MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'european'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:55:22 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107899&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FRkVSK5_Bu9Y%2F Good morning, everyone, and nice to see you again. We hope the weekend was invigorating. Now, of course, the time has come to resume the routine of meetings and deadlines, even if it is a slow time of year. To get started, yes, we are brewing that mandatory cup of stimulation, so feel free to join us. Meanwhile, here are some tidibts from around the world. Hope your day goes well and stay in touch… Pfizer And UCSD Collaborate On Early Drug Discovery (San Diego Union Tribune) China’s Healthcare Push May Curb Sales For Brand-Name Pharma (Bloomberg News) Nestle Eyes Pfizer Formula Milk Powder Business (Business China) EU Approves Botox For Treating Urinary Incontinence (Reuters) Takeda Pharmaceuticals Faces Rising Number Of Actos Lawsuits (Associated Press) Bayer Is Eyeing Pfizer ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107899 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 11:50:32 +0100 5107899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5086170&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwho-report-outlines-problem-of-hospital-acquired-infections%2F2011.08.01 The World Health Organization’s new patient safety envoy will take on health care acquired infections in his new role, he announced last week. Liam Donaldson, England’s former Chief Medical Officer, pointed out in his first report as envoy that patient safety incidents occur in 4% to 16% of all hospitalized patients, and that hospital-acquired infections affect hundreds of millions of patients globally. A WHO report outlined the problem. High-income countries had pooled health care acquired infection rates of 7.6%. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control estimated that 4.1 million Europeans incur 4.5 million health care acquired infections annually. In the U.S. the incidence rate was 4.5% in 2002, or 9.3 infections per 1,000 patient-days and 1.7 million affected ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5086170 Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:00:00 +0100 5086170 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069818&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FrIaNzGppPTA%2F Three years after making a proposal that would have allowed drugmakers to publish product information in consumer newspapers and magazines, the European Commission is going back to the proverbial drawing board and plans to issue a new proposal this fall, an EC spokesman writes us. The move comes after its initial effort was widely criticized and rejected by the European Parliament. “The European Commission will revise the proposals to clarify and harmonize the rules in what companies can and can’t say to patients,” Peter Arlett, who heads pharmacovigilance and risk management at the European Medicines Agency, tells Bloomberg News. The EMA, he adds, recently received a letter from the EC about its intention to revise its proposal. The original EC effort, which was unveiled in ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069818 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 18:04:00 +0100 5069818 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069822&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F8WFD_ZbuCB4%2F Hello, everyone, and top of the morning to you. Another shiny day is unfolding on the Pharmalot corporate campus, where we have much to do. You know, the drill - reading documents, making phone calls, finding interesting tidbits. To prepare, yes, we are downing that mandatory cup of stimulation - our flavor today is Wild Mountain Blueberry. So please join us. Meanwhile, here are some items from around the world. Hope your day goes well and stay in touch… Pfizer’s Zyvox and Antidepressants May Cause Fatal Reaction (Bloomberg News) Valeant Approaches Swedish Drugmaker Mada About A Takeover (Bloomberg News) Abortion Pill Given Via Telemedicine Is Safe And Effective (Reuters) Vertex Says Hepatitis C Drug Combo Works (Reuters) Naeja Pharmaceutical R&D Facility Catches Fire (Cal... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069822 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 11:41:22 +0100 5069822 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051235&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F0aGEPpZ3D4M%2F Several months after a curious link was observed between the GlaxoSmithKline pandemic flu vaccine known as Pandremix and unexplained cases of narcolepsy emerged in Finland and Sweden, the European Medicines Agency has decided to restrict usage. Specifically, those younger than 20 years old should use Pandemrix only in the absence of seasonal trivalent flu vaccines, and if immunization against H1N1 swine flu is still needed. An example would be those at risk of complications from infection, according to the EMA (read here). However, the EMA notes that, for now, the benefits continue to outweigh the risks. Over 31 million doses of Pandemrix have been administered worldwide in 47 countries, according to Glaxo. And a total of 335 cases of narcolepsy in people vaccinated with Pandemrix have bee... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051235 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 12:52:53 +0100 5051235 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5051239&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FdVmKbI73T-Q%2F Less than a month after a meta-analysis found that the Chantix smoking-cessation drug was associated with a 72 percent increased risk of serious adverse cardiovascular risks in smokers without a history of heart disease, the European Medicines Agency has decided that the benefits continue to outweigh the risks. The meta-analysis in the Canadian Medical Association Journal analyzed 14 double-blind, randomized controlled trials that involved 8,216 patients and ranged in duration from 7 to 52 weeks. A significantly increased risk of serious cardiovascular adverse events - 1.06 percent in Chantix versus 0.82 percent in placebo - including myocardial infarction, stroke and cardiovascular-related death was found. There were no differences, however, in death rates between the two groups (read th... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5051239 Thu, 21 Jul 2011 21:08:54 +0100 5051239 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008660&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FoGHMXqJ1AYw%2F India has promised not to link a proposed trade deal with the European Union to any limits on making generic AIDS drugs, according to a joint statement from India’s Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. The declaration came in response to growing criticism that pharma was pushing provisions in trade talks that would limit the availability of AIDS meds. The EU and India began talks in 2007 on a free-trade agreement that would be worth an estimated $134 billion in commerce. But a report last year in the Journal of the International AIDS Society suggested provisions could raise prices delay access to improved meds, and recommended that “inappropriate” trade deals should not be pursued unless new policies are created (see here). A key poin... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008660 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:20:18 +0100 5008660 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008135&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FE2fY8CBciNM%2F By Daniel J. MitchellIt’s hard to imagine how we would get through life without necessities like bacon and duct tape. But have you ever thought about how the free market gives you so much for so little? Here’s a video that should be mandatory viewing in Washington. Too bad politicians didn’t watch it before imposing government-run health care. And since we’re contemplating the big-picture issue of whether markets are better than statism, here’s some very sobering polling data from EurActiv: A recent survey has found deep pessimism among European Commission staff on a wide range of issues, including the course of European integration over the past decade and the likelihood of success of the EU’s strategy for economic growth. Some 63% partially or totally agreed that “the Euro... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008135 Fri, 08 Jul 2011 13:05:32 +0100 5008135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008666&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fb0Td2mZIFjs%2F European Union antitrust regulators have ended a four-year probe into charges that Boehringer Ingelheim abused the patent system to thwart rivals from launching versions of the best-selling Spiriva med for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. To settle the investigation, the German drugmaker agreed to make changes in its intellectual property protections. As the EU noted, Boehringer is the market leader in COPD meds thanks to its Spiriva inhalers, which generated nearly $4.3 billion in sales last year. The fracas began, though, in 2003, when Boehringer filed patent applications for new treatments involving combinations of three categories of active substances, including a new active substance that was discovered by Almirall, a Spanish drugmaker. Almirall objected to the... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008666 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:15:21 +0100 5008666 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008155&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FZM20phiwWic%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI’m not a big fan of the rating agencies. I’ve warned in TV interviews that they generally wait too long before downgrading profligate governments. So when the rating agencies finally catch up to everyone else and lower their outlook for failing welfare states such as Greece and Portugal, one would think that this would be seen as a useful – albeit late – warning sign. But European politicians are not very happy about this development. At the risk of mixing metaphors, they want everyone to keep their heads buried in the sand and to continue complimenting the emperor on his new clothes. Here are some excerpts from a BBC report. The European Commission has strongly criticised international credit ratings agencies following the downgrade of Portugal by Moody�... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008155 Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:29:15 +0100 5008155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4976210&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Frveg3vLj9MY%2F The UK government has filed a lawsuit seeking about $351 million in damages against Servier Laboratories over charges the French drugmaker “abused” its dominant position by delaying rivals from launching generic versions of a blood pressure drug, The Financial Times writes. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley and more than 150 primary care trusts claim that between July 2001 and July 2007, Servier schemed to prevent a generic form of Aceon, or perindopril, from reaching the market, the paper continues. Consequently, the National Health Service paid “elevated prices.” The Servier patent on Aceon expired in 2003, but a generic did not appear in the UK until July 2007. The lawsuit cites documents showing Servier applied to the European Patent Office for another patent during t... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4976210 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:07:38 +0100 4976210 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4968909&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FVPghfLkLLqc%2F Good morning, everyone. Another working week is about to draw to a close and already, we are daydreaming about weekend plans. Our modest agenda includes catching up on some reading, tending to the official Pharmalot grounds and spending time with our short people. And you? Now that summer is here, perhaps a drive to the beach is in order. Or curling up with a good e-book. Of course, one can always take that proverbial walk in the park. Whatever you fancy, have a great time and see you soon… Patent Overhaul Bill Clears US Senate (Reuters) America’s Vanishing Science Jobs (The New York Post) EMA Delays Decision On Actos To July (Reuters) FDA Inspects New Ranbaxy Plant In India (The Economic Times) Commonly Used Drugs Raise Risk Of Death In The Elderly (Reuters) Pfizer To Keep 350... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4968909 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:56:33 +0100 4968909 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4953363&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FFwKeDNIjZs4%2F Top of the morning to you. A shiny day is unfolding here on the Pharmalot corporate campus, where we are hustling assorted short people off to their last moments at the local school houses. This is cause for celebration. So please join us for a cup or two of stimulation. And we hope you will check out our 2 pm EDT webinar today on Social Media. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits from around the big, old world. Have a great day… European Union Approves Lilly Bydureon Diabetes Drug (Associated Press) Dentsply In Talks To Buy AstraZeneca Unit (Reuters) EMA Proposes Waiving Inspections Of US Plants Sometimes (InPharma Technologist) Calpers Taps CVS/Caremark To Manage Benefits (San Francisco Business Times) Abbott Hit By $4M Diagnostic Theft In Kentucky (Securing Pharma) Roche And Curis Ski... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4953363 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 12:04:52 +0100 4953363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921752&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fvk3dB2JiRJE%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? And here is our regular feature. Send us a photo and we will spotlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that Cerulean Pharma hired Edward Garmey as chief medical officer. Previously, he was vp for clinical development at ArQule, where he developed and oversaw overseas clinical trials of its lead product types. Before ArQule, Garmey was medical directo... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921752 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:02:49 +0100 4921752 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4921753&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FPIwO-IEL5xE%2F And so another working week will soon draw to a close. This is, of course, our signal to dream about weekend doings. Our modest agenda includes spending time with Mrs. Pharmalot and the short people, catching up on our own version of R&D - a never-ending quest - and maybe taking a nap. And you? Perhaps there will be time for a walk in the park? A moment with someone special? Or seize the moment and make plans to enter the Republican presidential primary? Whatever you do, have a great time. See you soon… Bristol-Myers Resolves Problems At Puerto Rico Plant (Dow Jones) Japan Does Not Plan To Recall Actos (Reuters) Germany Joins France In Suspending Actos (Reuters) FDA Links Some Prostate Drugs To Cancer Risk (Associated Press) Sanofi CEO Tells Canada To Upgrade Patent Protection (... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4921753 Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:02:18 +0100 4921753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911817&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FscuNG8BkIgY%2F To settle a bitter dispute over seizures of generic meds at a Dutch airport, Eli Lilly is about to make an undisclosed payment to several Indian generic drugmakers, The Financial Times writes. Several big drugmakers, in fact, benefited when the lower-cost drugs were impounded, since the move thwarted distribution of the generics throughout the European Union. The seizures in 2008 and 2009 were made in response to claims that the meds violated intellectual property rules protecting patents within the EU. But the move also prompted fierce criticism from health activists and non-governmental organizations that argued the generics were simply being shipped through the EU to developing countries where the patent laws did not apply, the FT notes. The seizures were only the latest struggle in a l... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911817 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:00:39 +0100 4911817 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902696&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FbKhZl7DkcDs%2F Hello, everyone, and nice to see you again. We apologize for the delay this morning, but we were having technical difficulties. To cope, we are having downing several cups of stimulation. Now, though, the time has come to tackle those meetings and deadlines. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits, including news from the ASCO meeting. Hope your day goes well and stay in touch… A Contraceptive Pill For Men With No Side Effects? (The Daily Mail) Merck And Ariad Drug Delays Sarcoma In Trial (Reuters) UK Pharma Industry In Crisis (Press TV) Roche Says Avastin And Chemo Cut Ovarian Cancer Growth (Bloomberg News) Bristol Melanoma Drug And Chemo Extended Life In Study (Reuters) Pfizer Divestiture May Hurt Its Credit Rating (Bloomberg News) Chinese Drugmaker Cited For Significant Pollution (East D... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902696 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 12:47:10 +0100 4902696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872476&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fl6OCIRjRzwE%2F And so another working week is about to come to an end, which means we can daydream about weekend plans. Our modest agenda includes hanging out with the short people and catching up on some reading. What about you? Maybe a dip in the pool? A walk in the park? Perhaps gazing into the future? This side of the pond has a three-day break, of course, so there will be more time to indulge. Whatever you do, have a great time and see you soon… Novartis Found Not Liable For Jaw Disease (Reuters) Medco Loses Blue Cross Blue Shield Contract (Reuters) Trimeris Gets $5M In Roche Settlement (Triangle Business Journal) Pharma Protests UK Pricing Plan (Bloomberg News) AstraZeneca Confirms Endings Payments For Docs To Attend Meetings (Reuters) CMS Proposes Looser E-Prescribing Rules (Internal Medicin... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872476 Fri, 27 May 2011 12:09:07 +0100 4872476 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4852844&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FTwPlOqQeK_0%2F By Doug BandowIn the midst of difficult domestic political battles, Barack Obama begins a lengthy European trip today.  He should encourage the continent to increase its defense capabilities and take on greater regional security responsibilities. Presidential visits typically result in little of substance.  President Obama’s latest trip will be no different if he reinforces the status quo.  His policy mantra once was “change.”  No where is “change” more necessary than in America’s foreign policy, especially towards Europe. Despite obvious differences spanning the Atlantic, the U.S. and European relationship remains extraordinarily important.  The administration should press for increased economic integration, with lower trade barriers and streamlined regulations to encoura... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4852844 Mon, 23 May 2011 14:10:00 +0100 4852844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841987&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FPnFE-Cg3WGw%2F Good morning, everyone, and how are you today? Here on the Pharmalot corporate campus, we are engaged in the off-to-the-school-house hustle. This calls, of course, for a cup or two of stimulation. How else to gear up for those meetings and deadlines? So please feel free to join us. And here is another invitation: our webinar next week on the injectable drug delivery market. Meanwhile, we offer you these tidbits of the world at large. Have a great day and do stay in touch… North Carolina Delays Vote On Preemption Bill (Associated Press) CDC Blog On Zombie Apocalypse Proves Apocalyptic (AdWeek) Takeda To Buy Nycomed For $13.6 Billion (Reuters) Bill Gates Calls For A ‘Decade Of Vaccinations’ (Pharma Times) J&J Failed To Warn Parents Of Motrin Risks: Lawyer (Bloomberg Ne... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841987 Thu, 19 May 2011 11:47:58 +0100 4841987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813387&cid=t_114353_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.drmalpani.com%2F2011%2F05%2Flooking-for-healthcare-it-entrepreneurs.html Are you an entrepreneur who wants to improve healthcare in India ? I am an angel investor, and am looking for companies which meet the following criteria.At least 3 years old, with a viable product, who need to grow and scale up and needs funds and a strategic investor to do so. I am especially looking for companies which are active in the following areas: Elearning for healthcareTeaching patients about their health in Indian regional languagesDeveloping healthcare apps customised for IndiaIf you are interested, please send me an email ! (Source: The Patient's Doctor) The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813387 Thu, 12 May 2011 11:35:00 +0100 4813387 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813363&cid=t_114353_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F10%2Fconquering-performance-anxiety-a-primer-for-all-phobias%2F Public speaking is the king of phobias. That’s according to Taylor Clark, author of the insightful book, Nerve. He writes: According to a 2001 poll, more than 40 percent of Americans confess to a dread of appearing before spectators. (In some surveys, fear of public speaking even outranks fear of death, a fact that inspired Jerry Seinfeld’s famous observation that at a funeral, this means the average person would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy.) To get to the solution of this phobia — which can help us with all our other phobias — Clark tells the story of cellist Zoe Keating. Today her music is featured everywhere from National Public Radio to film scores to European ballets. Clark attended one of her performances and comments, “Keating seemed entirely obl... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813363 Tue, 10 May 2011 14:30:33 +0100 4813363 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4803522&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FKFdbIdIkuv0%2F In the wake of a recent scandal in which former European Medicines Agency director Thomas Lonngren accepted a pharma consulting gig just days after resigning last winter, a pair of activist groups are urging the European Parliament to review the case, audit all similar cases in which EMA managers left for other jobs and, finally, apply a conflicts of interest policy to EMA experts and representatives. For those who may not recall, Lonngren resigned in late December and then issued a letter just a few days later indicating he had accepted an industry consulting position. The move prompted criticism, in part, because the EMA initially failed to investigate. Instead of asking questions, the EMA chair, Pat O’Mahony, responded that the agency had no objections to Lonngren’s new position. Th... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4803522 Tue, 10 May 2011 13:08:28 +0100 4803522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4762933&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FRHai_my_1TA%2F In the latest move by European antitrust regulators to probe patent settlements, the European Union disclosed this morning that an investigation is under way into whether Teva Pharmaceuticals and Cephalon struck an illegal deal to keep a generic version of the Provigil sleep disorder drug off the market (read the statement). Like the US Federal Trade Commission, the EU has been probing so-called pay-to-delay deals in the belief that they stifle competition and, therefore, delay entry to the marketplace of lower-cost medicines (read about the FTC efforts here). The interest among European antitrust regulators followed a report from the European Union competition commissioner saying that delays in bringing generic drugs to the market had cost consumers and healthcare providers billions. Rece... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4762933 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:28:46 +0100 4762933 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4724262&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FeHY6DN5Y0og%2F Hard to believe, yes? But even we take a break now and then. While we have our laptop and Blackberry with us and will, periodically, check on interesting developments, regular posting will not occur this week. We apologize for any inconvenience, but we promised Mrs. Pharmalot and The Short People (that famous, non-existent ’60’s group) that we would focus on their desires. Meanwhile, we hope you enjoy any holidays that you may celebrate. Have a great time, everyone, and see you in a few days… Synthes Confirms Aquisition Talks With Johnson & Johnson (Bloomberg News) Will Amgen Declare A Dividend On Thursday? (Reuters) EU Proceeds With Plan To Cut Patent Costs By 80 Percent (Pharma Times) Merck Scientist Sees Potential HIV Vaccine As Distant Goal (Dow Jones) FDA Warns Patients Ove... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4724262 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 13:00:40 +0100 4724262 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4677109&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fr0Fv99YQmK0%2F Rise and shine, everyone. Another day is on the way. And it is a sunny one here on the Pharmalot corporate campus, where the short people have left for the local school house and the official Pharmalot mascots are barking at squirrels. You know what this means - it is time for a cup of stimulation. Our flavor today is Southern Pecan. Please join us as we scour the news of the world. Have a great day and do send us those interesting tidbits…. Gilead Raises Prices Of Top-Selling Meds (Dow Jones) J&J Hepatitis C Drug Price Sparks Concern In France (Bloomberg News) Bayer To Consolidate And Add Jobs In New Jersey (The Daily Record) Brand And Generic Makers Clash Over Canada/EU Trade Deal (Pharma Times) Cubist Shares Jump On Teva Patent Deal (Associated Press) Link Sought Between Lab ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4677109 Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:09:01 +0100 4677109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4670095&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FesbVSDUr5i4%2F By George Scoville They passed the bill, and now we're finding out what's in it. We're finding out that the war in Libya could really be about protecting European interests. In Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand described a world in which government both partly produced and partly subsidized goods; we're finding out she wasn't far off the mark. We're finding out that "American exceptionalism" is a cloak for military adventurism. The longer America fights a war on drugs, the more we find out about how detrimental it is to our fiscal outlook: Friday Links is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4670095 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:45:22 +0100 4670095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4653310&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FySEgFjmU-Kg%2F By John SamplesPresident Obama’s speech last evening offers a chance to assess the implications of the war in Libya. President Obama is not the first president to order attacks on another nation without the authorization of Congress.  This case, however, seems different. Prior to the intervention, the President’s national security advisors had determined that the nation had no vital interest at stake in the Libyan civil war. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has repeated that conclusion after the intervention began. For his part, President Obama emphasized in last night’s speech and before, that the war would preclude a “humanitarian catastrophe.” Why did that rationale win out over the realism of his advisors? President Obama tends to see our nation and the world as divided bet... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4653310 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:21:52 +0100 4653310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615424&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FY1gMg4H-zKQ%2F The European Medicines Agency has placed new restrictions on the business activities of its former director, Thomas Lonngren. after he resigned in late December and then issued a letter just a few days later indicating he had accepted an industry consulting position. The move prompted criticism, in part, because the EMA initially failed to investigate (back story). Today, the agency has issued a statement approving Lonngren’s consulting arrangements and found that there was no misuse of confidential or privileged info gained while he headed the EMA, there was no activity that risk improper influence on EMA decision and, more generally, none of his activities posted a conflict of interest. Nonetheless, the EMA “regretted the late notification by Mr. Lönngren of details of his ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615424 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:35:06 +0100 4615424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4611003&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FWXsonFvU_bM%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? And here is our regular feature. Send us a photo and we will spotlight a different person each week. This time around, we note that MTI Information Technologies, which provides marketing services to healthcare providers, hired Brian Tvenstrup as sr vp of business analytics. Previously, he headed analytics for First Equity Card, a commercial lender to small businesses, and w... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4611003 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 12:03:11 +0100 4611003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4611004&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F56jJMRBUxuk%2F And so, another work will soon draw to a close. This is, of course, a signal to start daydreaming about weekend plans. Our agenda is modest: spending time with our assorted short people, catching up on some reading and promenading with the official Pharmalot mascots. What about you? Getting a headstart on spring cleaning? Perhaps there is time to take a walk in the park? Or plan the rest of your lives? Whatever you do, we hope you enjoy. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits. See you soon, everyone… Pfizer Sells A Chewable Viagra Tablet In Mexico (Reuters) FDA Rejects Lilly Drug For Alzheimer’s Test (Associated Press) Genzyme Warns EU Of Continued Thyrogen Shortage (Reuters) New Evidence That Avandia Is Riskier Than Actos (MedPage Today) Mylan Recalls Pills Over Labeling Mix Up (Ott... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4611004 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:46:59 +0100 4611004 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592362&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FY7tesAuqJ3E%2F By Mark A. CalabriaAs Congress and the White House continue to debate the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, one of the oft heard concerns is that if we eliminate all the various mortgage subsidies in our system, then the cost of a mortgage will increase.  There certainly is a basic logic to that concern.  After all, why have subsidies if they don't lower the price of the subsidized good.  Of course some, if not all, of said subsidy could be eaten up by the providers/producers of that good. All this begs the question, with all the subsidies we have for mortgage finance, are mortgages actually cheaper in the U.S.?  While not perfect, one way of answering that question is to look at mortgage rates in other countries.   Although every developed country has some sort of government in... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592362 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 16:19:20 +0100 4592362 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575244&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FyX0B1GekJDo%2F Earlier this week, we wrote how the European Association for the Study of the Liver had difficulty maintaining an embargo on abstracts to be reviewed at its upcoming annual conference, even though the material is freely available on the Internet (see here). Then Embargo Watch notes that the public relations firm for the EASL is Cohn & Wolfe, which also represents various drugmakers, such as Allergan, Genzyme, Sanofi-Aventis, Boehringer-Ingelheim and Merck (see this). This raises a question: how can a public relations firm equitably run the media operations for a professional society conference and simultaneously represent drugmakers who may have a great deal at stake at these conferences? You know, abstracts from one or more clients could be on display at the gathering. How can the EA... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575244 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:36:35 +0100 4575244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4566338&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FocSPEUl22T0%2F Two days ago, the European Association for the Study of the Liver released summaries of abstracts in advance of its annual meeting, which starts later this month. Among these were results showing that preliminary data on two hepatitis C meds from Pharmasset suggest a breakthrough because 94 percent of the patients displayed undetectable levels of the virus after two weeks. The summaries were posted on the EASL web site (see here and here) and, not surprisingly, sent Pharmasset stock soaring this week. The shares opened at $50 on Monday and closed yesterday at $66.92 yesterday, which amounts to a 33 percent increase. At the same time, Vertex Pharmaceuticals stock sank, because the Pharmasset results pose a competitive threat to its telaprevir hepatitis C med, which is due for FDA revew in M... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4566338 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:07:05 +0100 4566338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4566342&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FojH331Zf3Vk%2F Good morning one and all. Nice to see you again. ‘Tis the middle of the week, which means we are in the thick of those meetings and deadlines. To cope - yes - we are brewing some cups of stimulation. Two-fisted drinking is possible even while manipulating a laptop. Feel free to join us. And we would also like to invite you to a webinar we are hosting next week on disclosing physician payments. Meanwhile, here are some interesting tidbits. Have a productive day and stay in touch… Novartis COPD Drug Gets Mixed FDA Panel Verdict (Wall Street Journal) J&J Misled South Carolina About Risperdal, Lawyer Says (Bloomberg News) Combo Diet Pills Making A Comeback (MSNBC) Human Genome Lupus Drug Expected To Be Approved (Reuters) Glaxo Withdraws Sports Drink Over Mold Growth (The Groce... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4566342 Wed, 09 Mar 2011 12:40:08 +0100 4566342 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532572&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FJhdgNC8Xh6E%2F The European Medicines Agency is being criticized for not objecting to a pharma industry consulting gig taken by its former executive director, Thomas Lonngren, who left at the end of the December. However, he only told the EMA board of his intention to pursue consulting in a December 28 letter - and his new consulting job was to begin on January 1. Instead of asking questions, the EMA chair, Pat O’Mahony, responded that the agency had no objections to Lonngren’s new position, according to consumer advocacy groups, which wrote a letter to the EMA to complain about its decision (here are the letters between Lonngren and O’Mahony, although the Lonngren letter is misdated). The groups charge in their own letter that the EMA board did not request details from Lönngren about his cons... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532572 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 15:43:18 +0100 4532572 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4522288&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F9JI7t-4bhHU%2F Last month, FDA device chief Jeff Shuren committed a diplomatic faux pas. While speaking with reporters about varying approval standards and safety issues in the US and Europe, he quoted a surgeon who supposedly said “under the EU system, the public are being used as guinea pigs.” And then he added his own two cents by saying that “we don’t use our people as guinea pigs in the US.” Not surprisingly, someone in Europe has taken exception - Paola Testori Coggi, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Consumers, wrote a letter to FDA commish Margaret Hamburg to complain. “I am deeply concerned that a senior official of the FDA should publicly discredit the regulatory system in Europe in this way,” Coggi wrote in the Feb. 18 ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4522288 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 13:56:19 +0100 4522288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4478155&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FxQAoxKq3qM0%2F Rise and shine, everyone. Another day is on the way. Here on the chilly Pharmalot corporate campus, we are, once again, hustling the short people off to the school houses. Speaking of challenging routines, meetings and deadlines are also beckoning. We assume you can relate. By the way, we would like to remind you that we are co-sponsoring a patient adherence conference and hope you can join us. Meanwhile, the time has come for another cup of stimulation. Hope your day goes well and stay in touch… Oncology Investigators Needed To Maintain Patient Recruitment (Outsourcing Pharma) EU Taken To Court Over Secrecy In India Trade Talks (Reuters) Tachi Yamada Steps Down As Gates Foundation Health Leader (Xconomy) FDA Approves Medical Devices Too Easily: Study (CBS News) Watson Pharma Earning... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4478155 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 13:16:41 +0100 4478155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4446032&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FqZDR45Q5V5o%2F A trade deal being negotiated between Canada and the European Union could cost Canadians another $2.8 billion annually in drug costs - notably, by delaying the availability of lower-cost generics in Canada by about 3.5 years - if certain proposals are cemented, according to a new report commissioned by generic drugmakers. During the talks, the EU has sought various changes in Canadian laws and regulations governing intellectual property concerning brand-name meds. These include extending the term of patent protection by up to five years if drugs are bogged down in the regulatory approval process; lengthening the period of data exclusivity from eight years to 10 years or more; and strengthening notice of compliance regulations by adding an appeals process. The upshot is that Canadian payers... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4446032 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 16:24:19 +0100 4446032 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4424442&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FXAVTiWtRAPo%2F Five months after the European Medicines Agency began a review of the GlaxoSmithKline pandemic vaccine over ties to narcolepsy, the World Health Organization is doing the same. The impetus is a report from Finnish researchers who found an increased risk of narcolepsy among 4 to 19-year-olds who were vaccinated with Pandemrix. A study by Finland’s National Narcolepsy Task Force indicates vaccination “contributed to the observed increase in incidence of narcolepsy” compared to those in the same age group who were not given Pandremix. However, report also suggested the increase was likely due to a “joint effect of the vaccine and some other factor.” Consequently, more research is needed, since a similar increase has not been reported in other countries, except fo... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4424442 Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:46:02 +0100 4424442 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419453&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FXql_GCjRfw8%2F Welcome to the working week. We hope your weekend was refreshing and relaxing. Now, of course, the time has come to resume the routine of meetings and deadlines. To cope, we are, once again, armed with a cup of stimulation - our flavor today is chocolate raspberry truffle - and invite you to join us. Meanwhile, here are some interesting tidbits to begin the day. Hope your day goes well and do stay in touch. We enjoy hearing what goes on in your world… FDA OKs Novartis Meningitis Vaccine In Children, No Infants (Bloomberg News) Radiologist Wins $482M In Stent Patent Suit Against J&J (Star-Ledger of NJ) Pfizer Order To Pay $142M Over Neurontin Marketing Is Upheld (MarketWatch) Glaxo Settles Avandia Suit On Eve Of Trial (Bloomberg News) Dr. Reddy’s Gets Court Approval To Sell... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419453 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 12:51:11 +0100 4419453 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4382755&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FSamESHnA_8M%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI’m not a big fan of central banks, and I definitely don’t like multilateral bureaucracies, so I almost feel guilty about publicizing two recent studies published by the European Central Bank. But when such an institution puts out research that unambiguously makes the case for smaller government, it’s time to sit up and take notice. And since these studies largely echo the findings of recent research by the International Monetary Fund, we may have reached a point where even the establishment finally understands that government is too big. The first study looks at real-world examples of debt reduction in 15 European nations and investigates the fiscal policies that worked and didn’t work. Entitled “Major Public Debt Reductions: Lessons From... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4382755 Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:37:43 +0100 4382755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4361306&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FUuhSDJneggs%2F One month after yet again raiding offices of various drugmakers (back story), the European Commission is now taking a more polite approach and telling several companies - including Bayer and Roche - to submit details of their settlements over patent disputes. The EC asked a “selected number of originator and generic companies” to submit a copy of all patent settlement agreements relevant to the 27-member EU region and which were concluded between Jan. 1, 2010 and Dec. 31, 2010, according to an EC statement. Like the US Federal Trade Commission, the EC has been probing these pay-to-delay deals in the belief that they stifle competition and, therefore, delay entry to the marketplace of lower-cost medicines (read about the FTC efforts here). This followed a report from the Europe... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4361306 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:20:42 +0100 4361306 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4361308&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FGTi6GBLv1fs%2F Hello, everyone, and nice to see you again. We hope your extended weekend - on this side of the pond, that is - was pleasant. Now, of course, the routine resumes with all those meetings and deadlines. So please join us for a cup of stimulation as we dust the snow off the Pharmalot corporate campus, ready the short people for the school house and prowl around for interesting items. Hope your day goes well and do stay in touch… FDA Staff Questions Lilly Alzheimer’s Drug (Reuters) Teva Will Lay Off 200 California Workers (Orange County Register) Pfizer Sued Over Dilantin Side Effects (Madison-St. Clair Record) Ariad Stock Pops After Sarcoma Drug Meets Study Goal (Bloomberg News) Servier Chief Called To Mediator Court Hearing (The Telegraph) EU Will Ask Sanofi To Write Docs About M... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4361308 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 12:52:21 +0100 4361308 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4338266&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FYyI_ups9eUA%2F Concerned with a slowdown in clinical research in the UK, the Academy of Medical Sciences has issued a report calling for a new independent health agency in hopes of simplifying regulation and speeding the pace at which clinical trials are approved and conducted. In other words, trim the bureaucracy. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency came in for particular criticism, by the way. In discussing its findings, the AMS pointed out that the proportion of UK patients recruited into trials fell to 2 percent of the worldwide total in 2006 from 6 percent just six years earlier. Moreover, the proportion of drugs and devices in European Union clinical trials developed in the UK was 24 percent in 2007, down from 46 percent in 2002. “There is widespread agreement that the reg... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4338266 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 13:56:12 +0100 4338266 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4314221&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F6v6OHNUJQ_Y%2F Greetings, everyone. How are you this morning? We trust you feel invigorated as another day gets under way. As usual, we are brewing a delicious cup of stimulation and poking around for interesting items. Heard something fascinating? Send us a note. Meanwhile, we hope your workload is manageable and much gets accomplished. Catch you soon… Pfizer Faces 1,200 Chantix Lawsuits (Birmingham News) Spectrum To Make Biosimilar Of Roche’s Rituximab (Reuters) Roche Wins Wider Approval For Actemra (Bloomberg News) Evidence Links Avastin To Heart Failure In Breast Cancer Patients (HealthDay) EMA Worries Over Foreign APIs (InPharma-Technologist) J&J Files For FDA Approval Of Bloodthinner (Associated Press) Celgene Submits New Applications For Cancer Meds (Reuters) Xoma Inks $505M Diabe... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4314221 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:48:44 +0100 4314221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309594&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fni34kGjT7tk%2F By Gerald P. O'DriscollThe New Year is likely to bring renewal of financial problems in the European Union. In Greece, the crisis was fiscal in origin and spread to Greek banks and banks in other countries that had lent to Greek banks and the Greek government. In Ireland, the crisis began with problem real-estate loans at Irish banks. That spread to European banks, mainly British, that had lent to Irish banks. In its year-end issue, the Economist reminds us of the 2008 banking crisis in Iceland.  The Icelandic government responded much differently in that crisis than did the Irish government to its banking crisis. Iceland let its banks go under and to some extent stiffed their creditors. It did so out of necessity. Banking assets there were 10 times the country’s GDP, while they ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309594 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 20:46:26 +0100 4309594 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4245603&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FmW_dDStfJV4%2F Hello, everyone. Another sunny - and cold - day here on the Pharmalot corporate campus, where we are, as usual, hustling the short people off to this or that school house. To keep warm, we are brewing the mandatory cup of stimulation and searching for some hot news. Meanwhile, here are a few items of interest. We hope your days goes well. Do stay in touch… Pfizer Names Simmons As Head Of Emerging Markets (Bloomberg News) Teva’s MS Drug Meets Primary Endpoint (Reuters) Nigeria Denies Blame For Delay In Pfizer Payments (AllAfrica) India Will Not Compromise Local Pharma In EU Pact (LiveMint) Roche Advances Schizophrenia And MS Drugs (Reuters) Daily Aspirin Slashes Cancer Risk: Study (PharmaTimes) (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4245603 Thu, 09 Dec 2010 13:00:39 +0100 4245603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4233166&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fa_QwBH92uOI%2F By Doug BandowThe U.S. and South Korean governments have agreed to changes in the free trade agreement negotiated by the Bush administration. The president rightly lauded the FTA as a good deal for Americans: “This agreement shows the U.S. is willing to lead and compete in the global economy,” the president told reporters at the White House, calling it a triumph for American workers in fields from farming to aerospace.” Approving the FTA has taken on added urgency after the European Union negotiated a similar accord with the South. Once that agreement takes effect, Europeans would have better access than Americans to the world’s 13th largest economy. Protectionism is always foolish, but especially so when one’s competitors are promoting open markets. The accord also offer... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4233166 Mon, 06 Dec 2010 16:29:51 +0100 4233166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225657&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FdczYYLlP0h4%2F Once again, European Commission antitrust regulators have raided the offices of several drugmakers seeking evidence that they struck anticompetitive deals or used their dominant market positions to squeeze rivals. So far, though, only AstraZeneca has confirmed that it received a visit. “The Commission has reason to believe that the companies concerned may have acted individually or jointly, notably to delay generic entry for a particular medicine,” the commission says in a statement. This could be a potential violation of EU antitrust rules.” The focus of the raid on AstraZeneca was its Nexium heartburn med, which is a $5 billion global seller but faces generic competition across Europe. “Earlier this week, competition authorities commenced inspections at a small numbe... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225657 Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:18:40 +0100 4225657 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225222&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fi2k8vsZwsD0%2F By Daniel J. MitchellThe fiscal disintegration of Europe is bad news, though I confess to a bit of malicious glee every time I read about welfare states such as Greece and Portugal getting to the point where they no longer have the ability to borrow enough money to finance their bloated public sectors (I have mixed feelings about Ireland since that nation at least has been a good example of low tax corporate tax rates, but I still think they should get punished for over-spending and bailouts). This I-told-you-so attitude is not very mature on my part, but one hopes that American politicians will learn the right lessons and something good will come from this mess. I have not written much about the topic in recent months, in part because I don’t have much to add to my original post a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225222 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:51:28 +0100 4225222 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4225256&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffood-safety-meat-and-dairy-from-cloned-cows%2F2010.12.02 The controversy over the human consumption of meat and dairy products from cloned cows continues. The UK Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes, after reviewing the evidence, concluded that there was no substantial difference between meat and dairy from cloned cows compared to conventional cows. However, food products from cloned animals and their offspring remain banned in Europe. Use of offspring of cloned cows, sheep and pigs are legal in the U.S., South America, and Asia. Australia is likely to follow suit in a year or two. The European Union (EU) has an effective ban at the moment, but the policy is under review. The UK is also negotiating with the EU regarding the use of clones. There is not much of a theoretical reason to suspect that cloned animals would present a health r... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4225256 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:00:56 +0100 4225256 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214486&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FytaYMSbbu9s%2F Rise and shine, everyone. Another day is on the way. And here on the busy Pharmalot corporate campus, we have already fed the official mascots, hustled one of the short people off to the local school house and brewed a cup of stimulation. What next? Documents to read, phone calls to return and the never-ending search for new ideas. While we get started, here are some tidbits to help you jumpstart your own routine. Have a good one and stay in touch… More Clinical Trials Are Being Held In India (The Times of India) BRIC CRO’s Are Getting More Business (Outsourcing Pharma) UK ‘Patent Box’ Will Create New Jobs (Pharma Times) AstraZeneca Cancer Drug Linked To Toxicity (Wall Street Journal) Mom Vows Fight Against Sanofi Despite Setback (News & Star) The Generic Threa... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214486 Tue, 30 Nov 2010 12:58:50 +0100 4214486 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4183538&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FyBd3vLakqQw%2F First, some drugmakers caught the transparency bug. Now, a big regulator has been infected. As of next week, the European Medicines Agency will provide clinical trial data on request for every drug that has been reviewed, and hopes to publish reports on its web site within five years, according to Bloomberg News. The move came in response to a long-standing request from researchers at the Nordic Cochrane Centre for trial reports on three obesity drugs - Roche’s Xenical, Abbott Lab’s Meridia and Sanofi-Aventis’ Acomplia - in hopes of determining whether published data corresponded with the detailed reports submitted to the EMA, the news service continues. The researchers sought the reports in June 2007, just after an FDA panel rejected Acomplia over suicide concerns (see this). Th... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4183538 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 14:01:16 +0100 4183538 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4168212&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FLHFTjD-DAAg%2F Good morning, everyone. Nice to see you again. We hope your weekend was refreshing and relaxing. Now, of course, the routine resumes with all those meetings and deadlines. We share the feeling, of course. To cope, we are brewing the mandatory cup of stimulation. Please join us. And as always, here are a few tidbits to help you along. Hope your day goes well and do stay in touch… J&J And Bayer’s Xarelto Beats Warfarin In Key Study (Bloomberg News) J&J’s Natrecor Doesn’t Kill Or Help Heart Patients (Forbes) Progress On Heart Disease Slows (The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) Genzyme Eyed Takeda As A White Knight (Bloomberg News) Pfizer Heart Drug Helps Milder Patients (Reuters) Merck Sets Growth Strategy In India (LiveMint) Brazil Lures Big Pharma (The Financial... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4168212 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:55:18 +0100 4168212 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4159500&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F59g-zKJrLv0%2F Whether the Accutane acne med is capable of causing someone to attempt suicide has been a long-standing debate. Severe acne, after all, is known to be very disturbing, suggesting some Accutane patients may already be disposed to consider suicide. Yet a sure-fire scientific link has been lacking. Now, a new study in BMJ, while not offer such a link, nonetheless, suggests the possibility exists. The study examined 5,756 patients between 15 and 49 years old who were prescribed Accutane for severe acne between 1980 and 1990. Ultimately, 128 patients were admitted to a hospital for attempted suicide on 210 occasions and 24 patients committed suicide. After parsing the data and weighing the confounding scenarios, the researchers concluded an increased risk of attempted suicide with Roche’... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4159500 Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:41:37 +0100 4159500 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4142737&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F1dQt1jt-1WM%2F By Jim HarperThe recent European Commission proposal to create a radical and likely near impossible-to-implement “right to be forgotten” provides an opportunity to do some thinking about how privacy norms should be established. In 1961, Italian liberal philosopher and lawyer Bruno Leoni published Freedom and the Law, an excellent, if dense, rumination on law and legislation, which, as he emphasized, are quite different things. Legislation appears today to be a quick, rational, and far-reaching remedy against every kind of evil or inconvenience, as compared with, say, judicial decisions, the settlement of disputes by private arbiters, conventions, customs, and similar kinds of spontaneous adjustments on the part of individuals. A fact that almost always goes unnoticed is that a ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4142737 Mon, 08 Nov 2010 12:06:11 +0100 4142737 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133706&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmonitor-your-heart-rate-with-your-iphone-headphones%2F2010.11.04 Imagine jogging, listening to music, and being able to keep track of your heart rate without needing a special watch or chest belt — common forms of attempting to monitor heart rates while jogging. Now, imagine not requiring any extra peripherals at all — just your iPhone and a special set of headphones that can monitor your heart rate. Swiss technology-transfer company CSEM has created the final prototype for their Pulsear device. It’s a tiny device embedded in a regular earphone and it sends infrared signals through the tissues in your ear to see how fast your heart is beating. A photo diode records the results and sends the information to your phone via the earphone wires. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at iMedicalApps* (Source: Better Healt... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133706 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 22:00:00 +0100 4133706 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4105666&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fis-looking-at-long-term-impossible-in-our-healthcare-system%2F2010.10.25 I spent last week in Gothenburg, Sweden covering the European Committee for the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) meeting. Lots of good science, lots of excitement over the new oral and targeted therapies coming on the market to treat this awful disease. But what I want to write about isn’t the science, but about how it will play out in the brave new world of healthcare in which we all live in today. For instance, consider the first oral therapy to hit the market: Gilenya (fingolimod), which the FDA approved in September. Last month Novartis announced the price: $48,000 a year. This is not a rant against the high cost of drugs, however. It is a rant against the inability of our healthcare system to take the long view of the impact of such drugs, a view that is particularly im... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4105666 Mon, 25 Oct 2010 20:00:00 +0100 4105666 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074445&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FjXyjAatMwKk%2F Good morning, everyone. Another day is on the way, but this one brings us to the weekend. And not a moment too soon, yes? Have any special plans? Watching a ball game? Picking apples? A nap on the couch? For our part, we hope to spend time with Mrs. Pharmalot and all of the Pharmalittles, and catch up with a favorite relative, too. Whatever you do, enjoy. Meanwhile, here are a few items to help you glide through the day. Have a great weekend and see you soon… CVS Fined For Allowing Meth Ingredient Sales (Associated Press) EMA Tightens Guidelines For Impartiality On Commitees (PharmaTimes) Sanofi Says MS Drug Cuts Relapses By 31 Percent (Reuters) Reckitt Fined By UK Regulators Over Heartburn Drug Supplies (Bloomberg News) FDA May Limit Anemia Drugs For Kidney Use (Associated Press) (... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074445 Fri, 15 Oct 2010 11:41:40 +0100 4074445 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4074045&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FWJ03YSL7yfs%2F By Marian L. TupyThe British Telegraph reports that 250 Members of the European Parliament, along with 80 assistants and 70 bureaucrats who work for the center-right European People’s Party in the European Parliament, took a “three-day study break” at the holiday resort on the Portuguese island of Madeira. The taxpayer will pay $500,000 for the trip that included a stay in five-star hotels. The formal program included “a debate on controversial plans by the MEPs to increase the EU budget for 2011.” Great Job if You Can Get It is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4074045 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:09:19 +0100 4074045 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4023134&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FkGRuStkhCj0%2F The European Parliament has rejected a controversial proposal by the European Commission that would have allowed drugmakers to publish product info in consumer newspapers and magazines. The effort was designed to provide more reliable medical advice at a time when the Internet allows widespread dissemination of questionable info, since drugmakers are prevented from circulating data. However, the proposal, which was first introduced nearly two years ago, was criticized for weakening existing EU restrictions on contacts between drugmakers and patients, including a strict ban on US-style direct-to-consumer advertising. Some critics argued the proposal, which was branded ‘advertising in disguise,’ would encourage the inappropriate use of medicines. A ban on DTC advertising on broad... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4023134 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 13:12:03 +0100 4023134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4018216&cid=t_114353_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F09%2F30%2Fhoward-sterns-endless-psychotherapy%2F Howard Stern, the ubiquitous satellite radio talk-show host, is big proponent of psychotherapy. He has noted how he’s been in psychotherapy three times a week for the past few decades, much like Woody Allen. But what kind of psychotherapy is Howard Stern in? And why does it seem endless? This type of intensive, long-term psychotherapy is almost always psychoanalysis — a specific type of psychotherapy that focuses on how a person’s unconscious conflicts impact a person’s everyday functioning. People who undergo psychoanalysis almost always meet with their analyst 2 to 3 times a week, every week, for years on end. Howard Stern has said he sees his analyst 3 times a week, but sometimes feels like he would like to cut down to twice a week. Psychoanalysis is considered a... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4018216 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 17:33:38 +0100 4018216 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4003433&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FhVaD-KOeWNg%2F Two weeks ago, a paper published in PLoS Medicine revealed the extent to which Wyeth used ghostwriting to promote its hormone replacement therapies. The practice was already known, but the paper offered new details thanks to a review of approximately 1,500 documents - emails, contracts, internal memos and depositions - that were culled from litigation brought by some 14,000 women and their families against Wyeth, which is now owned by Pfizer (read it here). At the time, the author of the study, Adriane Fugh-Berman, a Georgetown University professor who runs the PharmedOut project that examines pharmaceutical marketing, disclosed that she has worked as an expert witness in various lawsuits involving prescription drug promotion, including the HRT litigation over Prempro and Premarin. However... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4003433 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:36:03 +0100 4003433 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3968996&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FwcpWDx0iesA%2F By Marian L. TupyThe European Union was meant to create a common market with free movement of goods, services, capital and people. The citizens of the “new” member states, such as the Czech Republic, should have been free to work in the “old” member states, such as Austria, from the date of accession of the “new” members to the EU on May 1, 2004. The Austrian government managed to postpone the horror of having laborers from ex-communist countries offer cheaper services to the Austrian citizenry until 2011. With the 2011 deadline looming, Austrian politicians came up with an ingenious way to make it more difficult for the Czechs and other hoi polloi to enter the Austrian labor market. Beginning next year, it will be “illegal” for Austrian employers to pay less to a foreign l... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3968996 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 19:08:53 +0100 3968996 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3938500&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FtGL1zS2BVPM%2F There is a flurry of activity surrounding the controversial Avandia diabetes pill. The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency says the GlaxoSmithKline drug “no longer has a place on the UK market.” The chair of the European Medicines Agency scientific advisory group on diabetes argues the pill should be withdrawn. And the same sentiment is expressed by the BMJ, a leading medical journal, in an editorial that accompanies an investigation into regulatory footdragging. Moreover, the EMA on Wednesday will hold an extraordinary meeting to review Avandia (see this) in advance of a regularly scheduled meeting later this month that will finalize its decision. “Doctors were advised not to use the tablet in anyone who was at risk of heart failure,” say... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3938500 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 13:22:10 +0100 3938500 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3911865&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FGyZBezQzMNo%2F The controversy over a GlaxoSmithKline pandemic vaccine is now prompting the European Medicines Agency to conduct a review after a “limited number” of cases of narcolepsy were reported following vaccination. Since last September, at least 30.8 million Europeans were vaccinated with Pandemrix, although most reports were filed in Sweden and Finland. In a statement, the EMA says it’s not clear whether vaccine caused the reaction, but the agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) will look examine data to determine whether there is evidence for a causal association. At its meeting next month, the CHMP will consider whether there are any “provisional measures” that need to be taken. The narcolepsy reaction has caused a stir in Finland, where ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3911865 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:48:07 +0100 3911865 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3896094&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FsHvtOzn8FtM%2F Given that patient and consumer groups are increasingly involved in as stakeholders and experts in management and scientific committees at the European Medicines Agency, one activist group decided to survey corporate sponsorship and compliance with disclosure requirements. Health Action International canvassed 23 groups, including those concerned with AIDS, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cancer and diabetes, to gauge financial ties between 2006 and 2008. Here is the study and this is what was found… - Two-thirds of the groups working with the EMA received partial or significant funding from drugmakers or industry associations. All in all, 15 organizations received between 0.2 percent and 99 percent of their annual income from corporate sources, while seven ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3896094 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:51:39 +0100 3896094 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3858378&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FRwAUFTIH1Qg%2F In response to harsh criticism that important side effect information was being kept hidden from the public, the European Medicines Agency has agreed to make adverse events available, and the move is likely to result in additional complaints filed by consumers. The change in policy comes after EMA ombdusman Nikiforos Diamandouros chastised the agency twice in recent months for refusing to release documents containing suspected adverse reactions caused by the Accutane acne med and then two diet pills, Acomplis, which was withdrawn by Sanofi-Aventis, and orlistat, which is sold as Xenical by Roche and as Alli, an over-the-counter med marketed by GlaxoSmithKline (back story here and here). “EMEA plays a crucial role in the approval and monitoring of medicines placed on the market,” he sai... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3858378 Wed, 11 Aug 2010 19:26:24 +0100 3858378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3802585&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FxRiG_6Xlj5o%2F Here’s a radical idea: Congress should amend the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to allow Americans to use new meds once these are approved by the European Medicines Authority. Why? “Congress’s grant of a regulatory monopoly to the FDA is creating a significant obstacle to Americans’ timely access to new medicines,” according to a new report from the Pacific Research Institute, a conservative think tank. By amending the law, the contention is that regulatory competition would increase, patient choice would be expanded and lives could be saved for those suffering life-threatening illnesses without any options. What about safeguard? John Graham, who authored the report, writes that the FDA would retain the power to compel drugmakers to label their meds with a warning that ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3802585 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:34:57 +0100 3802585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3795055&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F_tKJw58uuGI%2F Here’s a question for you: if a company wants to convince regulators that it did nothing wrong in connection with an investigation, should the company cooperate or should the company provide misleading info in hopes of throwing them off any perceived scent? The European Commission says Servier somehow made the wrong choice. And so the EC has charged Servier and Les Laboratoires Servier with providing bad info to the agency, which is seeking evidence that drugmakers in several countries struck anticompetitive deals to stall cheaper generic versions of their own meds after patents had expired or used their dominant market positions to squeeze rivals. EU regulators have said they suspected that Servier did deals with generic rivals Krka, Lupin, Matrix, Niche Generics and Teva to thwart ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3795055 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:45:04 +0100 3795055 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3784499&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FUcVv-aO71-o%2F European regulators just announced a decision that may keep Cephalon execs awake at night, but taking their own Provigil sleep-disorder pill may not be such a good idea. Here’s the scoop: the European Medicines Agency yesterday recommended restricting Provigil (modafinil) to treat sleepiness associated with narcolepsy, but not idiopathic hypersomnia, excessive sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea and chronic shift work sleep disorder. Why? Safety concerns over psychiatric disorders, skin and subcutaneous tissue reactions (see statement). There is an irony here made clear on Cephalon’s unbranded web site - The Wake Up Squad. Among those who work odd shifts and may have trouble sleeping are cops. You wouldn’t want a cop developing a psychiatric disorder now, w... