Immunotherapy-focused pharmaceutical company Midatech Pharma has appointed Stephen Stamp as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) with immediate effect.

He will be replacing Nick Robbins-Cherry, who has stepped down after five years since joining in 2014. Robbins will nevertheless remain at Midatech until October to facilitate Stamp’s handover in an orderly fashion.

Stamp has most recently served as CEO of pharmaceutical firm Ergomed for two years, stepping down in January citing health reasons. Prior to this he was CFO at Ergomed for a year beginning in 2016.

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Pfizer’s executive chairman Ian Read, is to be succeeded by CEO Albert Bourla with a date to start the post being January 1st 2020.

Mr Bourla, who joined Pfizer’s animal health division in 1993, succeeded Mr. Read from Chief Operating Officer as Chief Executive earlier this year in January, and will now go on to serve as Executive Chairman.

Mr Read has spent nine years in the role and has been at the company for a total of 41 years, first arriving in 1978 and becoming CEO in 2010, joining the board the following year.

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London consultant and public health professor, Chris Whitty, has begun his role as England’s Chief Medical Officer, taking over from Dame Sally Davies, who has now stepped down from the position.

Whitty has served as the Department of Health and Social Care’s Chief Scientific Adviser since 2016 and was announced as Dame Sally Davies successor earlier in June this year.

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Gilead Sciences have announced that Merdad Parsey will join the company as Chief Medical Officer, effective November 1st.

Dr Parsey will be responsible for and oversee the company’s global clinical development and medical affairs organisations – reporting directly to Daniel O’Day, Gilead’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

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The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has appointed Dr Richard Torbett as its new Chief Executive. He will assume the position on 1 January 2020.

The appointment comes after his predecessor, Mike Thompson, stepped down in June. He had served in the role since March 2016. Torbett was unanimously selected by the ABPI board after an external recruitment process with an executive search agency.

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Ipsen has named Dr Steven Hildemann as its new Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, Head of Global Medical Affairs and Pharmacovigilance.

In his new role, which begins on 1 March 2020 and will be based in Paris, he will report directly to Ipsen CEO Aymeric Le Chatelier. His remit will include the provision of medical strategy to the company’s scientific, clinical and business teams, while also working in tandem with its R&D operations to design and direct clinical trials efforts to generation of post-launch data.

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Khondrion has revealed that Dr Rob van Maanen has joined the company as its new Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

Dr van Maanen’s career has spanned more than 20 years and seen him take on roles at major industry names such as Roche, Astellas and Eisai. In the role, he will manage the company’s medical operations and clinical strategy.

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Galecto has announced Bertil Lindmark as their new Chief Medical Officer. He began his posting on 1 February 2020.

Lindmark joins from the eTheRNA immunotherapies, which is a Belgian mRNA immunotherapy company. He has also had an extensive and successful career in the pharmaceutical industry.

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Nordic Nanovector has appointed Dr Lars Nieba as the interim Chief Executive Officer. He is currently the company’s Chief Technology Officer and replaces Eduardo Bravo who as of today has left Nordic to pursue other career opportunities.

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Genmab has announced the establishment of the new position of Chief Operating Officer at the company, and has furthermore named Anthony Mancini to the post. In this new role, he will oversee the company’s commercial strategies, including corporate development, business development and information technology functions

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Lumos Pharma, Inc. has promoted Dr John McKew to the position of Chief Operating Officer effective 1 April 2020.

McKew is already Chief Scientific Officer and he will do both roles simultaneously. With his new role, he will lead Lumos’s clinical development plan as the company looks toward adding additional assets to its pipeline.

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StrideBio have announced the appointment of Maritza McIntyre Ph.D., as its first Chief Development Officer.

The newly created role will see Dr McIntyre oversea the translational development of the company’s research-stage gene therapy programs. This includes regulatory filings, initiating early clinical studies and starting Investigational New Drug enabling preclinical studies.

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Dr Lisa von Moltke has left Aklermes and has joined Seres Therapeutics as its new Chief Medical Officer.

Chief Executive Officer at Seres, Eric Shaff, said Seres will benefit from von Moltke’s “extensive experience directing successful development programs, leading clinical teams, and interacting with regulatory agencies across multiple areas of medicine.”

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This was the first time in a long time that I’ve renewed my nursing license with the thought that I might need it — that I might be needed.

The post Preparing to Go Back to the Bedside During COVID-19: A Nurse-Turned-Bioethicist Reflects appeared first on Bill of Health.

A judge ruled recently that a patient, known as MB, who had occupied an NHS bed for over a year, must vacate it and instead receive care in the community.

The post Obtaining a Hospital Bed in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Legal Perspective appeared first on Bill of Health.

Miami’s Phillip Frost, who built a $2.8 billion fortune in the generic drug business, was allegedly involved in a tawdry stock promotion scheme, the Securities and Exchange Commission says.

If we’re going to have a central database of conflict of interest disclosures in medicine – and there is one, created by law – it’s high time that people start using it.

