Just over 550 community pharmacy staff members were referred for COVID-19 tests through a national booking system run by the Care Quality Commission, over ten days in mid-April 2020, the NHS watchdog has told The Pharmaceutical Journal.

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March 4, 2020 — The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a surprise on March 2 when it announced it will hear a challenge to the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) next term, leap-frogging over the process that was playing out in lower courts. Oral arguments have not yet been scheduled, but are likely to […]

March 12, 2020 —[Note: Due to the coronavirus epidemic, the Conference has been rescheduled from May.] Healthcare was already the top issue for voters—and the coronavirus pandemic only intensifies the focus heading into a hotly-contested election. Both parties want to “do something” about the cost of healthcare and especially drug prices, and what happens when […]

March 16, 2020 – Amid rising concerns over “Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019” (COVID-19), the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission took action last week against seven companies for selling fraudulent COVID-19 products. The regulators sent Warning Letters to the companies because these products “are unapproved drugs that pose significant risks to patient […]

March 23, 2020 – As the United States grapples with the COVID-19 outbreak and its ongoing fallout, there is another pressing issue that is crucial to the American public: ensuring safe and fair elections between now and Nov. 3. “The Coalition believes it is important for all Americans to be active in the political process […]

March 30, 2020 – In addition to providing millions of Americans and many industries with financial support during the coronavirus outbreak, the emergency relief bill passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on Friday accrues additional funding for the Food and Drug Administration’s coronavirus efforts and makes important changes to how […]

April 6, 2020 – The Coalition for Healthcare Communication last week endorsed an urgent request to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (R) to veto HB 732, which would put in place the nation’s first tax on digital advertising. The request, sent March 31 by national media and advertising trade associations and members of The Advertising Coalition, […]

April 13, 2020 – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responding to the challenges of COVID-19 in new ways that streamline product review and policy approaches, while also ensuring that entities promoting unapproved products that claim to be effective against the virus do not go unchecked. Last week, the FDA and the Federal Trade […]

April 20, 2020 – With additional changes to the regulations still in administrative review and businesses grappling with pressing COVID-19 issues, a group of nearly 100 advertising trade associations, organizations and companies asked California Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) to delay the July 1 enforcement date for the California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA). But it […]

April 27, 2020 – As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must balance safeguarding public health with the desire for timely product reviews. Staff members at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research and the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research are working diligently to keep all of these balls in […]

May 4, 2020 – An important part of protecting the public health during the COVID-19 pandemic is making sure that the marketing of treatments or remedies that are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat the virus is stopped before consumers waste their money or potentially are harmed by these products. […]

The European Medicines Agency has begun a rolling review of data on Gilead’s remdesivir, positioning it to cut the time it takes to decide whether to approve the drug in COVID-19 patients.

Pfizer and partner BioNTech are right in the middle of one of the most important vaccine trials in the world right now, but that doesn’t mean the Big Pharma is taking its eyes off the inoculation ball elsewhere.

The successful activation of T cells is critical to the immune system's ability to clear infections. A retrospective study in China found that COVID-19 patients had remarkably low T-cell counts in their blood, while some pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6—which Roche’s Actemra targets—were elevated.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals’ stock has climbed higher and higher over the past month since it said it was working on a speedy COVID-19 vaccine.

Newron will terminate work on its experimental Rett syndrome drug sarizotan after a complete failure in its pivotal STARS trial.

After penning a deal with Eli Lilly last month with the aim to have an antibody in the clinic within four months, Canadian-based AbCellera has been given a financial boost by its government.

Alnylam and Vir Biotechnology have identified an anti-SARS-CoV-2 development candidate, putting them on track to start testing the inhaled RNAi treatment for COVID-19 in humans around the end of the year.

Temple University researchers discovered that boosting levels of a protein called Lin28 in injured spinal cords of mice prompts the regrowth of axons and repairs communication between the brain and body. They believe the discovery could be used to develop new treatments for both spinal cord and optic nerve injuries.

BioMarin Pharmaceutical is boosting its early-stage pipeline by penning a deal with Swiss startup Dinaqor.

Come on in, the water’s warm. After billions already raised by VC firms since the advent of the pandemic for life science companies, Oberland Capital has tossed more than $1 billion into the pot.

Pfizer and BioNTech have begun dosing participants in a U.S. clinical trial of their COVID-19 vaccine candidates. The dose-escalation stage of the trial will enroll up to 360 subjects, initially out of sites in New York and Maryland.

Venture capital firm Frazier Healthcare has grabbed Scott Byrd, Ian Mills, and Gordon McMurray as its new Entrepreneur-in-Residence consultants.

