Today Stories

Supporting the NHS on its decade-long journey towards an integrated health and care system, as well as delivering extra investment for new buildings and infrastructure, social care and addressing major gaps in NHS staffing, should be at the top of the new Prime Minister’s priority list. That is the call today from the NHS Confederation in a letter and briefing to the Prime Minister. The NHS Confederation, which represents organisations across the healthcare sector, says there is much ‘unfinished business’ for the new government to resolve in the health and care sector. The letter warns the Prime Minister that the question of NHS funding is not yet settled, despite the £20.5bn funding settlement that kicked in from April this year. The settlement excluded some vital areas of expenditure tha…

MR Solutions has received the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in recognition of the company’s innovative PET imaging technology for use in pre-clinical research. MR Solutions already holds Queens Awards for innovation in 2016 and for export achievement in 2017. MR Solutions has been the world leader in new developments in pre-clinical scanning firstly with the world’s first liquid helium free high field scanners and secondly the introduction of multi-modality scanners incorporating MRI with PET or SPECT and CT with PET or SPECT. The Queens award was for the PET module which used the latest technology in silicon photomultipliers. This advanced technology improved performance and substantially shrank the size of the PET scanner.  MR Solutions’ PET scanner can now be inserted within…

GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK) today announced that Jonathan Symonds will succeed Sir Philip Hampton as Non-Executive Chairman of the GSK Board with effect from 1st September 2019. Jonathan is currently Deputy Group Chairman of HSBC Holdings plc and has been an independent non-executive Director of HSBC since April 2014. He is a former Chief Financial Officer of Novartis AG and AstraZeneca plc, and has been a non-executive Director of Diageo plc and QinetiQ plc. He is currently non-executive Chairman of Proteus Digital Health Inc, a non-executive director of Rubius Therapeutics Inc and Chairman of Genomics England Limited. The appointment was approved by the Board and follows a thorough succession process undertaken by the Nominations Committee, led by Vindi Banga, the company’s Senior Independ…

NEW YORK, July 22, 2019 (Newswire.com) - ​​​​​InvestAcure, PBC, honored 10 leading bioindustry scientists with the Cure Coin Award for their outstanding work developing groundbreaking scientific discoveries into lifesaving therapeutics for Alzheimer's, CTE and other related Dementias. The award reception took place on July 15, during the 2019 Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Los Angeles.  "The Cure Coin Award aims to bring public attention to the vital work of leading industry scientists developing lifesaving treatments," said Max Tokarsky, the founder and CEO of InvestAcure, a Public Benefit, Finance company building a spare-change investment platform to facilitate public investment in companies working on developing effective therapeutics for Alzheimer’s.  While govern…

Converse Pharma Group is primed for national expansion after securing a £60m combined facility from Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Secure Trust Bank Commercial Finance. Founded in 2013, the firm is a national pharmaceutical wholesaler, providing a comprehensive range of prescription drugs to over 5,500 independent pharmacies across the UK and Ireland. Operating from bases in Doncaster and Prudhoe, Converse Pharma Group currently employs 980 members of staff across its 12 sites in the UK and Ireland. Its 140 strong sales team has helped revenues increase sharply in recent years, having achieved sales of £250m in 2018 – up from £188m the previous year. The funding provided by RBS and Secure Trust Bank will enable the company to invest in new, larger depots, increasing the depth and range o…

Scientists at the University of Eastern Finland and the University of Oxford have shown that small RNA molecules occurring naturally in cells, i.e. microRNAs, are also abundant in cell nuclei. Previously, microRNAs were mainly thought to be found in cytoplasm. The scientists also discovered that microRNA concentrations in cell nuclei change as a result of hypoxia. The findings strongly suggest that microRNAs play a role in the expression of genes in the cell nucleus. This observation is crucial for the development of novel gene therapy, among other things. The study was published in Scientific Reports today. The scientists profiled the division of microRNAs in different parts of endothelial cells, discovering that a large share of microRNAs are enriched in cell nuclei. When the scientists…