Past experience says that when the FDA has the will to use its regulatory power, it can shake whole industries. Companies like Juul should tread extremely carefully.

This morning, Alydia Health, a tiny Menlo Park, Calif., startup co-founded by a 21-year-old woman, announced that it has secured $10 million in funding to test a medical device to prevent mothers from bleeding to death after childbirth.

uBiome, a San Francisco startup that sells commercial tests that use DNA sequencing to identify what microbes are in a person's stool or, for one test, in the vagina, has raised $83 million from venture capitalists to fund an entrée into drug development.

The results, if they hold up, are likely to result in many patients getting the medicine, and could upend decades of orthodoxy among cardiologists.

Two different groups of researchers have shown that electrical stimulation of the spinal cord, combined with months of intense training, can allow some people who have been paralyzed to regain some walking ability.

The technology enables sponsors to continue gathering cardiac data for clinical trials without interruption or risk to patient safety.

The companyâs global analysis from thousands of studies and sites indicates dramatic shifts in enrollment across several countries since the pandemic began.

Informa Connect-CBI’s 22nd Annual Medicaid and Government Pricing Congress
May 19-21, 2020 | Orlando, FL
www.cbinet.com/medicaidandgovernment

Exclusive Offer: Register by April 10th and save $500* (mention promo code MDCDC5).

With a volatile healthcare system combined with an election year upon us, the stakes are incredibly high for life sciences manufacturers. Staying on the pulse of industry trends, policies and regulations has never been more critical. The 22nd Annual Medicaid and Government Pricing Congress delivers critical updates and industry best practices to effectively contract, report and comply with state and federal healthcare programs. Gain timely, up-to-the-minute insights on:

• State Invoicing and Disputes
• GTN Models
• Innovative Contracting Strategies
• State Price Transparency and Reporting Requirements
• 340B Oversight and Compliance
• Preparing, Negotiating and Implementing FSS Contracts
• Bona Fide Service Fees and FMV
• And many other critical topics

Download the complete program agenda.

The 2020 agenda features 75+ speakers and 50+ sessions customizable by company type and size, as well as 10 hours of dedicated networking. Bio/pharma, regulatory and government experts representing HHS, Pfizer, Daiichi Sankyo, Sobi, Maryland Department of Health, BMS, Jazz, Novartis, Amneal, J&J, Sunovion, Gilead, VA, Granard, Insmed, UCB, Alnylam, Louisiana Department of Health, AstraZeneca, CMS, CSL Behring, Astellas, Lilly, Oklahoma Healthcare Authority, Theravance, Indivior, Sandoz, Alvogen, Takeda, OIG, AMAG, Aimmune, Exelixis, South Dakota Department of Healthcare Services, Regeneron, Sun Pharma, Teva and many others are set to drive the dynamic dialogue.

Drug Channels readers can register today and use promo code MDCDC5 to save $500.

*Discount offer valid through 4/10/2020; applies to standard rates only and may not be combined with other offers, categories, promotions or applied to an existing registration. Offer not valid on workshop-only or non-profit registrations.

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The content of Sponsored Posts does not necessarily reflect the views of Pembroke Consulting, Inc., Drug Channels, or any of its employees.

Today’s guest post comes from David Holladay, President of CoverMyMeds and Austin Raper, Healthcare Writer at CoverMyMeds.

First, David discusses how CoverMyMeds supports medication access. Then, Austin highlights key findings from CoverMyMeds’ 2020 Medication Access Report. This new report includes industry research, patient interviews, novel survey data, and strategies for boosting patients’ medication access.

Read on for David’s and Austin’s insights.
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The U.S. economy is in a medically-induced coma. Unemployment is soaring. Companies are teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. It is unclear when our lives will return to their pre-pandemic state.

One thing seems apparent: As people lose jobs and health insurance, Medicaid enrollment will jump, perhaps by as much as 20% to 30%. This will have profound implications for the drug channel.

Today, I focus on how this increase will affect retail pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). Below, I review Medicaid enrollment trends, how states manage prescriptions, and the factors driving the coming boom in Medicaid enrollment.

As I explain, many (but not all) retail pharmacies will benefit from Medicaid growth. PBMs, however, will not fare as well. Read on and see if you agree.

In early May, Drug Channels Institute will host two live video webinars: Industry Update and COVID-19 Impact: Retail & Specialty Pharmacies (May 1) and Industry Update and COVID-19 Impact: PBMs & Payers (May 8). CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND SIGN UP. DCI will donate 20% of all profits from these events to The Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s COVID-19 Response Fund.

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Today’s guest post comes from Scott Dulitz, Chief Strategy Officer at TrialCard. Scott discusses how combining payer intelligence with market-leading technology can enhance patient access.

TrialCard recently acquired Policy Reporter, a healthcare software solutions company that provides payer intelligence to the biopharmaceutical, medical device, and diagnostics industries. To learn more, schedule a demo of Policy Reporter or contact Scott (scott.dulitz@trialcard.com).

You can also register for Trialcard’s upcoming webinar: Leveraging Payer Intelligence in Patient Service Programs.