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3784499 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:16:55 +0100 3784499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3740828&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FO-Um2l3abYw%2F And so another work week will soon draw to a close. And not a moment too soon, yes? After the heat of the past few days, a cooling off is a good thing. Our plans are rather modest - a dip in the pool and a bit of exercise which, as always, includes promenading with the official Pharmalot mascots. Of course, some Avandia reading is de rigeur these days, too. Whatever is on your agenda, we hope your weekend is pleasant. Meanwhile, here are some headlines to help you along. Take care… UK’s NICE Rejects Roche’s Avastin For Metastatic Breast Cancer (Bloomberg News) J&J Recalls More Tylenol And OTC Products (Reuters) Alcon Directors Create Legal Fund For Novartis Battle (PharmaTimes) European Regulator Starts Avandia Safety Review (EMA statement) An AIDS Vaccine Appears On... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3740828 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 11:20:32 +0100 3740828 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733154&cid=t_114353_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fstandards-naming-medical-devices Discussion of medical device issues has become part of the mainstream press such as last week's Boston Globe article about their security.   A year ago, I wrote about a breakthrough in medical device interoperability standards for content, vocabulary and transmission.   (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733154 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:15:23 +0100 3733154 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3730096&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FLnS1R8Akp9w%2F That’s the implication of a new survey released by the European Union, whose antitrust regulators have been raiding drugmakers in several countries seeking evidence they struck anticompetitive deals or used their dominant market positions to squeeze rivals. Last year, EU competition commissioner Neelie Kroes issued a report saying delays in bringing generic drugs to market cost consumers and healthcare providers billions (back story here and here). Now, the EU says the number of patent settlements that are “potentially problematic” under EU antitrust rules fell to 9, or 10 percent of 93 such deals between July 2008 and December 2009 compared with 45, or 22 percent of the 207 deals in the period covered in last year’s inquiry, which was January 2000 to June 2008. And... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3730096 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:46:31 +0100 3730096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3721959&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F3SCWQiuzi24%2F Angered by the moves European nations are taking to cut drug prices, one big drugmaker commissioned a study that finds - guess what? - price cuts will severely reduce the number of new meds making it to market. The study was undertaken by the European School of Management and Technology’s Competition Analysis and funded by Novartis. The Berlin-based group claims to have modeled and quantified a “direct link between strict regulation and low innovation.” And the new meds that are likely to be “hit hardest under tough pricing regulation” include drugs for treating heart disease, multiple sclerosis and chronic meningitis, as well as antibiotics. “Our study shows the consequences that pricing and reimbursement regulation can have on pharmaceutical innovation... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3721959 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:43:21 +0100 3721959 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3718382&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FsPvhQSrvB5M%2F By Daniel J. MitchellMany people assume that Europe is the land of high-tax welfare states and America is an outpost of laissez-faire capitalism. We should be so lucky. The burden of government in America is still lower than it is in the average European nation, but the United States is a lot closer to France than it is to Hong Kong — and the trend is not comforting. We recently endured the embarrassing spectacle of President Obama arguing with Europeans that they should increase the burden of government spending. Now we have a new report from the European Commission indicating that the average corporate tax rate in member nations of the European Union has plummeted to just 23.5 percent while the corporate tax rate in the U.S. has stagnated at 35 percent. In the past dozen years a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3718382 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:10:33 +0100 3718382 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3714446&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FFqkAyZSwyTE%2F Is anyone surprised? German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet has approved legislation that will require drugmakers and insurers to negotiate prices of new drugs based on cost-effectiveness, PharmaTimes reports. However, the bill would also allow drugmakers to set unilateral prices if agreement with insurers is not reached after 15 months. The legislation must still be approved by the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, which this month backed proposals to increase rebates paid to manufacturers on patented drugs but also set price limits, PharmaTimes notes, adding that the measures could go into effect by January and save about $2 billion next year. The 5.3 percent rise in drug spending last year by public health insurers - which cover over 70 percent of Germany’s 82 million po... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3714446 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:05:08 +0100 3714446 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3699705&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FRuhuV7m-ktM%2F In a move to strengthen standards and burnish images, the trade group for Europe’s drugmakers has released a new ‘leadership statement on ethical practices‘ that calls for limiting samples, tougher guidelines for sales reps, new standards for industry sponsorship of medical meetings so that science is not “overshadowed,” greater disclosure of relationships with patient advocacy organizations and create ethics councils for oversight. High on the list is sampling. The members of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations agreed to limit the practice by creating a “four by two” plan - four packets per doctor and for no longer than two years after the launch of a new drug. Unlike in the US, where samples are often doled out t... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3699705 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 12:33:03 +0100 3699705 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3676641&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F183991%2F Want to drink clean water while saving the earth? Leave a comment about why you want to filter your water by Sunday at 6 p.m. ET, and you’ll be automatically entered to win one of five Mavea Digital Water Filtration Pitchers! Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3676641 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 17:27:37 +0100 3676641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3662645&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fwant-this-cool-european-water-filter-pitcher-from-mavea-enter-this-weeks-giveaway%2F Hey, Blisstree Readers! Five of you could win this cool, new water filtration pitcher from Mavea if you enter this week’s giveaway! At Blisstree, we like water filtration pitchers because they mean less petroleum used to make plastic water bottles, lower transportation costs and CO2 emissions from flying and trucking cases of plastic water bottles, and, hopefully, fewer plastic water bottles clogging up landfills around the world. That’s why we’re partnering with Mavea for this week’s super-cool giveaway. 5 Lucky Blisstree Readers Will Win:* One Mavea Digital Water Filtration Pitcher (retail value: $36.99 – $39.99) New to the United States, Mavea water filtration pitchers are crafted in Germany using the latest technology, high-quality materials, and sleek... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3662645 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 20:45:45 +0100 3662645 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3648462&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Feco-friendly-stadiums-for-south-africas-2010-world-cup%2F Photo via Inhabitat The World Cup is rapidly approaching, and South Africa is keeping it eco-friendly. Five stadiums that will be used in the games all embody some environmentally-friendly practices. Two are new, two are old, and one is remodeled, but all are leaning toward being as “green” as possible in their own specific ways. The new stadiums were built with solar power capabilities; are flexible enough to be used for other events in the future; and one even has a rainwater collection system. While the older stadiums aren’t equipped with solar panels or anything high-tech, they’re age helps make them environmentally friendly. Rather than tearing down perfectly good, usable stadiums, opting to use preexisting structures is definitely a responsible choice. Finally... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3648462 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:48:02 +0100 3648462 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3645053&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FjrKPyYmQRNQ%2F For the second time in two months, the European Medicines Agency has been criticized by its ombudsman for refusing to release data about drugs. Last month, Nikiforos Diamandouros chastised the EMA for refusing to release documents containing suspected adverse reactions caused by Accutane (background). This time, he upbraided the agency for not allowing outside investigators access to clinical trial data on two obesity pills - Acomplis, which was withdrawn by Sanofi-Aventis, and orlistat, which is sold as Xenical by Roche and as Alli, an over-the-counter med marketed by GlaxoSmithKline. Researchers at the Nordic Cochrane Centre wanted to conduct an independent analysis given that, in their view, biased reporting on drug trials was common, according to Diamandouros. But the EMA refused to pr... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3645053 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:21:12 +0100 3645053 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3618092&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FVcXlT15h6x4%2F Welcome back. We hope you had a nice weekend. It was a long one here in the states. Now, of course, the routine has returned and that means a to-do list complete with meetings and deadlines. So grab that cup of stimulation and get ready for another day. To help you along, here are a few items of interest. Have a good one and stay in touch… Glaxo Settles More Avandia Lawsuits (Reuters) AstraZeneca Gets Complete Response Letter For Axanum (Bloomberg News) EMA Urges Cooperation On Overseas Trials (Outsourcing Pharma) UK’s NICE Rejects Novartis’ Xolair For Children (Reuters) CSL Recalls Flu As Side Effects Rise (Bloomberg News) Singapore Considers Mandatory HPV Vaccination (AsiaOne) Elan Optimistic On Sale Of Drug Delivery Unit (InPharmaTechnologist) (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3618092 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:03:14 +0100 3618092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3612059&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FS5t3q0lIN2A%2F More fallout from the European debt crisis. Novo Nordisk has yanked its diabetes product from Greece after the government instituted substantial price cuts of up to 25 percent on hundreds of medicines (see background), which the Danish drugmaker claims would force it to lose money on top of the $36 million it is already owned by the Greek government. More than 50,000 Greek diabetics use Novo Nordisk’s insulin product, which is injected with a fountain pen-like device and, not surprisingly, a patient association called the move a “brutal capitalist blackmail” and a “violation of corporate responsbility,” according to the BBC. UPDATE: The Leo Pharma is also suspending sales of a blood thinner and a psoriasis med, and says the price cuts will cause job losses ac... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3612059 Sun, 30 May 2010 13:38:29 +0100 3612059 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3592409&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F9tRmMfqC4sQ%2F Welcome back, everyone. We hope your weekend was pleasant and restful. Now, of course, the routine returns. As always, we are brewing the mandatory cup of stimulation as we map out the week ahead. With meetings and deadlines looming, here are a few items to keep you abreast of events. Hope the days goes well and do stay in touch… Pfizer Gave Union ‘False Hope’ About Facility (The News-Journal) Pharmacists Want Compensation From Glaxo (Stuff.co.nz) Quintiles Lays Off No. Carolina Employees (Triangle Business Journal) ASCO Briefing Highlights Promising Data (PharmaTimes) Contract Pharmaceutical Closing NY Plant, Axing 260 Jobs (Associated Press) WHO Says EU Drug Seizures Were Improper (The Hindu) (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3592409 Mon, 24 May 2010 11:53:08 +0100 3592409 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3585834&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FVdz_VujSqUg%2F Once again, another working week will soon draw to a close. As always, we look forward to spending time with the short and not-so-short people, walking the Pharmalot mascot and, if time permits, dancing the zydeco cha-cha. What about you? Perhaps a walk in the woods? A drive to the beach? A cozy nap? Whatever you do, here are a few items to help speed the day along before you head out. Have a great weekend, everyone… Aspen Pharma Offers $1.24B For Sigma Pharma (Bloomberg News) Abbott Pays $3.7B For Piramal Unit (Associated Press) The EMA Is Criticized By The Lancet For Its Decisions (Reuters) Roche Study Shows Cancer May Become Chronic Disease (Dow Jones) Statins Raise Risk Of Cataracts, Kidney Disease: Study (Bloomberg News) India Arrests Two Pharma Owners For Spurious Meds (Indian ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3585834 Fri, 21 May 2010 11:39:10 +0100 3585834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3573939&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fzo7NBIKNNso%2F How gloomy is the outlook among pharma execs? A new survey finds 82 percent predict big drugmakers won’t be able to innovate sufficiently internally to replenish their dwindling pipelines. And this deperation will lead to still more acquisitions - 68 percent believe substantial acquisition activity will occur within the next two years and 19 percent anticipating “major activity” within the next year. Those who believe the glass is half full think the improved economic situation means pharma should have confidence to proceed with mergers - 63 per cent think the climate for doing business and access to funding have improved in the past year. The survey of 381 pharma execs was just released by Marks & Clerk, a large patent law firm in the UK, so it’s hard to know ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3573939 Tue, 18 May 2010 15:55:58 +0100 3573939 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3552545&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FI42DKu7h6mE%2F The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) recently refused to release documents containing suspected adverse reactions caused by Accutane (which is called Roaccutane in the UK), after a law firm in two years ago Ireland requested info that dated back to 1992. At issue were reports linking the acne drug to suicidal tendencies, a topic that has been the subject of controversy and litigation for years (see here). And so European Ombudsman Nikiforos Diamandouros yesterday vigorously disagreed with the EMEA argument that transparency rules do not apply to these reports. “EMEA plays a crucial role in the approval and monitoring of medicines placed on the market,” he said in a statement. “Since its work has a direct impact on the health of European citizens, it is of utmost importanc... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3552545 Tue, 11 May 2010 12:42:17 +0100 3552545 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3549567&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FI_HEEGxSij0%2F Welcome to the working week. We hope your weekend was pleasant and gave you a chance to refresh. Now, of course, the routine resumes, which means those meetings and deadlines loom once again. To prepare, we have assembled a few interesting items to jumpstart what is, so far, a sunny day. Meanwhile, we will brew yet another cup of stimulation. Have a good one and do stay in touch… NiCox Painkiller Heads For FDA Panel Review (PharmaTimes) Sandoz Building In Denver Catches Fire (The Denver Post) Teva And Baxter To Fight $500M Damages In Propofol Case (Bloomberg News) Spain Should Encourage Docs To Prescribe Generics (PharmaTimes) Cipla Revenue Forecast Misses Target (Bloomberg News) Boehringer Ingelheim To Accelerate M&A In China (Global Times) Merck To Shift India Office To Mumbai... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3549567 Mon, 10 May 2010 11:33:24 +0100 3549567 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3538073&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FEQCaFPBUZ_A%2F By Ilya ShapiroI recently returned from a short vacation — had to get it in before the Supreme Court begins announcing decisions in this year’s big cases and the president nominates a replacement for Justice Stevens — but it seems that I’m a chump for paying for it myself.  