Today, Galapagos announces transformational multi-billion dollar collaboration with Gilead to create a global R&D leader based in Europe, developing and commercialising breakthrough therapies to patients. Please see the press releases https://www.glpg.com/press-releases Multi-billion dollar collaboration is one of the largest ever biotech deals in Europe - $3.95 billion upfront payment, a $1.1bn equity investment by GILD, $1.1bn additional opt-in payments for two late stage products, as well as additional milestones to access early pipeline assets, and double digit royalties. Creates a global R&D leader - Collaboration will accelerate GLPG’s vision to become a top 10 global biotech company and establish global leadership in inflammation & immunology. GLPG’s enhanced financial…

Novartis, Amgen and Banner Alzheimer's Institute today announced the decision to discontinue investigation of the BACE1 inhibitor CNP520 (umibecestat) in two pivotal Phase II/III studies in the Alzheimer's Prevention Initiative Generation Program. An assessment of unblinded data during a regular pre-planned review identified worsening in some measures of cognitive function. Given these findings, the sponsors concluded that the potential benefit for participants in the studies did not outweigh the risk. John Tsai (M.D.), Head of Global Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer, said: "Novartis has a strong research focus and commitment to patients. As researchers we have to accept today's disappointing news as part of the search for innovative new treatments. We remain committed to advanci…

Commenting on the government response to the Promoting professionalism, reforming regulation consultation, Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, said: “Employees and employers will welcome steps to make the fitness to practise process quicker, fairer and effective; they will also look forward to further reform, which will allow the regulation of new roles and professions to support their full deployment to care for our patients.”

The Government will announce further details for how they will support pharmaceutical companies’ investments in the development of drugs that will treat AMR infections. The NHS will test a first-of-its-kind ‘subscription-style’ payment model that will help incentivise companies to develop new drugs needed to tackle resistant infections. The ABPI welcomes further detail on the Government’s approach. Dr Sheuli Porkess, Executive Director of Research, Medical and Innovation at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), said:“Increased resistance to antibiotics is one of the greatest threats to global health we face. “Today’s announcement is an example of how the UK can lead the world in this fight and hopefully brings us closer to fixing the problems that have hampered inv…

• Strategic partnership between world’s leading cancer research charity and leading specialist healthcare investment firm with track record of creating breakthrough companies and treatments • Major opportunity to progress charity’s research and translate scientific breakthroughs into new cancer medicines for patients• US$25 million investment by Cancer Research UK into new life sciences investment fund• Cancer Research UK to collaborate closely with SV Health Investors to identify research within charity’s network that could be rapidly developed London, July 2nd 2019, Cancer Research UK, the world's largest independent funder of cancer research, today announced a strategic partnership with SV Health Investors (SV), a leading life sciences venture capital and growth equity firm, focused on…

On June 25, 2019, AbbVie Inc. and Allergan announced that the companies have entered into a definitive transaction agreement under which AbbVie will acquire Allergan in a cash and stock transaction for a transaction equity value of approximately $63 billion, based on the closing price of AbbVie's common stock of $78.45 on June 24, 2019. Strategic Rationale: New growth platforms and leadership positions to diversify and expand revenue base: The combined company will consist of several attractive franchises with leadership positions across immunology, hematologic oncology, medical aesthetics, neuroscience, women's health, eye care and virology.  Allergan's product portfolio will be enhanced by AbbVie's commercial strength, expertise and international infrastructure. Immediate scale and en…

Number of healthcare professionals agreeing to publish details about their work with pharmaceutical companies rises to 57% following GDPR-related dip in 2017. Of nearly £131 million spent on non-R&D collaborations with HCPs or HCOs, 83% disclosed against named person or organisation. New figures published today by the ABPI show that the pharmaceutical industry continues to invest significantly in UK research and development, working with healthcare professionals and organisations to improve care for NHS patients. The data published on Disclosure UK shows that the industry spent £377.3 million on collaborations relating to R&D activities in the UK during 2018, an increase from £370.9 million in 2017, signalling the strength of the sector through a period of economic uncertainty. D…