Read on for Scott’s insights.
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Today’s guest post comes from Miranda Gill, Senior Director of Provider Network at CoverMyMeds.

Miranda reviews how the pandemic affects the ability of healthcare workers to complete administrative responsibilities like prior authorization. She then outlines how electronic automation is helping patients get needed medications while face-to-face interactions are restricted.

Learn more about healthcare IT solutions for providers and patients in CoverMyMeds’ 2020 Medication Access Report, or schedule a virtual meeting.
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Being female is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s. Why?

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

With a few dollars, researchers replicated an instrument that typically costs thousands 

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

Unified theory describes formation of huge, mysterious waves

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

It’s essential if we’re going to protect our planet

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO) applauds Research!America for a recently released survey on the public’s perception of clinical trials....

WASHINGTON – November 14, 2017 – As the Senate begins debate on a tax reform bill, the clinical research industry hopes that...

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO) is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has elected John Ratliff, CEO of Covance Drug...

In May of 2017 the Board of Directors of the Association of Clinical Research Organizations, which represents the world’s leading clinical research...

Washington DC – The Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO) is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has elected Dr. Cynthia Verst,...

On Monday, March 25, 2019 ACRO provided testimony at a public hearing held by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Treasury Department...

Following meetings with then-Commissioner Scott Gottlieb and senior leadership from the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research on the role of CROs and technology companies in designing and implementing risk-based monitoring (RBM) of clinical trials, ACRO this week submitted extensive comments on recent FDA Guidance.Increasing the use of innovative RBM technologies helps make clinical trials safer, more efficient and higher quality. ACRO’s comments offer unique insights into the recent expansion of RBM implementation and call for further increasing the use of these oversight technologies.

On July 17, 2019, under cooperative agreement with the FDA, the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy (Duke Margolis) held a public workshop. The event, titled Improving the Implementation of Risk-Based Monitoring Approaches of Clinical Investigations, aimed to identify opportunities to improve Risk Based Monitoring (RBM) implementation and solicit stakeholder input on the challenges, barriers, and enablers that impact the successful adoption of RBM.

Developing, executing and overseeing clinical trials is a complex process. Yet it is essential to gain reliable evidence from clinical trials to...

May 6, 2020 – (Washington, DC) – In an effort to fight the global COVID-19 pandemic, over 150 employees from clinical research...

Additional donations of chloroquine sent to governments in numerous other countries / Various clinical and preclinical studies investigate the efficacy and adverse effects in COVID-19 infections / Bayer plans considerable expansion of production capacities in the event that the efficacy of chloroquine is proven for COVID-19

Employee safety and business continuity are top priorities / Wide-ranging humanitarian and social engagement / Group sales increase by 6.0 percent (Fx & portfolio adj.) to 12.845 billion euros / EBITDA before special items up by 10.2 percent to 4.391 billion euros / All divisions report higher sales and earnings – strong demand at Consumer Health / Net income advances by 20.0 percent to 1.489 billion euros / Core earnings per share increase by 9.9 percent to 2.67 euros / Outlook for 2020: impact of COVID-19 not yet reliably quantifiable

Pharmacists will be allowed to give out medication to patients who have already been receiving it

Pharmacists are to be allowed to hand out a range of super-strength medicines, including the heroin substitute methadone, without prescription during the Covid-19 crisis, under emergency measures that official drug policy advisers have warned could trigger a spike in drug misuse.

The Advisory Council for Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), which makes recommendations to the government on the control of dangerous drugs, was asked by the home secretary to consider the risks of lifting restrictions on certain substances controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

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Stock index up more than 3% in early trading on the back of hopes for remdesivir treatment

Optimism about a potential treatment for Covid-19 gave a shot in the arm to stock markets around the world, amid claims that a drug called remdesivir has spurred rapid recovery in 113 patients.

A University of Chicago hospital participating in a study of the antiviral medication, made by US firm Gilead Sciences, found that nearly all patients suffering severe fever and respiratory symptoms were discharged within a week. A report of the study, issued by specialist healthcare publication Stat News shortly after Wall Street closed on Thursday night, spurred hopes among investors that lockdowns around the world could soon be eased.

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Any vaccine has to work, but it also has to be safe. Making it happen is one of the government’s biggest priorities

• Patrick Vallance is the UK government chief scientific adviser

• Coronavirus – latest updates
• See all our coronavirus coverage

Covid-19 has made fundamental and long-lasting changes to the way we live our lives, not just in the UK, but across the world.

As we continue with social-distancing measures and deal with the most immediate issue of reducing the number of cases to protect the NHS and save lives, and keeping R, which is the average infection rate per person, below one, we also need to progress ways to tackle the disease in the longer term.

The vaccines taskforce will be working in lockstep with the public and private sector

Related: New UK taskforce to help develop and roll out coronavirus vaccine

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Gilead’s remdesivir, which has been hailed as one of the few truly promising treatments for COVID-19 at this early stage of the ongoing pandemic, has failed in its first randomised clinical trial, leaked data has revealed.