Pricing, reimbursement and access
Refine Search
Biotechnology
UK drugs watchdog the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) said yesterday that it has opened a public consultation on its preliminary, negative recommendations on the National Health Service use of US biotech firm InterMune (Nasdaq: ITMN) Esbriet (pirfenidone). The draft guidance assesses whether it should be recommended for use in people who have the lung condition, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). 30 November 2012
Generics
The US Prescription Price Index shows that, since September 2011, price inflation for the most highly utilized brand-name medicines in the USA was more than six times greater than overall economic price inflation for consumer goods, according to Express Scripts (Nasdaq: ESRX) 2012 Q3 Drug Trend review. 29 November 2012
Pharmaceutical
The latest Access to Medicine Index, which ranks the top 20 pharmaceutical companies on their efforts to improve access to medicine in developing countries, finds that the industry is doing more than it was two years ago, with UK pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK) still outperforming its peers, but an expanding group of leaders closing the gap. 28 November 2012
Generics
India's Union Cabinet yesterday endorsed the Group of Ministers' (GoM) recommendations on the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy (NPPP), in move that will have ramification not only on the pharmaceutical industry but also on the interests of patients, according to reports in the local press. At present, the government through the NPPA controls the prices of 74 bulk drugs and their formulations. 23 November 2012
Generics
India's Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM) believes that the Supreme Court ruling (3/10/2012) will result in 70% of the Indian pharmaceutical market put under the inconsistent and inefficient cost based price control mechanism of Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) 1995 and all the 348 molecules will be crippled by the disastrous repressions. 22 November 2012
Pharmaceutical
New Zealand's Pharmaceutical Management Agency PHARMAC has announced the approval of an agreement with the local subsidiary of Swiss biotech firm Actelion (SIX: ATLN) in relation to bosentan (Tracleer). This was the subject of a consultation letter dated 1 October 2012. 21 November 2012
Pharmaceutical
Despite strong industry lobbying it now seems unlikely that the eighth round of price reductions following the biennial cycle of price-volume surveys can be avoided in Taiwan, the sixth-largest market for medicines in Asia-Pacific, according to Donald Macarthur, a widely-read analytical writer on international pharmaceutical business issues. 19 November 2012
Pharmaceutical
Australia's Health Minister Tanya Plibersek on Friday announced the government's decision to subsidize US drug behemoth Pfizer's (NYSE: PFE) chronic nerve pain drug Lyrica (pregabalin) through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme at a cost of A$447 million($ 430 million) over five years. 18 November 2012
Generics
The Community Oncology Alliance (COA), a US non-profit organization, announced the results of a drug shortage survey of 200 member practices representing 525 physicians across the USA. 98.9% of the respondents reported experiencing a drug shortage in the last year. 15 November 2012
Biotechnology
Following a consultation, New Zealand's Pharmaceutical Management Agency PHARMAC has announced the approval of an agreement with the local subsidiary of USA-based Gilead Sciences (Nasdaq: GILD) for the listing of two of its HIV/AIDS treatments. 13 November 2012
Generics
Given the high burden of Sub-Saharan Africa's infectious diseases, improvements in healthcare systems are crucial to addressing these underlying issues, according to a new report from business analysts Frost & Sullivan. 13 November 2012
Pharmaceutical
Ophthalmic specialist Alcon, a part of Swiss drug major Novartis (NOVN: VX), said yesterday that its Nevanac (nepafenac) 1mg/ml, eye drops, suspension has been accepted by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) for the use through the National Health Service in diabetic patients to reduce their risk of postoperative macular edema associated with cataract surgery. 12 November 2012
Pharmaceutical
French drug major Sanofi (Euronext: SAN) has said that it would halve the price of its colorectal cancer drug Zaltrap (ziv-aflibercept) in the USA, The Cancer Letter reported last week, saying this was due to criticism from oncologists. 12 November 2012
Generics
Following what Indian drugmaker Cipla (BSE: 500087) said was an "overwhelming response" on the price cuts made in May received from the patients and their families and doctors, the company is now announcing another breakthrough price reduction of as much as 63% in three additional anti-cancer drugs - erlotinib (its Erlocip brand) docetaxel (Docetax) and capecitabine (Capegard). 12 November 2012
Pharmaceutical
The UK drugs watchdog the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), in draft guidance published today (November 9), has recommended that Swiss drug major Novartis' (NOVN: VX) Xolair (omalizumab) should no longer be made available on the National Health Service for treating severe, persistent allergic asthma in adults and children. 9 November 2012
Pharmaceutical
The UK trade group the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABP) has warned that the social contract between the National Health Service and the pharmaceutical industry was breaking down, with patients bearing the brunt. 8 November 2012
Generics
The Indian Cabinet yesterday deferred the decision on the draft pharmaceutical pricing policy that aims to increase the number of essential medicines under price control from 74 to 348, according India' Economic Times and other local media reports. 8 November 2012
Generics
Indian pharmaceutical companies will have to rethink business strategy in the light of several interventions in the past one year, according to a new study from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and PricewaterhouseCooper India. 5 November 2012
