Big pharma sues drugs watchdog over medicines price cap – Daily Telegraph
‘British pharmaceutical companies are suing the NHS’s drugs watchdog in an effort to prevent drug rationing.’
Daily Telegraph, 10th July 2017
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Category: medicines
Inquest touching on the death of BT – Park Square Barristers
‘BT was found deceased by her partner and carer, S, on the morning of 5th June 2016.
She had an extremely complicated medical history that included diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea, schizoaffective disorder and dissociative disorder, epilepsy, migraines and asthma.’
Park Square Barristers, 27th June 2017
Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk
‘Excessive pricing’ and pharmaceuticals – Law Society’s Gazette
‘After years of limited focus on ‘excessive pricing’, in December 2016 the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) took one decision finding that such an abuse of dominance had occurred, and issued a statement of objections in another case. Does this reflect a broad policy shift, or a reaction to specific cases of perceived opportunistic behaviour?’
Law Society's Gazette, 12th June 2017
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Drug company’s use of trade mark rights to restrict rival imports legitimate, rules Court of Appeal – OUT-LAW.com
‘A drug company was entitled to rely on its trade mark rights to stop two businesses from importing into the UK the same product as it sold on the basis that the rivals’ product would be sold under the drug company’s name, the Court of Appeal in London has ruled.’
OUT-LAW.com, 6th April
Source: www.out-law.com
New evidence links 1970s pregnancy test drug to life-changing birth defects – The Independent
‘New evidence has emerged linking the hormone-based drug Primodos to severe deformities or abnormalities in children, sparking fresh hope for families who have been campaigning for decades for compensation from its manufacturer.’
The Independent, 19th March 2017
Source: www.independent.co.uk
MPs win right to challenge Victorian law criminalising abortion – The Guardian
‘MPs have won the right to introduce a bill to parliament which would decriminalise abortion for the first time by repealing a law that dates back to Victorian times.’
The Guardian, 13th March 2017
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
MPs to discuss reform of UK’s Victorian-era abortion law – The Guardian
‘In years to come, it may be regarded as one of the last battles for women’s autonomy. Under an obscure Victorian law, passed when women did not even have the vote, the decision to terminate an unplanned pregnancy using pills in the privacy of a home is punishable by life in prison – for the woman and any doctor who helps her.’
The Guardian, 10th March 2017
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
UK medicines regulator says it is ‘completely impossible’ to control illegal online pharmacies – The Independent
‘It is “completely impossible” to control the vast numbers of unlicensed pharmacies illegally selling drugs online, the British medical regulatory agency has warned.’
The Independent, 12th March 2017
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Pfizer fined record £84.2m for overcharging NHS – BBC News
‘Drugs giant Pfizer has been fined a record £84.2m by the UK’s competition watchdog for overcharging the NHS for an anti-epilepsy drug.’
BBC News, 7th December 2016
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
How the UK’s drug laws have created an underground medical marijuana scene – The Independent
‘The UK’s underground medical marijuana scene, where dealers give away tens of thousands of pounds worth of cannabis in order to offer relief to those in physical pain, has been exposed in a new documentary.’
The Independent, 15th November 2016
Source: www.independent.co.uk
NHS to consider funding ‘game-changer’ HIV drugs as High Court dismisses appeal – Daily Telegraph
‘The NHS will be forced to formally consider whether to fund pills to prevent HIV despite claiming that doing so could mean cancer victims and children with cystic fibrosis are refused treatment.’
Daily Telegraph, 10th November 2016
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Glaxo Wellcome UK Ltd (trading as Allen & Hanburys) and another v Sandoz Ltd – WLR Daily
Glaxo Wellcome UK Ltd (trading as Allen & Hanburys) and another v Sandoz Ltd [2016] EWHC 2743 (Ch)
The claimants brought an action against the defendant, alleging that by reason of the get up of the defendant’s pharmaceutical it had carried out acts of passing off. Subsequently, the claimants contended that there was evidence to indicate that three foreign companies in the same group as the defendant had taken an active role in the creation of the design of the product and its packaging. The claimants sought to join those companies as primary and/or joint tortfeasors along with the defendant for passing off. It was common ground that before the court would exercise its discretion to join the companies it had to be satisfied that the proposed pleaded allegations against them disclosed a sufficiently arguable.
WLR Daily, 2nd November 2016
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
Treating criminals with anti-psychotic drugs could prevent 1,500 crimes a year, study suggests – Daily Telegraph
‘Prescribing anti-psychotic medication to violent criminals when they leave prison could prevent around 1,500 serious crimes in Britain each year, a new study suggests. Although medicating prisoners on their release is controversial, the University of Oxford believes that it could dramatically cut the risk of violent offending.’
Daily Telegraph, 1st November 2016
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
MPs call for medical cannabis to be made legal – BBC News
‘Taking cannabis for medical reasons should be made legal, says a cross-party group of UK politicians.’
BBC News, 13th September 2016
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Drug driving: how has new legislation been working? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange
‘In March 2015 new legislation was introduced to specifically tackle drug driving. Prior to that date it had been an offence to drive a vehicle whilst unfit to do so through drink or drugs and this offence remains. Whilst this offence still remains the prosecution would need to prove that driving was impaired. The new legislation made it an offence to drive with eight prescription medications above a prescribed limit and with eight illegal substances. In order to assist police in implementing this offence “drugalysers” were also introduced making it possible for police to test for cocaine and cannabis at the road side using a saliva test. The detection of all other substances requires a blood sample to be taken.’
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 5th September 2016
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
Father who backs ‘harmful’ alternative cancer medication should have baby taken into care, says judge – Daily Telegraph
‘A baby boy whose father advocates the use of “harmful alternative medication” should be taken into council care, a family court judge has decided.’
Daily Telegraph, 23rd August 2016
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Home Office approved drug trials on young offenders in 1960s – The Guardian
‘The Home Office approved plans to carry out drug trials on children at two schools for young offenders in the 1960s, according to files released by the National Archives.’
The Guardian, 22nd August 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Is it within the remit of the NHS to commission and pay for preventative HIV drugs? – UK Human Rights Blog
‘In this case NHS England argued it lacked the power to commission (and be responsible for paying for) preventative HIV drugs. It said this was solely the responsibility of local authorities and, in so doing, disavowed any responsibility for preventative medicine.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 15th August 2016
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
HIV campaigners win NHS drug battle – BBC News
‘The NHS in England has been told by the High Court it can fund a “game-changing” drug that can prevent HIV after health bosses argued it was not their responsibility.’
BBC News, 2nd August 2016
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
