590) as introduced by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Democrat, Nevada). 9 December 2009
Biotechnology
US pharmaceutical companies' efforts to promote prescription drugs have attracted the attention of policymakers because such activities may affect the rate at which different drugs are prescribed and consumed, the total amount spent on health care and, ultimately, health outcomes. 8 December 2009
Generics
There is no question that Brazil's pharmaceutical market is growing at an above average international rate and, like the other BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) regions, is attracting a lot of attention from drugmakers. But what will next year's national elections ' due October 2010 - bring to the scenario? 7 December 2009
Generics
Dutch European Member of Parliament Nellie Kroes, in her capacity as European Commissioner for Competition Policy (which she will relinquish next year; The Pharma Letter December 1), has put up a strong defense of her unit's sector investigations, including that of the pharmaceutical industry, which led to 'dawn raids' on several drugmakers as part of her crackdown on competition and transparency. Speaking at the Competition 09 Summit in Brussels, Belgium, Ms Kroes also stressed that such inquiries should continue. 4 December 2009
Pharmaceutical
New research shows that drug major Abbott Laboratories Meridia (sibutramine), a popular weight-loss drug, has caused a significantly increased number of heart attacks, strokes, resuscitated cardiac arrests or deaths in obese patients getting the drug and should, therefore, be pulled from the market immediately, claims the US advocacy group Public Citizen, in a petition to the Food and Drug Administration yesterday. 4 December 2009
Pharmaceutical
Multiple sclerosis patients still face inequity of access to innovative treatments in Europe. There is a clear demarcation between Western Europe, where around 45% of patients are treated and Central/Eastern Europe where only 5% to 25% do so. 4 December 2009
Pharmaceutical
The government of Mexico City says it will build a world-class center for biomedical and nanomedical research, called Campus Biometropolis. The center for medical R&D will be integrated with the National Autonomous University of Mexico, claimed to be the top Spanish speaking university in the world. 4 December 2009
Pharmaceutical
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission this week said that it has decided to grant authorization for five years to pharmaceutical trade group Medicines Australia's 16th edition of its Code of Conduct. The Code sets standards for the marketing and promotion of prescription medicinal products in Australia. 4 December 2009
Generics
As a result of the recent advent of parallel importing of drugs from the UK, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB), which represents pharmacists, says that it will be calling on government to take urgent action to resolve the immediate crisis in medicines availability to prevent patients being put at risk of potential serious harm as a result of being unable to obtain appropriate medication. 3 December 2009
Pharmaceutical
The nomination of Robert F Kennedy Jr — known as RFK Jr — for the role of US Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) President-elect Donald Trump sent shares in vaccine companies sharply downwards. 22 November 2024
article
The UK government has reappointed BioIndustry Association (BIA) chairman Daniel Mahony as its Life Sciences Investment Envoy. 21 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
The Danish government’s newly-unveiled health reform has been praised for tackling chronic disease care and health inequalities while driving health innovation. 18 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
New research published by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) provides in-depth analysis of the economic footprint of the pharmaceutical industry in Europe, across member states and compares Europe to other regions of the world. 18 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
Johnson & Johnson has taken legal action to defend a contentious rebate initiative, filing a lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. 15 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
The share prices of Pfizer, GSK, Novavax and other vaccine companies were all markedly lower on Friday. This was not due to the publication of disappointing research results in the sphere, or an ominous stance taken by a major regulator on a key filing, but rather a political development that could spell trouble for the vaccines field as a whole. 15 November 2024
Biotechnology
BeiGene has announced plans to rebrand as BeOne Medicines, a move the cancer specialist says reflects its commitment to fighting cancer through collaboration. 15 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
Danish patients are being offered fewer innovative treatments than Norwegians and Swedes, a new estimate from the Danish Medicines Council shows. 11 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
According to the Swedish pharma trade group Lif, it is positive that, in the updated life science strategy, the government expresses an ambition for Sweden to become more attractive for research investments. 11 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
Li Li, Commissioner of China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), and Mette Aaboe Hansen, interim director general of Danish Medicines Agency, have signed a letter of intent to promote bilateral cooperation in regulation of drugs and medical devices. 11 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
Following the news that Donald Trump is the winner of the 2024 US Presidential Election, Morningstar Equity analyst Julie Utterback has published a new note about the impact of this on the managed-care industry. 7 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
UK pharma major AstraZeneca, which has invested heavily in China, hosted a sell-side analyst call on Wednesday (November 6) to discuss the recent media reports about ongoing investigations in China. 7 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
Some of the UK’s leading academics and industry professionals have welcomed Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ £520 million ($669 million) pledge to develop the country’s medicine manufacturing capabilities. 6 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
European regulators will decide by December 6 whether Novo Holdings, the controlling shareholder of Danish pharma giant Novo Nordisk, can finalize its $16.5 billion acquisition of contract drug manufacturer Catalent. 5 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
The Danish government is rolling out the red carpet and welcomes several pharmaceutical companies. 4 November 2024
Generics
Medicines for Europe has launched a study of market barriers faced by European generics and biosimilar pharmaceutical companies operating in 11 key third-country markets. 31 October 2024
Pharmaceutical
Following the first Labour budget for 14 years, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) welcomes Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ measures to improve UK life sciences competitiveness. 30 October 2024
Pharmaceutical
HOPO Therapeutics has been awarded a contract valued at up to $226 million from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). 29 October 2024
Pharmaceutical
The Danish government has presented part of the plan for a future life science strategy, which has been welcomed by the industry. 28 October 2024
Biotechnology
Legend Biotech has removed Genscript Biotech as its majority shareholder, in a move coinciding with rising US concerns over Chinese ties within the biotech sector. 24 October 2024
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