The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released final guidance for the second cycle of Medicare drug price negotiations. 3 October 2024
The Russian government has finalized the rules for granting preference to domestic drugs in public procurements, which will come into force in 2025. 1 October 2024
The Danish government is to remove the rules that currently prohibit the purchase of medicines from countries outside the European Union (EU) in a move that has not been welcomed by pharma. 30 September 2024
India is set to complete 50 new greenfield pharma manufacturing plants in the next two years under its Production-linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for pharma and medical devices. 30 September 2024
Global leaders have approved a political declaration at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). 30 September 2024
The generics and biosimilars trade group, Medicines for Europe, has put out a strong message amid ongoing discussions on a European Union (EU) Critical Medicines Act. 26 September 2024
US biotech Emergent BioSolutions revealed it has secured approximately $400 million in orders in 2024 and 2025 associated with its vaccinia, smallpox and mpox product portfolio. 26 September 2024
The UK government has released a position paper outlining its vision for Framework Programme 10 (FP10), a successor to Horizon Europe, the EU's flagship research collaboration program. 26 September 2024
President Biden has said the USA will commit at least $500 million to support African countries in battling the ongoing mpox outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa. 25 September 2024
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) is continuing its legal challenge against the US government’s drug pricing reforms. 24 September 2024
The Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research and Greek pharma trade group the Hellenic Association of Pharmaceutical Companies have presented two studies reflecting the industry’s importance. 23 September 2024
Basilea Pharmaceutica announced that the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has awarded Basilea an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA), under OTA number 75A50124C00033. 20 September 2024
Novo Nordisk is under increasing pressure over the cost of its blockbuster drugs in the USA, as chief executive Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen prepares to testify before a powerful Senate committee. 18 September 2024
The research based pharmaceutical industry has welcomed Mario Draghi’s report, published by the European Commission, outlining proposals on how Europe can regain its competitive edge and the critical role of innovative industries in achieving this. 11 September 2024
Even as emerging signs of a thaw in the broader Indian start-up funding landscape were evident, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has tightened its exemption list under new combination rules. 11 September 2024
The US House of Representatives has passed the BIOSECURE Act, gaining bipartisan support with a vote of 306–81. Nearly all of the votes against the bill came from Democrats. 10 September 2024
The Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult (CGT Catapult) has highlighted what it regards as the UK's potential to lead the global cell and gene therapy sector. 5 September 2024
The budget on October 30 is an opportunity to end short-termism, cut waste, and attract long-term investment to the country’s economy with a sector-targeted R&D tax relief policy, according to the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA). 3 September 2024
The Danish Pharmaceutical Industry Association, Lif, has given its verdict on the government financial bill setting out new priorities in health in 2025. 2 September 2024
Marseille-based ImCheck Therapeutics has received 20.2 million euros ($22.4 million) in non-dilutive funding as part of the i-Démo call for projects under the France 2030 Plan operated by Bpifrance on behalf of the French government. 29 August 2024
The government of Turkey plans to create conditions for a significant increase of the domestic production of pharmaceutical products, as part of the ongoing reform of the national health care sector. 17 August 2015
The Australian government’s A$20 billion ($14.64 billion) medical research fuding bill has cleared the Senate, and the Abbott administration is claiming it will be the largest of its kind in the world. 12 August 2015
The continuing decline in Australian exports of medicines has highlighted the enormous challenges facing the local industry as they struggle to remain competitive in the global pharmaceutical industry. 8 August 2015
India has deferred its trade talks with Europe following an EU decision to ban the sale of around 700 pharmaceutical products that had been tested by GVK Biosciences, an Indian contract research organization. 6 August 2015
Rostec, a Russian state corporation which specializes in development, production and export of hi-tech industrial products for civil and defense sectors, plans to become the sole supplier of drugs for the treatment of HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis for state needs this year, according to the company, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent. 28 July 2015
Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia, last week launched an ambitious 10-year national strategy and plan of action to develop local pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity in order to increase access to locally manufactured, quality-assured, medicines. 20 July 2015
The Ensuring Access to Clinical Trials Act of 2015, which was introduced by Senators Ron Wyden (Democrat, Oregon), Orrin Hatch (Republican, Utah), Edward Markey (Democrat, Maryland) and Sherrod Brown (Democrat, Ohio) and co-sponsored by an additional 12 Senators, was passed yesterday. 17 July 2015
The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Action Group has stated its support at the Australian Senate’s inquiry into the MRFF Bill 2015 for a number of key aspects of the bill and proposed some minor amendments. 15 July 2015
The US House of Representatives has voted 344 to 77 in favor of the 21st Century Cures Act, which would speed up the approval of drugs and medical devices and boost funding for research. 13 July 2015
Australia’s representative body for the pharma industry has hit back against “alarmist and misguided reporting” on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and its impact on medicine pricing. 9 July 2015
The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMGMAN) has raised concerns over the New Drug Distribution Guideline, NDDG, and Common External Tariff (CET), saying that they are threats to the survival of the local pharmaceutical industry, reports the local Vanguard newspaper. 7 July 2015
A Russian pharmaceutical delegation, composed of over 50 representatives from more than 20 companies and led by Sergey Tsyb, the deputy director of the Ministry of Industrial and Trade of Russia, attended the recent 2015 CPhI China for the first time. 6 July 2015
Prescription drugs with a cost to the UK’s National Health Service of more than £20 ($31) will have the price labelled on the packaging, along with the message that the drug was “funded by the UK taxpayer.” 2 July 2015
In Australia, the two Bills related to the proposed establishment of the A$20 billion ($15.3 billion) Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) have been referred to the Senate’s Community Affairs Legislation Committee for a swift inquiry, with comment invited by July 10. 30 June 2015
Trade body EuropaBio, the European Association for Bioindustries, has launched a White Paper on the Public Procurement of Biological Medicines analyzing national practices for publicly procuring complex medicines, such as biologics, in Europe. 29 June 2015
The last-minute decision by Australia’ Health Minister Sussan Ley to abandon a Strategic Agreement casts a shadow over the future stability of the local medicines industry and also puts patient safety at risk, says trade group Medicines Australia. 23 June 2015
Australian think-tank the Grattan Institute claims the Australian federal government is wasting A$320 million ($248 million) through its failure to properly implement a drug pricing policy for subsidized medicines. 22 June 2015
US Representative Steve Stivers (Republican, Ohio) yesterday joined Rep Peter Welch (Democrat, Vermont) to re-introduced the Fair Access for Safe and Timely (FAST) Generics Act to increase consumer access to generic drugs, boost market competition and ultimately save consumers money. 19 June 2015
Médecins Sans Frontières has today kicked off a campaign urging the Indian government and its Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to cave in to the unrelenting, intense pressure to loosen up its patent laws. 11 June 2015
Joe Jimenez, chief executive of Swiss pharma giant Novartis, in an interview with the UK’s Financial Times, has warned that drugmakers can no longer expect to be rewarded for new medicines that produce weak or only incremental benefits. 8 June 2015