The representative body for the Australian pharma industry, Medicines Australia, has agreed to sign a ‘letter of intent’ with the Australian government for a five-year strategic agreement. 27 May 2015
Delegates at the World Health Assembly have endorsed a global action plan to tackle antimicrobial resistance, including access to affordable vaccines. 26 May 2015
The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has assessed documents subsequently submitted by US biotech giant Gilead Sciences in the commenting procedure on the dossier assessment of the firm’s new blockbuster hepatitis C drug Harvoni (ledipasvir and sofosbuvir). 22 May 2015
The benefit assessment by Germany's Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) indicated that US biotech firm PTC Therapeutics’ Translarna (ataluren) provided a benefit for ambulatory patients aged five years and older with nonsense mutation Duchenne muscular dystrophy (nmDMD). 22 May 2015
Despite the optimism surrounding two first-in-class products, vaccination alone is not a viable long-term solution for combatting these infectious diseases, says an analyst. 21 May 2015
The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has examined two dossier relating to US biotech firm Celgene’s Otezla (apremilast) as to whether this drug offers an added benefit over the respective appropriate comparator therapy. 19 May 2015
Australia’s medicine industry has called on the Abbott Government to negotiate a five-year strategic agreement after reaching an in-principle deal with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia to ensure access to the best Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. 18 May 2015
Spanish trade group Farmaindustria’s General Assembly gathered last week in an extraordinary meeting and authorized the signing of a Collaboration Protocol with the Ministries of Finance & Public Administrations, and Health, Social Services and Equality. 3 May 2015
The value of the Russian pharmaceutical market amounted to 156.1 billion roubles (around $3 billion) in wholesale prices in the first quarter of 2015, which is 25% more than during the same period of 2014. 29 April 2015
Kim Ok-Yeon, chairperson of the KRPIA, South Korea’s research-based pharmaceutical industry association, pointed out, regarding to the Pharma 2020 Vision announced by the government in 2012, that local pharmaceutical companies face significant difficulties in procuring competitiveness in overseas markets. 27 April 2015
The US Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) issued a Federal Register Notice soliciting comments on its proposal to collect pricing data from drug manufacturers under the 340B drug discount program. 23 April 2015
At the urging of US Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Elijah Cummings, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Inspector General has agreed to investigate how sudden price hikes by generic drug makers are driving up the cost of taxpayer-supported health care. 16 April 2015
French drug major Sanofi is to initially target newly-diagnosed patients with its recently-approved once-daily, long-acting basal insulin Toujeo (insulin glargine), but will not offer a discount against Lantus (insulin glargine), according to reports by Bloomberg. 14 April 2015
The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) today announced that German pharma major Bayer’s Stivarga (regorafenib) has been accepted for use within NHS Scotland. 13 April 2015
Trade group the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) has said that a report published by the Health Services Executive (HSE) this week shows that the average price of a pack of medicine provided to patients through the community drugs schemes decreased to its lowest level in a decade. 13 April 2015
Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D) trade group has expressed concerns about the Patented Medicines Prices Review Board’s (PMPRB) newly-released report on Cost Drivers of Public Drug Plans in Canada. 2 April 2015
Following massive consumer campaigns and huge media coverage of the lack of availability for children’s access to meningitis B vaccine because of cost, the UK Department of Health and British pharma major GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK) have reached agreement on an acceptable price for the company’s Bexsero. 30 March 2015
Following an in-depth investigation, the European Commission has concluded that a German scheme exempting pharmaceutical companies from mandatory rebates was in line with European Union State aid rules. 27 March 2015
While Germany is the leading pharmaceutical market in Europe, valued at $58.6 billion in 2014, the sector will expand at a modest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.7% to reach an estimated $65 billion by 2020, a new study finds. 27 March 2015
As the number of new medicines introduced in Europe rises, governments are finding it increasingly difficult to afford them, according to a comprehensive study released today by the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. 26 March 2015
Proposals from the National Health Service (NHS) England have been set out for a phased launch of Eli Lilly’s obesity injection Mounjaro/Zepbound (tirzepatide) at the start of a consultation. 4 October 2024
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
As stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry, we all have a responsibility to ensure life-saving treatments promptly and safely reach patients regardless of where they live. To this end, by integrating early access programs and other less conventional strategies into a company’s business model for drug distribution, patients who are suffering from life-threatening conditions can gain access to needed treatments in regions where there is a lack of drug accessibility, while at the same time offering benefits to pharmaceutical companies. 2 October 2024
CSL Behring has been granted a positive recommendation by the Spanish Interministerial Commission on the Pricing of Medicines (CIPM), resulting in national reimbursement for Hemgenix (etranacogene dezaparvovec) for eligible haemophilia B patients in Spain. 1 October 2024
Johnson & Johnson has halted its plan to implement a 340B rebate model after pressure from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). 1 October 2024
Healthcare plan provider Centivo has raised $75 million in equity and debt financing to support its goal of offering affordable care to employees and their families. 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
On Friday, the USA’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) brought action against the three largest prescription drug benefit managers (PBMs) - Caremark Rx, Express Scripts (ESI), and OptumRx 23 September 2024
Daiichi Sankyo’s today revealed that its Vanflyta (quizartinib) has been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for routine National Health Service (NHS) commissioning in England and Wales. 19 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
In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Missouri, USA, Health insurer Cigna (NYSE: CI) and its pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) Express Scripts demanded that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) retract its July 2024 report. 18 September 2024
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended access Vabysmo (faricimab) for the treatment of adults with visual impairment due to macular oedema secondary to branched and central retinal vein occlusion. 13 September 2024
A significant drop has been noticed in the prices of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), bringing much-needed relief to the pharmaceutical industry and potentially translating to lower drug costs for consumers. 9 September 2024
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has posted its revised Evidence Report assessing the comparative clinical effectiveness of three medicines for the treatment of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). 6 September 2024
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has agreed to pay $25 million, based on its ability to pay, to resolve its alleged liability under the False Claims Act for conspiring to fix the price of a generic drug, the US Department of Justice announced. 5 September 2024
Research from AARP has found that around $1,100 in prescription drug costs could be saved by more than a million seniors, due to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). 2 September 2024
US House Committee on Oversight and Accountability chairman James Comer is calling on the chief executives s of three major Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) - CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and Optum Rx - to correct the record for statements made during their appearance before the House Oversight Committee. 29 August 2024
Drug development consultancy Certara has published a report on the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) impact on oncology biosimilar uptake. 29 August 2024
August 28, 2024
US pharma major Eli Lilly yesterday announced Zepbound (tirzepatide) 2.5mg and 5mg single-dose vials are now available for self-pay for patients in the USA. 28 August 2024