Responding to today’s Written Ministerial Statement regarding a 'no deal' Brexit, Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “It is good to see the government planning for the worst - but we are running out of time to eliminate the disruption of a no deal that could put patients at risk. “Around three quarters of our medicines and over half our clinical consumables come from, or via, the European Union and so it is vital that the supply chain continues to work. Medicines also go from the UK to Europe. "If there is no deal or agreement of any kind with the EU, patients in the UK and Europe would be placed at risk. To make sure they are protected we need an agreement with a transition period. "We do recognise the enormous effort that has gone into making these plans as ro…

Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) have announced that a Phase 2 proof-of-concept trial evaluating the investigational IL-33 antibody REGN3500 (SAR440340) met the primary endpoint of improvement in loss of asthma control when comparing REGN3500 monotherapy to placebo. The trial also met a key secondary endpoint, demonstrating REGN3500 monotherapy significantly improved lung function compared to placebo.  In the trial, the greatest improvement was observed in patients with blood eosinophil levels ≥300 cells/microliter. Patients treated with Dupixent® (dupilumab)  monotherapy did numerically better than REGN3500 across all endpoints, although the trial was not powered to show differences between active treatment arms. The combination of REGN3500 and Dupixent also did n…

(NEW YORK and SOMERSET, N.J., June 19, 2019) – Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) and Catalent, Inc. (NYSE: CTLT), today announced that Catalent has agreed to purchase Bristol-Myers Squibb’s oral solid, biologics, and sterile product manufacturing and packaging facility in Anagni, Italy. Catalent is the leading global provider of advanced delivery technologies, development and manufacturing solutions for drugs, biologics, gene therapies, and consumer health products. The companies anticipate completing the transaction by the end of 2019, subject to regulatory approvals, the information and consultation procedure with the unions, and the satisfaction of certain other customary closing conditions. Through the years, the Anagni plant has served as one of the primary launch facilities for…

(Reuters) - Pfizer Inc said on Monday it would acquire Array Biopharma Inc for $10.64 billion in cash, giving it access to the target’s approved drugs for skin cancer and the targeted cancer medicines in its pipeline. The offer of $48 per Array share represents a premium of about 62% to the stock’s close on Friday. Array’s shares surged 56% in light premarket trade. Pfizer has been investing in cancer drugs and gene therapies in the face of competition for its blockbuster pain drug Lyrica. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year approved Array’s oral combination treatment for use in patients with the deadliest form of skin cancer. The company is also testing its triple combo therapy in colorectal cancer patients. “(The acquisition) sets the stage to create a potentially industry-le…

Junior doctors are to vote on a new four-year improvement to their contract which will mean annual pay uplifts of 2 per cent and additional investment in the contract to support increased productivity and recruitment and retention.NHS Employers and the BMA have reached agreement on a set of proposals that will now be put to a referendum of the BMA’s membership (juniors) on Friday 14 June.A total of £90 million will be used to fund changes over and above the pay uplifts over the four-year year period which include: Weekend allowance uplift to ensure those working the most frequent weekends are remunerated more fairly. An enhanced rate of pay for shifts that finish after midnight and by 4am. A new nodal pay point 5: The parties propose that instead of a senior decision maker allowance, a fi…

Ingestible smart pills, 3D printed prescriptions and VR pain relief predicted by 2050 Emerging science and technology will change consumer healthcare as we know it within the next 30 years. This is according to Consumer Health Futures, a report launched today by The Future Laboratory in collaboration with international consumer healthcare company, RB. Against a backdrop of rapid environmental, socioeconomic and demographic change, the need for innovation within the consumer healthcare space is acute. With input from a panel of world-leading healthcare experts, the report analyses the trends and attitudinal shifts impacting the health and wellbeing of global consumers at every stage of their lives. Through this, it exposes the innovation requirement in consumer healthcare – and predicts how…

Sean Duggan, chief executive of the Mental Health Network, which is part of the NHS Confederation, said: "We cannot provide the level of care that people with mental health problems or learning disabilities deserve and require without the right staff, in the right numbers, in the right places. Nor can we deliver on the very welcome ambitions of the Long Term Plan. "Mental health and learning disability services have the highest levels of vacancies – recruiting and retaining these staff must be an absolute priority, so it is pleasing to see that recognised in the plan. “Our members are making impressive progress in retaining nurses but there is still a way to go and the plan should help. It is also pleasing to see lived-experience being woven into improving services. "However, in order for…