Pharmaceutical
Following a public consultation, New Zealand's Pharmaceutical Management Agency PHARMAC yesterday announced the approval of an agreement with the local subsidiary of Swiss drug major Novartis (NOVN: VX) for Neoral, Aclasta, Zometa and Risedronate Sandoz. This was the subject of a consultation letter dated September 27, 2012. 5 November 2012
Pharmaceutical
Research-based trade group The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) has agreed to finalize a "clawback" under which its members would absorb any excess beyond a 2012 spending target on drugs, in exchange for repayment of outstanding debts to the industry, according to EFPIA director general Richard Bergstrom. 5 November 2012
Biotechnology
The UK’s health technology assessor the Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) says that talks with the makers of Enhertu have ended without agreement, meaning guidance that does not recommend Enhertu for advanced breast cancer will remain unchanged. 20 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
Biotechnology
Sanofi has announced that the UK's health technology assessor will conduct a new review of its Sarclisa (isatuximab) combo therapy for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. 13 November 2024
Pharmaceutical
The US trade group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) today launched new advertisements urging Congress to make sure savings on medicines go to patients, not middlemen. 11 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
UK pharma major AstraZeneca today announced that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published its final draft guidance (FDG) recommending Wainzua (eplontersen) as a treatment option for hereditary transthyretin-related amyloidosis (ATTR) in adults with stage 1 or stage 2 polyneuropathy across England and Wales. 29 October 2024
Biotechnology
Last week Vertex Pharmaceuticals released positive Phase III results for its suzetrigine for moderate-to-severed pain. Belgium’s UCB revealed that Swiss pharma giant Roche was terminating its collaboration on the Alzheimer’s candidate bepranemab. The UK’s health technology assessor the Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) declined to recommend a second Alzheimer’s treatment, this time Eli Lilly’s Kisunla. Also of note, Lyell Immunopharma announced its planned acquisition of ImmPACT Bio and reprioritization of its own clinical pipeline. 27 October 2024
Pharmaceutical
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has updated its Clinical Practice Guidelines for breast cancer, providing a boost to Novartis' Kisqali (ribociclib). 24 October 2024
Biotechnology
The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved US pharma major Eli Lilly’s (NYSE: LLY) Kisunla (donanemab) for people in Britain with mild cognitive impairment or those in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. 23 October 2024
Pharmaceutical
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Office of Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), yesterday released new data showing that nearly 1.5 million people with Medicare Part D saved nearly $1 billion in out-of-pocket prescription drugs costs in the first half of 2024 because of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. 23 October 2024
Pharmaceutical
UK health technology assessor the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended elafibranor 80mg tablets for the treatment of PBC, the drug’s French developer Ipsen announced today. 22 October 2024
Pharmaceutical
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has released its final report assessing the effectiveness and pricing of key treatments for transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). 22 October 2024
Pharmaceutical
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) says it has submitted comments to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to inform the agency’s 2025 National Trade Estimate (NTE) Report on Foreign Trade Barriers. 21 October 2024
Pharmaceutical
“The new key figures from the NZa show that Dutch expenditure on expensive medicines remains stable,” says Mark Kramer, chairman of the Association of Innovative Medicines (VIG), adding: “That is good news from a social perspective.” 21 October 2024
Pharmaceutical
The Danish Medicines Council (Medicinrådet), responsible for evaluating and recommending new treatments for Denmark’s healthcare system, is facing a significant increase in processing times. 14 October 2024
Generics
Two US units of Israel’s Teva Pharmaceutical Industries have agreed to pay $450 million to resolve two matters that allege Teva violated the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and the False Claims Act (FCA), the US Department of Justice (DoJ) announced yesterday. 11 October 2024
Biosimilars
South Korea’s Samsung Bioepis has released its Fourth Quarter 2024 Biosimilar Market Report, marking the seventh-edition of the Quarterly Biosimilar Market Report in the United States. 11 October 2024
Biotechnology
US healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson’s Tecvayli (teclistamab) has been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a first-line option to treat myeloma in England and Wales. 10 October 2024
Generics
CMS released a Request for Information (RFI) and a sample list of prescription drugs that the agency preliminarily intends to include under the proposed Medicare $2 Drug List Model. 10 October 2024
Pharmaceutical
US pharma major Bristol Myers Squibb’s recent approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Cobenfy (xanomeline and trospium chloride) for the treatment of adults with schizophrenia is a win for the company. 9 October 2024
Sign up to receive email updates
Join industry leaders for a daily roundup of biotech & pharma news
Today's issue
Company Spotlight
A US biotech company dedicated to creating oral drugs with an emphasis on indications in virology and immunology.
Copyright © The Pharma Letter 2024 | Headless Content Management with Blaze