While I was gone, the EU’s commissioner for enterprise and industry, one Antonio Tajani, declared that vacationing is a human right, one that ought to be paid for by the taxpayers: Tajani, who unveiled his plan last week at a ministerial conference in Madrid, believes the days when holidays were a luxury have gone. “Travelling for tourism today is a right. The way we spend our holidays is a formidable indicator of our quality of life,” he said. Tajani, who used to be transport commis... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3538073 Thu, 06 May 2010 12:58:41 +0100 3538073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3534102&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F1zp-ai1enLI%2F The proposed Free Trade Agreement between India and the European Union will stipulate that “there should be no limit on India’s capacity to produce and export life-saving medicines,” an EU official tells PharmaTimes. Moreover, an internal EU customs regulation will be changed to ensure there are no further seizures by EU customs officials of drugs made in India that pass through Europe on their way to Africa and Latin America, according to Daniele Smadja, Ambassador of the EU Delegation to India. “We are committed that what had happened a year and a half ago doesn’t happen again,” the EU official adds, referring to 18 seizures of Indian-made meds at EU ports, which were made based on claims by drugmakers that the meds contravened their EU patents. However, Indian drugmakers... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3534102 Wed, 05 May 2010 12:09:58 +0100 3534102 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3526948&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FHRhBG5g3S6Y%2F The controversy over the Avandia diabetes pill has now engulfed the European Heart Journal, which revealed in an April 23 editorial that GlaxoSmithKline’s research chief, Moncef Slaoui, wrote a letter urging the editors not to publish in print an online version of an editorial written last January by Steve Nissen, the Cleveland Clinic cardiologist who has been at the center of the storm. His piece ran in conjunction with an analysis of one of Glaxo’s own clinical trials. Why did Slaoui take such an unusual step? Glaxo, of course, has been on the defensive ever since Nissen published a meta-analysis in 2007 indicating previously undisclosed cardiovascular risks with the widely used diabetes pill (background). And shortly after the EHJ paper and editorials were published, the Sen... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3526948 Mon, 03 May 2010 12:18:37 +0100 3526948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3511778&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FS_rvf1h3hFg%2F Top of the morning to you. Another shiny day here on the Pharmalot corporate campus, where another cup of stimulation is brewing. What will today bring? Meetings and deadlines, no doubt. To help you cope, here are a few items to jumpstart the process. We hope your day goes and do stay in touch… Icahn Wants To Fix A ‘Broken’ Genzyme (Reuters) EU Legislators Want Internet Drug Sales Regulated (PharmaTimes) Swine Flu Lifts Glaxo Profits (Reuters) Medco Gains On New Clients (Associated Press) Merck KGgA Profit Beats Estimate (Bloomberg News) Pfizer Hopes For New Biotech Drugs (The Wall Street Journal) $$ Coffee pix thx to chichcacha flickr creative commons (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3511778 Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:49:11 +0100 3511778 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3408638&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=38374&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2FrSw-8MDd5xs%2Fstudy-shows-europe-leading-in-health.html (Source: ePharma Summit) ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3408638 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:01:00 +0100 3408638 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3408356&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FTE1FZr8ft2I%2F By Daniel J. MitchellGreece is in trouble for a combination of reasons. Government spending is far too excessive, diverting resources from more efficient uses. The bureaucracy is too large and paid too much, resulting in a misallocation of labor. And tax rates are too high, further hindering the productive sector of the economy. Europe’s political class wants to bail out Greece’s profligate government. The official reason for a bailout, to protect the euro currency, makes no sense. After all, if Illinois or California default, that would not affect the strength (or lack thereof) of the dollar. To understand what is really happening in Europe, it is always wise to look at what politicians are doing and ignore what they are saying. Political union is the religion of Europe’... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3408356 Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:06:32 +0100 3408356 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3398891&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FjRIfgHvCGxE%2F By Daniel J. MitchellGreece’s fiscal disarray is a visible manifestation of Europe’s future, but the most appropriate symbol of what’s wrong with the continent comes from Brussels, where there are three “presidents” fighting over the right to represent Europe at international gatherings. The contestants include the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Council, and the European Union President (which rotates every six months among different national leaders). While these three personalities fight over who gets to sit where and shake hands first, the real problem is that they all agree that government should be bigger, taxes should be higher, and power should be more centralized as part of the effort to create a superstate in Bruss... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3398891 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:47:22 +0100 3398891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3383084&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FbE0Kh-Z1OvI%2F And so another working week will soon draw to a close. Although several more hours of deadlines and meetings may lie ahead, the time has come to think dreamy thoughts about what you will do this weekend. We, for instance, will tidy up the Pharmalot corporate campus, take a long walk and happily watch one of our short people in a school performance. While you ponder your own possibilities, here are a few items to help speed things along. Whatever you do, have a great time… Pfizer CEO Kindler Named PhRMA Chairman (press release) Somaxon Wins FDA Approval For Insomnia Drug (Associated Press) Florida Limits Foster Care Reliance On Psychotropics (Tampa Bay Tribune) New Attack On EU Plan For Patient Drug Info (PharmaTimes) photo thx to tipiro on Flickr creative commons (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3383084 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:58:21 +0100 3383084 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3342894&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F3sVDL2lxzTA%2F A confidential report issued last fall by Novartis on behalf of several drugmakers that sell ADHD meds concludes it isn’t feasible to conduct an observational, comparative long-term study to validate a signal of adverse psychiatric or cognitive outcomes from the long-term use of methylphenidate in children and adolescents with ADHD. Methylphenidate is sold as Ritalin and Concerta, for instance. The 18-page report, which recently began circulating on the Internet, was compiled in response to a requirement issued last year by the European Commission to conduct such a study after the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use expressed concerns about safety issues, including sudden death, cerebrovascular disorders and psychiatric disorders as well as the effects on growth (see here)... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3342894 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:43:34 +0100 3342894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3331276&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FPF4QysQiVgg%2F By Daniel J. MitchellFiscal crises have a predictable pattern. Step 1 occurs when the economy is prospering and tax revenues are growing faster than forecast. Step 2 is when politicians use the additional money to increase government spending. Step 3 is that politicians do not treat the extra tax revenue like a temporary windfall and budget accordingly.Instead, they adopt policies – more entitlements, more bureaucrats – that permanently expand the burden of the public sector. Step 4 occurs when the economy stumbles (in part because more resources are being diverted from the productive sector to the government) and tax revenues stagnate. If the resulting fiscal gap is large enough, as it is in places such as Greece and California, a crisis atmosphere is created. Step 5 takes pla... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3331276 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:53:29 +0100 3331276 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3302304&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F616ciamU-w8%2F By José PineraThe Maastricht Treaty requires countries in the eurozone not to exceed a public debt of 60% of GDP. Well, now almost all of them have an official debt exceeding that ceiling. But the situation is immensely worse because European states also have huge, and largely hidden, unfunded liabilities arising from their pension and health systems. According to a 2009 study by my colleague Jagadeesh Gokhale, the true debt of the 25 European countries is, on average, 434% of GDP. And the treaties that underpin European integration do not say a word about such debt. Greece’s true debt is 875% of GDP and its current problems are just the first act of the coming fiscal bankruptcy of Europe. In my 2004 essay “Will the Pension Time Bomb Sink the Euro?”, I concluded that... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3302304 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:27:26 +0100 3302304 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283513&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FGWP-H_AollQ%2F By Chris Moody A few things you might not know about rail travel: “Automobiles in intercity travel are as energy efficient as Amtrak. Cars are getting more energy efficient, while boosting Amtrak trains to higher speeds will make them less energy efficient.” The list goes on… Quiz Time! Which was the only country in the 27-nation European Union to register economic growth without going through a recession last year? The answer might surprise you. Unionized teachers refuse to work 25 minutes more a day, so Rhode Island town fires all of them. Arnold Kling on Haiti, poverty, and capitalism. Podcast: This is what happens to American jobs when you have one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283513 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:42:29 +0100 3283513 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283667&cid=t_114353_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclinicalit.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F02%2Feurope-has-no-mobile-health-policy.html Europe "has no mobile health policy," is what Jaakko Aarnio, a project officer in the European Commission's Information Society and Media directorate, told me at the recent mHealth Initiative conference in Washington.Want to know more? Read the story I wrote for E-Health Europe last week. (Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog) Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283667 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 06:50:00 +0100 3283667 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3276081&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FwCnXGEF-d30%2F Western Europeans spend an estimated $14.3 billion each a year on illicit meds, many of which are believed to be counterfeit, according to a new survey sponsored by Pfizer. Overall, 21 percent of 14,000 people surveyed in 14 countries say they bought meds illicitly, ranging from 38 percent in Germany to 10 in the Netherlands. The purchases occurred over the Internet or on overseas trips, in nightclub and through friends. Weight-loss pills accounted for nearly half of all online purchases, followed by prescription drugs for the flu, impotence, smoking cessation and painkillers. Separately, Syria recently shut down a ring selling counterfeit meds in the Middle East, The Wall Street Journal reports. Jim Thomson, chairman of the European Alliance for Access to Safe Medicines, which receives in... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3276081 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:55:37 +0100 3276081 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3193697&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FX0t9lgDap4g%2F By Daniel J. MitchellAmerica may have dodged the bullet of Obamacare thanks to voters in Massachusetts, but even if the left ultimately succeeds in expanding government’s control of health care, the United States will still have more freedom than Europe. It seems that the European Union’s governing entities, the European Commission and the semi-ceremonial European Parliament, combine the worst features of statism and collectivism from the entire continent. The Euro-crats make lots of noises about subsidiarity and other policies to leave decision making in the hands of national and local governments, but virtually every policy coming from Brussels is a new power grab for unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats. The latest example is possible EU-wide driving laws for the purposes... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3193697 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:59:50 +0100 3193697 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3189404&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FVsrkCRoIe2s%2F Top of the morning to you. And a sunny one it is here on the Pharmalot corporate campus. Just the same, staring out the window isn’t an option - there is work to be done. And so we have scoured about for a few interesting items to help us all get started. Hope your day goes well and do be in touch… EU Widens Generic Anti-Trust Probe (Financial Times) Alcon Group Calls Novartis Bid Inadequate (TheStreet.com) Nelson Labs Plans To Create 300 Jobs (OutsourcingPharma) Japan Approves Three Novartis Drugs (Reuters) (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3189404 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:08:51 +0100 3189404 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3189321&cid=t_114353_131_f&fid=34994&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gnxp.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F01%2Fwhere-are-paleolithic-europeans.php Over at my other blog I have a review up of a new paper in PLoS Biology. The authors argue that a particular Y haplogroup lineage, R1b1b2, which has often been assumed to be a marker of indigenous Paleolithic Europeans (i.e., those who were extant before the rise of agriculture and the spread of farmers), is actually a signature of Anatolians who brough agriculture. This probably isn't too surprising for the genetic genealogy nuts among the readers. After I got a copy of this paper I poked around the internet and the general finding that R1b1b2 was very diverse in the eastern Mediterranean seems to have been well known among the genetic genealogy community (also see Anatole Klyosov's paper and what he says about Basques specifically). And then in eastern Europe you have R1a1, which seems t... Gene Expression blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3189321 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:22:00 +0100 3189321 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3171839&cid=t_114353_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F14%2Fprioritise-our-health-10-areas-for-action%2F Title: Prioritise our Health 10 Areas for Action Skinny: Broadsheet which identifies the following  priorities for the North West Health Brussels Office Health Impact and Health Equity Assessment in all policies Health Inequalities Worklessness and Health Demographic change Migration Alcohol Tobacco Nutrition and Healthy Agriculture Transport Climate Change Publisher: North West Health Brussels Office Size of Publication: 2p. Published: January 2010 Posted in Grey Literature, Public Health Tagged: Advocacy, European Community, Grey Literature, Priorties, Public Health (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3171839 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:11:33 +0100 3171839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3171843&cid=t_114353_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F14%2Fthe-north-west-health-community-five-years-at-the-heart-of-the-eu%2F Title: The North West health community: Five years at the heart of the EU Skinny: The North West Health Brussels Office (NWHBO) has acts as a dedicated North West resource in Brussels, promoting the interests of the North West health community in Europe, facilitating lobbying on EU policies that impact the NHS and on wider health issues and assisting in developing European partnerships and projects for public health objectives.  Now in their fifth year this is their annual report Publisher: North West Health Brussels Office Size of Publication: 16p. Published: January 2010 Posted in Grey Literature, Human Resources, Interagency Relations, Legislation, Public Health, Risk Evaluation Tagged: Advocacy, Capacity, European Community, Financial Management, Grey Literatuer, Interagency Relations... