Clinical research

UK leads Europe in number of early-stage clinical trials, says ABPI

The UK has the highest number of early-stage clinical trials in Europe, with 400 phase I and phase II trials starting in the NHS in 2017, a pharmaceutical industry report has said.…

Evaluation of the Portsmouth medicines advice at home service

A Portsmouth-based medicines advice at home service highlights the impact of pharmacist-led interventions.…

Oral spray delivers vitamin D as effectively as capsules, research suggests

Using an oral spray to deliver vitamin D is just as effective as a capsule, research published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition has shown.…

Medication dosing could be ‘poisoning’ older people because of age exclusion in clinical trials

Older patients are often being ‘poisoned’ because licensed doses of drugs are only tested in younger, healthy populations, witnesses have told a House of Lords Science and Technology Committee inquiry.…

Opioid use disorder: adherence to prescribed medicines in community pharmacy

A cross-sectional survey assessing adherence medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, and the predictors of risk of poor adherence.…

Triple-therapy inhaler improves lung function in adults with asthma

Combining three therapies into one inhaler improves lung function and reduces exacerbations in adults with uncontrolled asthma, researchers have concluded in a paper published in The Lancet.…

Power of one: what is holding polypills back?

Single pills with fixed-dose combinations of several medicines are not commonplace for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. As the first randomised controlled trial to show a polypill can cut the risk of heart attacks is published, we look at why, nearly two decades after it was first proposed, …

Triple targeted therapy for advanced bowel cancer improves survival

Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who have a BRAF mutation have improved survival after treatment with three targeted therapies instead of standard chemotherapy, results from a phase III trial have shown.…

Genomics project to see £160m industry investment as part of disease detection programme

Businesses and charities are expected to invest up to £160m to help support research into the early diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases as part of the Accelerating Detection of Disease programme.…

Peter Hylands (1946–2019)

As the first pharmaceutical scientist member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Peter Hylands’ respected and varied career specialised in natural products research.…