David Lipanovic

Senior Clinical Reporter

Haemophilia treatment first to be recommended by NICE as part of new drug pricing agreement

Etranacogene dezaparovovec (Hemgenix; CSL Behring) is also the first medicinal product to enter the Innovative Medicines Fund.…

Joint guidance for asthma recommends replacing SABA with corticosteroid inhalers

The draft guidance proposes the use of combined inhaled corticosteroid/formoterol inhalers over previously preferred short-acting beta agonists.…

MHRA introduces new safety measures for use of topiramate in pregnancy

Under the new measures, women of childbearing potential must use highly effective contraception, have a negative pregnancy test and be made aware of the risks of the medicine before beginning treatment with the anti-seizure medicine.…

Half of UK adults affected by drug shortages since 2022, finds survey

Respondents to a survey by the British Generic Manufacturers Association reported going without their medication or travelling to other pharmacies to try and source their medicine as a result of shortages.…

Number of pharmacy foundation training places on Oriel increases by 1,000 on previous year

Exclusive: More than 4,000 training places are available for the 2025/2026 training year, compared with just over 3,000 places for the 2024/2025 training year.…

Combination treatment significantly increases chance of five-year Alzheimer’s survival, study results show

Experts said the large study had found "small but significant effects" of combination treatment with donepezil and memantine in Alzheimer's disease.…

Bariatric surgery more effective than GLP-1 agonist weight loss drugs, study finds

Weight loss from bariatric surgery was maintained at approximately 25% for up to ten years after surgery, while patients who received GLP-1 receptor agonists regained 50% of the weight lost within one year of stopping treatment.…

Pharmacists to be central in delivery of campaign to cut prescribing of high-risk pain medicines

NHS Fife's 'Pain Talking' campaign is aimed at giving patients better control over chronic pain management and promoting non-medical treatment.…

Provision of Pharmacy First services variable across England, NHS data show

Data show wide variation between the number of consultations carried out by pharmacies across England in the first month of Pharmacy First, ranging from 5 consultations per pharmacy to 20 consultations per pharmacy.…

Community pharmacists should be allowed to alter out-of-stock medicines ‘within three months’, say MPs

The House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee said changes would be “compatible with the direction of travel towards community pharmacies delivering more clinical services”.…