Australia’s largest biotech company CSL says it is working on a plasma-based therapy for patients with more severe forms of COVID-19.

Eli Lilly has teamed with China’s Junshi Biosciences in the U.S., marking the company's second COVID-19 pact to develop neutralizing antibodies against the virus. It promises to be a faster approach than designing a new small-molecule drug would be, but getting from idea to an effective product may not be so simple.

The FDA has delayed its decision on whether to approve Bristol Myers Squibb’s CAR-T cell therapy by three months. Bristol Myers attributed the delay to its submission of additional information upon the request of the FDA.

Following in the footsteps of an increasing number of biopharmas that want to use data to get more bang for their buck in R&D, J&J has promoted Najat Khan, Ph.D., to the role of chief data science officer.

Sanofi and Regeneron’s Dupixent has become a popular treatment for atopic dermatitis and asthma. Now, a research team in Japan has discovered that IL-4 and its receptor—which Dupixent inhibits—could be promising targets for treating the eye disease age-related macular degeneration.

PTC Therapeutics is adding to its rare disease pipeline with a midstage biotech buyout with a low upfront payment tied in with stock and biobucks.

Moderna is finalizing the protocol for a phase 3 trial of its COVID-19 vaccine with a view to starting the study early in the summer. The establishment of the timeline, which follows FDA clearance to run a phase 2 trial, puts Moderna on track to win approval for its mRNA vaccine mRNA-1273 next year.

GlaxoSmithKline is hard at work with partner Sanofi in getting a vaccine tested for COVID-19, but this morning it said it was now also entering the race to treat patients already hit with the disease.

Johnson & Johnson taps Khan for chief data role; Icon poaches AstraZeneca vet Buck as CMO; Intellia signs on Lebwohl as CMO.

Just a few months after Alexion snapped up complement inhibitor biotech Achillion, Gemini Therapeutics has nabbed one of its key R&D execs as its new chief medical officer.

Sorrento Therapeutics is jumping into the race to develop therapies against COVID-19, teaming up with Mount Sinai to develop a cocktail of antibodies from the blood of 15,000 recovered patients. The company's scientists believe their multipronged therapy will sidestep risks such as treatment resistance.

Fortress Biotech has licensed a treatment for KRAS-driven cancers from Columbia University. Sticking to its blueprint, Fortress has set up a new biotech, Oncogenuity, to advance the preclinical asset and work to generate more oligonucleotides from the underlying platform.

Tough times at Orchard Therapeutics as it swings the ax across staffers and facilities, phases in new pipeline advances and reduces interest in others.

A new report out by Innova Market Insights has identified several new trends that are driving sports nutrition.

Some producers of essential oils have thrown their hats into the coronavirus claims ring, according to recent warning letters from the US Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission.

A recent study looking at the effects of caffeine on brief, high intensity exercise found the substance improved performance, regardless of genetic variations in how subjects metabolized caffeine.

While dietary supplement sales have surged in recent months, the extent of the economic damage caused by the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 could lead to some very tough quarters as families and businesses start to run out of money.

From fewer containers and reduced shift work at harbors to delays in planned maintenance in factories, the coronavirus pandemic is impacting global supply chains in myriad ways. FoodNavigator-USA (FNU) caught up with Jon Peters (JP), president at Beneo, a leading supplier of chicory root fiber, rice ingredients, and the specialty low-GI carbs Isomalt and Palatinose, to find out more.

The dietary supplement industry as a whole is enjoying booming sales as consumer stock up on products to support optimum health. But an industry strategist warns that that sales bump is likely to be ephemeral, and brands that are not strategizing vigorously now may be caught out in the near future.

There is an âindisputable relation between vitamin D and the immune systemâ, says a new review that shows that avoiding vitamin D deficiency has clear benefits for immune health.

With social distancing in full effect, families have not only found themselves with a lot more time together, but a lot more time in front of their screens.

The recommended daily allowance of protein may be inadequate to support maintenance of muscle in young women and eating protein from the humble potato can help to maintain muscle, according to research from McMaster University funded by the Alliance for Potato Research & Education.

A novel combination of two Lactobacillus paracasei strains may increase absorption of key amino acids in plant proteins, according to a new placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, multicenter, crossover study.

Researchers working with a group of postmenopausal women found that a technology using casein to encapsulate calcium nanoparticles reduced GI issues compared with more conventional calcium carbonate or calcium citrate supplements.

Recent research suggests that some brands may want to calm down their messaging.

Consumers arenât just looking for custom-made approaches any more, theyâre expecting it. As technology advances, more companies are offering custom nutritional solutions.

The results provide priceless information on ancestry and predispositions to various illnesses.