Central nervous system agents

BMI should be recorded annually for people with long-term conditions, says NICE

The draft quality standard on overweight and obesity management also advises healthcare professionals to seek permission in a sensitive, non-judgemental way before discussing weight.…

NICE recommends first combination pill for long-term treatment of endometriosis

Relugolix combination therapy is a second-line treatment option for endometriosis that is faster acting than injectable treatments and can be taken at home.…

More than 500 people hospitalised following use of weight-loss drugs, says health minister

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency confirmed that more than 20,000 Yellow Card reports of suspected reactions in association with GLP-1 RAs indicated for weight management have been recorded, as of 31 January 2025.…

SIGN rejects opioids and medicinal cannabis for chronic pain in draft guidance

Draft guidance on management of chronic pain included medicinal cannabis for the first time, not recommending it on the basis of limited clinical evidence and consistent evidence of adverse effects.…

The novel schizophrenia drug showing renewed potential for better outcomes

A novel acetylcholine receptor drug has become the first new medicine to treat schizophrenia in decades. But even after gaining approval in the United States, experts are still conflicted on its benefits over current antipsychotic medicines.…

MHRA warns of pulmonary aspiration risk for GLP-1 receptor agonists during general anaesthesia or deep sedation

A review has found that all available data support a risk of pulmonary aspiration from glucagon-like peptide-1 or dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor agonists, owing to their association with delayed gastric emptying.…

EMA safety committee to review link between semaglutide and rare eye condition

The review will include data from clinical trials, post-marketing surveillance, studies on the mechanism of action and medical literature.…

British public divided on whether NHS should offer weight-loss jabs, survey results show

The findings of the Ipsos 'Public attitudes toward weight-loss injections' poll show that 37% of British adults surveyed support weight-loss injections being offered on the NHS, while 32% said they were opposed.…

Prescribing dilemma: clozapine prescribing in prison

The third article of our new prescribing dilemmas series, exploring real-world dilemmas that pharmacist prescribers encounter in clinical practice.…

Smoking cessation drug to be provided on NHS three years after its withdrawal over carcinogen concerns

NHS England says generic varenicline could help more than 85,000 people stop smoking each year.…