Medicines licensing

Just out of reach: why the UK must rethink its barriers to novel medicines

The early access to medicines scheme has been running for six years, but has it had the desired impact of ensuring the sickest patients are spared the wait for the most promising treatments, or is it failing to live up to expectations?…

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.…

Labour Party’s compulsory licensing plans would ‘undermine’ medicines development, says pharmaceutical industry

Compulsory licensing to secure generic versions of patented medicines would “completely undermine” medicines development, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry has said in its response to plans announced by Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party.…

NICE guidance on medical cannabis products criticised as ‘restrictive and negative’

Draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence on cannabis-based medical products has been described as “restrictive and negative” by a doctor who has campaigned for greater access to medical cannabis.…

NICE will not recommend medical cannabis for epilepsy and chronic pain

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has said it is currently unable to recommend cannabis-based medical products for severe treatment-resistant epilepsy.…

DHSC to clarify to MPs that medical cannabis licensing will include clinical trials

The Department of Health and Social Care is to write to the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee to clarify that the licensing process for medical cannabis will include clinical trials.…

UK trials not needed for medical cannabis licensing process, says Hancock

Medical cannabis will not need to be tested through randomised controlled trials in the UK in order to be licensed, health secretary Matt Hancock has told MPs.…

Pharmacists advised to check legal status of CBD products before supply or risk indemnity breach

Pharmacists selling or supplying cannabis-based products for medicinal use or cannabidiol-containing products must check the status of the product or risk not being protected by indemnity insurance, the National Pharmacy Association has warned.…

Cannabis trade body will also focus on clinical trials

The Centre for Medicinal Cannabis has announced plans to extend its remit to focus on clinical trials.…

How the pregabalin case has set back drug repurposing

The 2018 Supreme Court verdict on Pfizer’s second patent for Lyrica has drawn attention to the limitations of the current framework for extending the usefulness of existing treatments.…