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3171843 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 08:24:18 +0100 3171843 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3171882&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F421zmODqqbw%2F By Sallie JamesThe nominee for EU Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht has taken the brave step of opposing carbon tariffs, called for by many European politicians (including, notably, French President Nicolas Sarkozy). In the first day of his confirmation hearings, Mr. de Gucht expressed concern that carbon tariffs were a possible first step in a “trade war” and implied that they were in any event inconsistent with current trade law. (I agree.) He also called for abolishing tariffs on goods beneficial to the environment as a trade-friendly way to reduce greenhouse gases, and expressed support for the Doha round of multilateral trade talks. (More here.) While the Trade Commissioner’s influence over actual trade policy in the EU is arguably limited, it is good to have some... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3171882 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:45:08 +0100 3171882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3167055&cid=t_114353_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F13%2Fthe-new-eu-remedies-directive-proven-procurement-is-of-the-essence%2F Title: The new EU Remedies Directive: proven procurement is of the essence The Skinny: Briefing to raise awareness amongst NHS managers involved in procurement of the key changes to the rules and to highlight new provisions in the law which public authorities can use to protect themselves from challenge.  Key points: Revised EU rules will improve access to rapid and effective review procedures for suppliers who allege that public authorities have not acted in accordance with EU public procurement rules Risk of dissuasive new fines, the possibility of having contracts shortened and contracts overturned Ineffectiveness will apply where there has been a direct illegal award of a contract, a serious breach of procurement rules, coupled with a failure offer effective review. Ten-day ‘stands... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3167055 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:32:14 +0100 3167055 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3164046&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FipITQPUrxU8%2F Morning, everyone. Nice to see you again. A busy week, yes? But that’s to be expected in January, when conferences and earnings are omnipresent. With so much to do, we hope you have time to stop for a cup of something stimulating now and then, and of course, to catch up on events. Here are a few items to help you along… Dendreon Sees Full Provenge Capacity By Mid-2011 (Reuters) EU Steps Up Antitrust Probe (Bloomberg News) FDA Rejects Wider Use Of Forest Drug (Associated Press) (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3164046 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:47:19 +0100 3164046 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3145922&cid=t_114353_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F06%2Fnhs-european-office-policy-priorities-2010%2F Title: NHS European Office: policy priorities 2010 The Skinny: Identifies the following priorities for the NHS European Office in monitoring and disseminating information about risks arising from EU regulation in the following areas. Patient mobility Research and Innovation Competition and Public Procurement Employment Quality and Safety of Health Care Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Environment Commercial Transactions Publisher: NHS Confederation Size of Publication: 2p Published: 05/01/2010 Posted in Grey Literature, Legislation, NHS, Public Sector, Quality Tagged: Commercial Transactions, Commissioning, Competition, Drug Therapy, Employment, Environment, European Union, Grey Literature, Health and Safety, Horizon Scanning, Innovation, Legislation, Medical Technology, Patient Mobil... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3145922 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:50:17 +0100 3145922 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3139027&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5cnr37D9Ntk%2F By Daniel J. MitchellWhile American politicians are experts when it comes to squandering money, they may not be the world’s most profligate group of lawmakers. To be sure, American politicians sometimes give big piles of other people’s money to bail out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but the politicians at the European Commission in Brussels engage in similar forms of corporate welfare with their Emissions Trading Scheme. The overall burden of government is heavier in Europe, so that certainly suggests that there are greater opportunities to waste money, but what makes the European Commission special is that it is insulated from democratic accountability and there is no system of checks and balances. So even though the actual amount of money spent by Brussels is small compared to ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3139027 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:15:22 +0100 3139027 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3096795&cid=t_114353_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F17%2Fa-guide-to-the-implications-of-the-european-working-time-directive-for-doctors-in-training%2F Title: Guide to the implications of the European Working Time Directive for doctors in training Skinny: Provides clarity on the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) by giving guidance using the views of experts who have already considered most issues arising from the EWTD, implemented in the UK as the Working Time Directive Regulations 1998/the Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 and subsequent amendments. Where a definition already exists by statute or regulation, this is noted; but in other situations a consensus view is given. The purpose of this document is: to address common themes arising to provide clarity around frequently asked questions (FAWs) posed by junior doctors to signpost to the best sources of information Publisher: DH Size of Publication: 41p. Published:... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3096795 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:00:51 +0100 3096795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3075768&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FhLbbtK8CMzs%2F European Union antitrust regulators have raided drug makers in several countries seeking evidence they struck anticompetitive deals or used their dominant market positions to squeeze rivals. No companies were named and the raids were described as a preliminary step in an antitrust investigation (see the statement). Two months ago, the European Commission raided several drugmakers, including Sanofi-Aventis and Novartis, on suspicion they violated antitrust rules by deliberately stalling cheaper generic versions of their own meds after patents had expired. Last July, you may recall, European Union competition commissioner Neelie Kroes issued a report saying that delays in bringing generic drugs to the market had cost consumers and healthcare providers billions. Until now, the EU has only g... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3075768 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:54:03 +0100 3075768 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3067023&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FpYS4jNbVURM%2F By Chris Moody How the European Union can bring peace to the Middle East. Nat Hentoff on the health care debate: “We do not elect the president and Congress to decide how short our lives will be. That decision is way above their pay grades.” Video: What can autism teach us about economics? Cato’s Malou Innocent debates the troop build up in Afghanistan. Over at Cato Unbound, experts discuss the positive and negative outcomes of modernity. Podcast: Driverless cars? They aren’t as far away as you think. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3067023 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:28:40 +0100 3067023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3040018&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FMml5A5AlVqM%2F Given the ongoing controversy over conflicts of interest involving the pharmaceutical industry, a group of researchers sought to gauge the extent to which this may be a problem among European regulators - specifically, the Irish Medicines Board, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in the United Kingdom and the European Medicines Agency in the European Union. And so they examined three issues - What are the policies and procedures within each agency for dealing with conflicts of interest? Is there COI between senior people employed by these agencies and people in their key advisory committees and the pharmaceutical industry? Is information about employees’ and advisers’ COI made public? Their findings, which were published in Social Science & Medicine, s... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3040018 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:50:22 +0100 3040018 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3012635&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F-eNDgyd6tvY%2F Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us and we’ll share with it others. That’s right. Send us your announcements and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is coming and going, especially with all the layoffs. Despite the downsizing, there is movement. Here are some of the latest changes. Recognize anyone? XOMA hired James Neal as vp business development; Trubion Pharmaceuticals named Steven Gillis as acting president; Depomed promoted William Callahan to vp; Watson Pharmaceuticals hired Robert Stewart as senior vp global operations; Almac hired Helen McKeever as preclinical program manager; Alticure Research appointed C. Kannan Janakiraman as ceo and president; The European ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3012635 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:02:19 +0100 3012635 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3012367&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fa0maiZnSIE0%2F European Union to install its first president. How delayed economic reform in India killed 14.5 million children. More details, here. It always starts with “good intentions:” How urban planners destroyed the small-town atmosphere in Portland, Oregon and made congestion even worse. Lots of talk but little action from the Obama administration on education. Podcast: If the Obama administration was serious about job creation in the stimulus plan, why weren’t dollars targeted at states with higher unemployment? (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3012367 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:22:51 +0100 3012367 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3008398&cid=t_114353_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Ft6ZU5VDBXYA%2F European regulators will ask brand-name drugmakers for details of their deals with generic companies as part a crackdown on firms suspected of blocking cheaper treatments, a European Commission official disclosed, according to Reuters. Last July, you may recall, European Union competition commissioner Neelie Kroes issued a report saying that delays in bringing generic drugs to the market had cost consumers and healthcare providers billions. And last month, the European Commission raided several drugmakers on suspicion they had violated rules against restrictive business practices and abuse of a dominant position. “We will ask companies to give a copy of patent settlements between July 2008 to December 2009,” Dominik Schnichels, who heads the commission’s pharma taskforce,... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3008398 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:54:42 +0100 3008398 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2995721&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fy3R99EEk9EE%2F The clever folks at the Taxpayers Alliance in the United Kingdom have a new video documenting some of the wasteful European Union programs that are imposing a heavy burden on average people. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2995721 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:13:03 +0100 2995721 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2943767&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fzl4m-1AWJD0%2F Bastien François, a professor of political science at the Sorbonne, writes that “The French political system is incomprehensible to the rest of the world… In France we call it a republican monarchy. That phrase says it all.” Indeed, according to the press, a £250,000 ($413,000) shower with air conditioning and radio surround sound that was “built to the exact specifications of the French President Nicolas Sarkozy” was paid for by the EU taxpayer during the French Presidency of the European Union in July 2008.  It was “disposed of soon afterwards, unused, together with most of the equipment bought for the £16million ($26 million) conference.” The press also reported “other expenses included £1million ($1.65 million) spent on the opening dinner alone – more... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2943767 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:42:21 +0100 2943767 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2924777&cid=t_114353_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F25%2Fprotecting-the-nhs-in-relation-to-patient-mobility-and-cross-border-healthcare-draft-regulations-and-guidance%2F Title: Draft Guidance: Cross Border Healthcare & Patient Mobility Skinny: Case law from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on patient mobility under Article 49 of the EU Treaty means that patients are able to seek any healthcare (including private care) in another European Economic Area (EEA) Member State, and, as long as they are entitled to the treatment in question under their home healthcare system, they are eligible to have their costs reimbursed. For patients travelling from the UK, this reimbursement can be up to the level of the cost for the same treatment provided in the UK under the NHS. Any additional costs must be met by the individual. The draft regulations and draft accompanying guidance is intended to provide greater clarity to the NHS about the application of case law ... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2924777 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:00:43 +0100 2924777 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2916403&cid=t_114353_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F21%2Fendocytes-ec145-produces-significant-anti-tumor-activity-in-advanced-stage-chemoresistant-ovarian-cancer-patients%2F Endocyte, Inc., … presented data from a Phase 2a clinical trial for EC145, … In 49 women with advanced-stage ovarian cancer, EC145 was shown to have anti-tumor activity in a significant percentage of participants in the trial. …[T]he overall disease control rate, defined as stable disease, partial or complete response to therapy, was 40.8 [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2916403 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:00:40 +0100 2916403 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2857396&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fjh7W_QCtAME%2F Bush-era surveillance powers are set to expire at the end of this year. Julian Sanchez explores the efforts to revise the PATRIOT Act. More on the medical professionals who aided in acts of torture. Doug Bandow: Ireland is holding a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty on Friday. If the Irish say yes, the European Union will be stronger. But will anyone notice? How urban planners caused the housing bubble. The aftermath of  “Cash for Clunkers” hits automakers. Looks like it just might have been the “dumbest program ever” after all. Podcast: “Three Felonies a Day“ (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2857396 Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:35:11 +0100 2857396 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2820460&cid=t_114353_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Feuropean-multiple-sclerosis-news%2F Last month, the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) held its annual congress in Germany.  I haven’t even begun to pore over the information that was discussed at this important conference. This past spring, as you may recall, I blogged “live” from the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting here in Seattle.  Though a trip to Düsseldorf was kind of out of our budget range, I wanted to give you a link to someone who did make the trip and video blogged from the Congress for MS World. Dr. Daniel Kantor attended the conference and posted daily information.  I’ve found the audio quality a bit shaky on some parts of the videos but overall they are worth a look.  You may remember MS World from our “Tech Resources” posting from thi... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2820460 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:35:48 +0100 2820460 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2712043&cid=t_114353_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F18%2Fstatutory-instruments-for-human-resources-payroll%2F SI 2009 No. 2050. Income Tax. The Income and Corporation Taxes (Electronic Certificates of Deduction of Tax and Tax Credit) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 SI 2009 No. 2047 Income Tax. The Pensions Schemes (Application of UK Provisions to Relevant Non-UK Schemes) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 SI 2009 No. 2031. Income Tax. The Special Annual Allowance Charge (Application to Members of Currently-Relieved Non-UK Pension Schemes) Order 2009 SI 2009 No. 2029 Income Tax. The Income Tax (Pay As You Earn) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2009 SI 2009 No. 1989. Income Tax. The Taxation of Pension Schemes (Transitional Provisions) (Amendment No. 2) Order 2009 SI 2009 No. 1976 (L. 20). Tribunals And Inquiries. The Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (General Regulatory Chamber) Rules 2009 SI 2009 No. ... