Category Archives: Drugs

Threats to Mankind from Drug Resistant Bacteria and Viruses

Posted on August 18, 2014 by Barbara Arzymanow

The risk of an end to the human race may sound like science fiction. However, there are only a small number of threats that could theoretically lead to the extinction of mankind. The four main concerns that most experts share … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, David Cameron, Drugs, Global Health, GPs, International, Most Significant, NHS, Pharma, Public Health, Rare conditions, Research, Vaccination | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Threats to Mankind from Drug Resistant Bacteria and Viruses

Are pharmaceutical mega-mergers in the public interest?

Posted on May 2, 2014 by Barbara Arzymanow

The main reason for governments around the world to encourage the pharmaceutical industry is to support Research and Development –  R&D – with a view to the discovery of new drugs of future benefit to mankind. Commercial pharmaceutical companies have played … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, competition, Drugs, Innovation, International, Pharma, Policy, Research, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Medical advisory body “NICE” should not spend too much time valuing drugs.

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Barbara Arzymanow

The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (“NICE”) is currently holding a public consultation over its proposals for evaluating drugs. Drugs that are approved by NICE automatically become available for doctors to prescribe under the NHS throughout England … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, CCGs, Commissioning, Department of Health, Drugs, Elderly, equality, Genetics, GPs, Health and Wellbeing, Health Bill, Health reform, Inequality, Innovation, Jeremy Hunt, NHS, NHS reforms, Patients, Pharma, Policy, Public Health, Research, Technology, Uncategorized, Wellbeing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Legal High Lies

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Julia Manning

It was terribly sad listening to the bother of a “legal high” victim on the radio this morning. The now banned N-Bomb LSD copycat drug had left his brother severely brain damaged and dependent on 24 hour care for the … Continue reading →

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Guest Blogspot: Negotiations with the UK Government over pharmaceutical pricing have achieved a good result for patients, the NHS and the industry.

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Barbara Arzymanow

The UK Government and the pharmaceutical industry shared many objectives throughout the recent drug pricing negotiations. For example, there was always broad agreement that: The total future drug bill needed to be affordable in the context of other spending in … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Lansley, Business, Cancer, Department of Health, Drugs, Innovation, Jeremy Hunt, NHS, Patients, Pharma, Research, Smoking ban | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Is “listening” the key to reducing antibiotic prescribing?

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Julia Manning

Wednesday will see the publication of a report on GPs over-prescribing antibiotics for patients – nothing new there – but this has a twist: GPs over-prescribing antibiotics even when the patients are not particularly asking for them. This comes at … Continue reading →

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Pharmaceutical companies must be free to determine their own research priorities: Lessons from Alzheimer’s Disease

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Barbara Arzymanow

Guest blog post from Barbara Arzymanow, Independent Healthcare Consultant  Sir David Jack (1924-2011), one of history’s greatest pharmaceutical R&D directors under whom many important drugs were discovered, once told me that neither governments nor companies should overrule senior R&D management. … Continue reading →

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Guest Blogspot: Waiting for Decisions on UK Pharmaceutical Pricing

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Barbara Arzymanow

Little has been heard over how confidential talks between the Government and the pharmaceutical industry are progressing towards the goal of having a new, voluntary UK drug pricing system in place in 2014. In the eyes of the pharmaceutical companies … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Lansley, Business, Children, Commissioning, David Cameron, Department of Health, Drugs, Emerging technologies, equality, Health and Wellbeing, Innovation, Jeremy Hunt, Uncategorized, Wellbeing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Access to orphan medicines: rare expertise and patient experience needs to be core part of decision

Posted on December 5, 2012 by 2020health Guest Blogger

Blogpost by Leela Barham, Independent Health Economist and 2020health Research Fellow for Empower Access to Medicines Orphan medicines are used to treat some of the rarest conditions; conditions that affect less than 5 per 10,000 people in Europe.  Some of … Continue reading →

Posted in Drugs, Patients, Pharma, Research | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Guest Blogspot: Think carefully about value-based drug pricing in the UK and let common sense prevail.

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Barbara Arzymanow

David Cameron and Jeremy Hunt share an important skill. They both have firsts from Oxford in Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE). I am not the greatest fan of this course because I would like to see more scientists, engineers and … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, competition, David Cameron, Department of Health, Drugs, Election, Jeremy Hunt, NHS, Patients, Pharma, Policy, Primary Care | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment