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A recent Reuters article reported that the USA's pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies do not expect an industry increase as a result of broader insurance coverage proposed in health care reform. Manufacturers have pledged to contribute $80 billion over a decade to help pay for an expansion of health insurance, an agreement reflected in legislation pending in the Senate, the article noted. 20 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
The health-care reform proposed by US Senate Democrats, led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Democrat, Nevada), to extend coverage to 94% of eligible Americans, will cost $849 billion over 10 years, Senate leaders said yesterday, and slash the deficit by $127 billion over the next decade. The cost would also be considerably less than the $1,100 billion anticipated from the reforms passed recently by the House of Representatives (The Pharma Letter November 9). 19 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
Following recent allegations in the New York Times, and rebuttals by the US research-based pharmaceutical industry (The Pharma Letter November 18), leaders of the US House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce Committees have sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting an expedited report on recent trends in prescription drug pricing. 19 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
The European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients` Associations`(EFA) has launched a book comparing and analysing the situation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in Europe for the first time from the patients' perspective. The Book highlights an urgent need to reduce the suffering and mortality from this disease, which will - if not tackled appropriately - be the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2030. 19 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
The European Commission has presented a staff working paper that aims to be the basis of discussion on the ways to better tackle the growing health problem of anti-microbial resistance (AMR). The question of antibacterial resistance has been at the forefront on both sides of the Atlantic, and at the World Health Organization, mostly recently culminating in President Barack Obama and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, representing the European Union Presidency, establishing a transatlantic task force to address this urgent and growing problem that threatens patient safety and public health worldwide. (The Pharma Letter November 9). 19 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the USA drug industry lobby group, has strongly contested the allegations in a front page New York Times story that suggested that drugmakers raised their prices by 9% this year in order to cushion themselves from the steep cuts in drug spending that are included in the country's health reform plans. That will add more than $10 billion to the nation's drug bill, which is on track to exceed $300 billion this year. By at least one analysis, it is the highest annual rate of inflation for drug prices since 1992, the NYT article claimed. 18 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
The USA's Department of Justice Department plans to focus on prosecuting people in the pharmaceutical industry who try to bribe foreign officials for preferential treatment of their products, according to a senior official, reported by the Reuters news agency. 16 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
A new report from Business Roundtable, an association of chief executive officers of leading US companies, shows that key components of health care reform could slow the growth of health care costs and offer real savings for companies and their employees. At the same time, the report identifies those proposals that could accelerate costs. 16 November 2009
Generics
In the UK, needless use of anti-psychotic drugs is widespread in dementia care and contributes to the death of many patients, according to a review commissioned by the government. About 180,000 patients a year are given the drugs in care homes, hospitals and their own homes to manage aggression. 13 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
Starting its work as of the beginning of November, the Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea plays an important role for the entire health care sector. Besides the pharmaceutical regulation tasks, Fimea is also responsible for new R&D functions which are the object of many expectations, says the country's pharmaceutical trade body, the PIF. 13 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
Representatives of the UK's drug manufacturers, wholesalers and pharmacies have held a series of constructive meetings to discuss the current supply problems affecting branded medicines, reports the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI). The reasons behind the supply problems are complex but a major contributing factor has been changes in the European import and export market, it says. 13 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) president Gerald Farrell, in his opening address to the association's 16th IPHA Annual Meeting in Dublin yesterday, stated that there is a need to change the debate on health care expenditure if real progress is to be made in health care delivery in the decade ahead. 13 November 2009
Biotechnology
The Council of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) has approved an updated Joint Position on the Disclosure of Clinical Trial Information via Clinical Trial Registries and Databases. This extends the range of clinical trials that member companies should provide information on to include all clinical trials in patients, as a minimum. The scope of this new Joint Position will include early-stage safety trials of medicines for life-threatening conditions, which are typically not done in healthy volunteers. 11 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) has appointed Eduardo Pisani as its new director general. He will take office on January 1, 2010, and will succeed Alice Greenidge, who was appointed to the post in the spring of 2008 to replace long-term incumbent Harvey Bale, but departed in November of that year. 11 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
In an unusual Saturday sitting, the US Democratic-controlled House has narrowly - by a vote of 220 to 215 - passed landmark and far-reaching health care reform legislation - H.R. 3962 - designed to provide health insurance to an additional 36 million Americans at a cost of more than $1,000 billion over a decade, handing President Barack Obama a victory on his signature domestic priority. 9 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
Experts on both sides of the Atlantic applaud US President Barack Obama and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, representing the European Union Presidency, for establishing a transatlantic task force to address antibiotic resistance, an urgent and growing problem that threatens patient safety and public health worldwide. 9 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
A proposed Ugandan law on HIV/AIDS promotes dangerous and discredited approaches to the AIDS epidemic and would violate human rights, a group of more than 50 Ugandan and international organizations and individuals said in a report released November 6. The HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Bill could be taken up by Uganda‘s parliament shortly. 9 November 2009
Biotechnology
At a conference in Brussels, Belgium, today both the industry and the European Commission have expressed their strong wish to strengthen this unprecedented collaboration to reduce animal testing as much as possible to avoid unnecessary suffering for animals (the 3Rs Approach) wherever possible. 6 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
The Confederation of Indian Industry and the US-India Business Council have announced a major new advance in health care collaboration, partnering under the banner of the USIBC-led 'Coalition for Healthy India'. The partnership was announced on the sidelines of CII's 6th Annual Healthcare Summit, which was attended by a delegation of senior health care executives from the headquarters of several USIBC member companies. 6 November 2009
Pharmaceutical
The European Union must re-build its leadership and reshape its core spending and economic policy to strengthen Europe's ability to compete on a global scale, Department for Business Innovation & Skills Secretary Lord Peter Mandelson said today. 6 November 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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