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2712043 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:20:10 +0100 2712043 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2712044&cid=t_114353_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F18%2Frecent-health-related-statutory-instruments-10%2F SI 2009 No. 1993. Health Care And Associated Professions. Osteopaths. The General Osteopathic Council (Registration of Osteopaths with United Kingdom Qualifications that are not Recognised Qualifications) Rules Order of Council 2009 SI 2009 No. 1928. National Health Service, England. The Hillingdon Hospital National Health Service Trust (Transfer of Trust Property) Order 2009 SI 2009 No. 1924. Education, England. The Education (Miscellaneous Amendments relating to Safeguarding Children) (England) Regulations 2009 SI 2009 No. 1918 Human Fertilisation And Embryology. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Special Exemption) Regulations 2009 SI 2009 No. 1898. Children And Young Persons, England And Wales. Social Care, England And Wales. The Voluntary Adoption Agencies and the Adoption Agenci... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2712044 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:19:18 +0100 2712044 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2660725&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=34595&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnhsblogdoc.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fdangers-of-young-surgeons.html The effects of the Eurpoean working time directive and been creeping in for some years. I wrote about it in 2006Ten to fifteen years ago, the average orthopaedic surgeon would have had approximately 36,000 hours hands-on experience before he was appointed to a consultancy. Dr Andrew O’Brien, a specialist registrar in orthopaedics will have had approximately 8000 hours experience when he becomes a consultant.In a nutshell (nutcase you might prefer) the new consultant will have three hundred per cent less experience than his older colleagues. So the next time you go into hospital make sure your consultant is aged at least fifty.Surgical training crisisSo, the next time you are in the anaesthetic room, awaiting surgery, make sure that the surgeon doing the operatoin is not young. If he is, ... NHS Blog Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2660725 Sat, 01 Aug 2009 12:04:00 +0100 2660725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2605949&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FY1Mxw-9cV5w%2F There may be no more vicious epithet from neoconservatives these days than “isolationist.”  One would think the term would mean something like xenophobic no-nothings who want to have nothing to do with the rest of the world.  No trade or immigration.  Little or no cultural exchange and political cooperation.  Autarchy all around. But no.  ”Isolationist” apparently means something quite different.  Never mind your views of the merits of international engagement.  If you don’t want to kill lots of foreigners in lots of foreign wars you are automatically considered to be an isolationist. President Bill Clinton called Republican legislators “isolationists” for not wanting to insert the U.S. military into the middle of a complex but strategic... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2605949 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:58:46 +0100 2605949 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570605&cid=t_114353_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F07%2F04%2Fhappy-independence-day-2%2F We’re celebrating our Independence Day here in the U.S. today, so I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and safe day of celebration. We’re celebrating our 233rd birthday today, but please don’t call us old (even though we’re technically older than many modern European countries). We’re just “mature.” It’s a great day to sit outside (weather permitting here in New England, where summer has gotten off to a decidedly soggy start), fire up the barbecue, and share good times with family and friends. On behalf of everyone here at Psych Central, here’s wishing your July 4th be a happy and joyous occasion (free of any family arguments or strife). Enjoy! (Source: World of Psychology) World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570605 Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:11:51 +0100 2570605 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570333&cid=t_114353_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F03%2Fstatutory-instruments-for-human-resources-3%2F SI 2009 No. 1567. Terms And Conditions Of Employment. The Working Time (Amendment) Regulations 2009 SI 2009 No. 1583 C 82. Pensions. The Pensions Act 2004 (Commencement No.6, Transitional Provisions and Savings) (Amendment) Order 2009 Posted in Human Resources, Legislation, Statutory Instruments Tagged: Employment, European Working Time Directive, Human Resources, Legislation, Pensions, Statutory Instruments (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570333 Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:32:31 +0100 2570333 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2561208&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Frk5rlbNLXNk%2F The European Union has helped create a continental European market and knock down protectionist barriers, which is good.  But it also has created another opportunity for meddling bureaucrats to interfere with people’s lives.  Now consumer protests have led to at least one victory for liberty.  Reports London’s Sun newspaper: Now the European Commission has finally scrapped the 20-year ban on 26 types of fruit and veg including asparagus, celery and aubergines. They ruled they can now be sold - as long as they are labelled as “intended for processing”. Sainbury’s spokeswoman Lucy Maclennan said: “We are delighted to have played a part in winning the wonky veg war against these bonkers EU regulations.” Tesco spokesman Adam Fisher said: “It&#... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2561208 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:48:02 +0100 2561208 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2510275&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fjmh4ckoyBwc%2F Alliances often are advanced, as with NATO expansion, as a cheap way of keeping the peace.  After all, it is said, no one would dare challenge America.  But while alliances can deter, deterrence can fail — with catastrophic consequences.  Both World Wars I and II featured failed alliances and security guarantees.  Oops! If deterence fails, the guaranteeing state either has to retreat ignominously or plunge into war, neither of which is likely to be in America’s interest.  Moreover, promising to defend other nations encourages them to be irresponsible:  after all, why not adopt a risky foreign policy if Washington is willing to back you up, nuclear weapons and all?  It’s a form of moral hazard applied to foreign policy. That appears to be the case with the cou... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2510275 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:29:55 +0100 2510275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2477498&cid=t_114353_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F15%2Fwhat-do-eu-competition-rules-mean-for-the-nhs%2F Title: What do EU competition rules mean for the NHS? The Skinny:The aim of this briefing is to explain what EU competition law is and our understanding of what it means for the NHS. It also provides some comments on the remit of the NHS Co-operation and Competition Panel. Activity carried out for social purposes, not involving engagement in ‘normal’ markets for goods and services, is generally not subject to EU competition law. European Court decisions confirming this include the FENIN case, which ruled that organisations managing the Spanish National Health Service were not subject to EU competition rules, as they operate according to the spirit of solidarity. European Court decisions are, however, case-specific and there is uncertainty as to how they apply generally. As the NHS dev... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2477498 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:01:37 +0100 2477498 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2477500&cid=t_114353_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F15%2Feuropean-office-consultation-are-you-paying-your-bills-on-time%2F Title: European Office consultation: Are you paying your bills on time? The Skinny: The proposed revision of EU rules on late payment in commercial transactions would introduce tough new measures to penalise public authorities that do not pay their bills on time.  This consultation asks: What would be the impact of placing restrictions on contracts between the NHS and its suppliers with regard to payment dates? Is the requirement for any contractual agreement with a public authority to extend a payment period to be ‘duly justified’ too ambiguous or does it give rise to any concerns? Is the proposed 5 per cent flat-rate late payment fee the right approach to further encourage good payment practice within the NHS. Is 5 per cent of the amount due an appropriate level at which to s... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2477500 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:26:41 +0100 2477500 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473191&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FF1ksRi3xT3Q%2F Europe just held elections for the European parliament.  The British National Party — an essentially fascist, all-white grouping — won two seats.  And access to potentially a lot of money. It isn’t literally public campaign financing, but once elected, parties in the European parliament often can get their hands on a lot of public funding.  Reports the Independent: Both men will be entitled to about £310,000 in annual funding, including an £80,443 salary, a staff budget of up to £182,000 and £40,000 for office expenses. But the British National Party (BNP) could also unlock a share of the £22.8m allowance that is given to parliamentary groups if it can find at least 25 fellow MEPs from seven member states willing to form a bloc within the European Parliament. Being part o... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473191 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:06:52 +0100 2473191 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2453074&cid=t_114353_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F05%2F31%2Fearly-treatment-of-recurrent-ovarian-cancer-based-upon-rising-ca-125-levels-does-not-increase-survival%2F “European researchers report [at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting being held in Orlando, Florida from May 29 through June 2nd] that starting treatment early for an ovarian cancer relapse based on CA125 blood levels alone does not improve overall survival, compared with delaying treatment until symptoms arise.” PLENARY PRESENTATION SUNDAY, MAY 31, 1:45 [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2453074 Sun, 31 May 2009 23:41:47 +0100 2453074 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441176&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F8fXMcTudmY0%2F The Washington Post reports that there is growing interest among politicians for a form of national sales tax known as the value-added tax (VAT). But rather than use the VAT to replace the income tax, the politicians want a new source of revenue to expand the burden of government. The story explains: With… President Obama pushing a trillion-dollar-plus expansion of health coverage, some Washington policymakers are taking a fresh look at a money-making idea long considered politically taboo: a national sales tax. Common around the world, including in Europe, such a tax — called a value-added tax, or VAT — has not been seriously considered in the United States. But advocates say few other options can generate the kind of money the nation will need… At a White House co... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441176 Thu, 28 May 2009 12:49:46 +0100 2441176 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2441184&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMZ79FXn6S2M%2F Daniel Hannan, the British Member of the European Parliament who gained fame with his devastating critique of Gordan Brown, has been equally trenchant in criticizing the excesses of the European Union.  On his blog he explains the latest self-serving intricacies of voting in the upcoming election for the European Parliament: How many MEPs will be elected a week on Thursday? Wait! Come back! I’m going somewhere with this! I realise the issue might not sound intrinsically sexy but, believe me, it demonstrates everything that’s wrong with the Brussels system. Bear with me and you will see how flagrant is the EU’s contempt for the ballot box — and for its own rule book. Had the European Constitution Lisbon Treaty been ratified, there would have been 754 MEPs in the nex... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2441184 Wed, 27 May 2009 12:42:53 +0100 2441184 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2375848&cid=t_114353_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FA7KIz5SLS7U%2F World governments should be careful not to play politics with the Mexican swine flu outbreak. The health consequences should of course be rigorously addressed—but without adding economic consequences, which is what several countries appear poised to do. Public health scares have a history of seeping into trade policy without anything resembling sufficient consideration of the evidence. Governments in Russia and East Asia are already banning pork exports from Mexico, even though there is zero evidence that they pose a health hazard. It hearkens back to unfounded bans of U.S. beef in recent years by the European Union and South Korea. If the U.S. government jumps on board, U.S. exports could be targeted for retaliatory trade actions. One quarter of U.S. pork production is exported, as well... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2375848 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:04:20 +0100 2375848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2349269&cid=t_114353_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FVl2IosUAMQg%2F Proponents of genetically-modified food are fighting an uphill battle in the European Union. Image: sxc.hu Germany has banned a strain of genetically modified corn in the country, citing dangers to the environment as the primary reason. Last month, Luxembourg joined Hungary, France, Austria and Greece in banning Monsanto’s corn strain MON810, even though it is the only strain approved by the European Food Safety Authority. Germany has been using MON810, also known as YieldGuard Corn Borer, for the past five years. But the Agricultural Minister now admits there is reason to believe that MON810 “represents a danger for the environment”. The European Council meets next week and today, Luxembourg announced to vote down a proposal allowing GM rice (Bayer’s LL62) from being made availabl... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2349269 Fri, 17 Apr 2009 03:46:00 +0100 2349269 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2267724&cid=t_114353_135_f&fid=35274&url=http%3A%2F%2Facidrefluxweb.com%2F%3Fp%3D3200 Last Friday night, the evening after my unexpected Spanish class disclosure, my co-op held one out our special events. Let me just start by saying I love my co-op, we are a community. For those who don’t know cooperative housing in Canada is not the US model where a person buys his unit but it is the collective who runs it, decides who moves in and who doesn’t etc. Here everyone is a member – not a tenant –and we are non-for-profit. The co-op is governed by the board, and the staff manage the building, and they do a wonderful job. The members help raise over 5000 dollars for my women in Rwanda working in a cooperative to make dolls for income generation. The youth here have raised thousands for various causes. I would be remiss if I did not mention our annual doggie pageant, and Hi... acidrefluxweb.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2267724 Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:06:17 +0100 2267724 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2260086&cid=t_114353_131_f&fid=35743&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthegenesherpa.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F03%2Feurope-plans-on-regulating-dtcus-is.html Interestingly in a news article in the European Journal of Human Genetics, it seems to me that even the people arguing against regulations are doing so in a very "Not so convincing way"Those that are arguing for regulations are making a clear case. My guess is that they have been the ones arguing for about 30 years......so they have a little experience with ELSI issues in genetics....The end of the news article makes it clear that at minimum, there will be a place for genetics professionals in the governmental regulatory organizations to develop such guidance. This seems to me to be a reasonable approach.I have argued in the past that these companies should be getting regulated. And they should. In fact, there are already laws on the books to provide such regulations. You can call them old... Gene Sherpas: Personalized Medicine and You blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2260086 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:25:00 +0100 2260086 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2210289&cid=t_114353_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F02%2F24%2Fhealthcare-across-eu-borders-a-safe-framework%2F : Volume I: Report and Volume II: Evidence from the House of Lords European Union Committee comes to the following conclusions following the EU’s publication of  a ‘Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare (COM(2008)414)’ and recommendations: Overall objective and the need for action Ten years of case law on cross-border healthcare have not provided the clarity needed by both patients and healthcare providers. The main rationale for the Directive should be to clarify the application of treaty provisions to health services. Response must strike a proportionate balance between individual choice on the one hand and effective delivery of public health provision, within li... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2210289 Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:23:14 +0100 2210289