J&J and three other drug distributors settle opioid crisis lawsuits for $26bn February 25, 2022 US pharma giant Johnson & Johnson, and three of America’s largest medical distributors, have agreed to pay $26bn (£19bn) to settle more than 3,000 lawsuits over the role they played in fuelling America’s opioid crisis. New Jersey drugmaker J&J, and medicine distributors Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen, and Distributors McKesson, finalized a deal through which they will [...]
AIDS scientists cure human for the first time: Former HIV patient is off medication, asymptomatic and healthy February 16, 2022 Researchers in the U.S. have said they have cured HIV in a human being for the very first time. The scientists said the mixed-race New York woman, who was previously HIV positive, was now “off medication, asymptomatic and healthy”, according to various media reports. The scientists reportedly used a cutting-edge stem cell transplant method that [...]
First patient in UK gets ‘vaccine’ for cancer that should help immune system ward off cancer permanently February 14, 2022 A Merseyside man has become the first in the UK to receive a ‘vaccine’ that is hoped will stop his recurring head and neck cancer from returning, in a clinical research trial which may help bring further ground-breaking treatments for the disease. The clinical research team at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre has given patient Graham [...]
Informa offloads Pharma Intelligence to Warburg Pincus for £1.9bn as firm shifts focus February 10, 2022 Informa has agreed to sell Pharma Intelligence to US private equity group Warburg Pincus for £1.9bn, as the UK firm looks to boost shareholder value.
UK’s largest ever health research project is looking for 5 million Brits January 23, 2022 A major health study which aims to predict who will get ill in their later years even before they show symptoms needs a record 5m volunteers. Hoped to be the UK’s largest ever health research programme, Our Future Health will track people throughout their lives in a bid to come up with new ways to [...]
France discovers new Covid variant IHU with 46 mutations amid 271,000 coronavirus infections, biggest one-day jump on record January 5, 2022 French media are reporting that a new Covid variant with 46 mutations has been discovered in the country. The new strain, named IHU, has been discovered in the southwest of France and, according to multiple news outlets, intensive care and hospital admissions have been increasing in that region in recent days. So far, there are [...]
Boost white blood cells in immune system as they are able to fight off Omicron variant, Covid scientists find January 4, 2022 The immune system’s white blood cells are able to mount an immune response against the Omicron variant of Covid-19, according to a new study. Due to Omicron having a higher number of mutations than other Covid variants, it can sometimes slip past the antibodies created by vaccination or infection. However, if the virus still does [...]
South Africa offers the world a way out of Covid as Omicron is in full retreat: New infections down and death rate dropping January 3, 2022 As Covid infection rates are dropping rapidly and tens of thousands of South Africans recovering from Omicron without having to go to hospital, it seems the country is heading for a healthy start of the year. In fact, Covid experts are all saying the same: the Omicron wave has passed and other countries can expect [...]
Omicron onslaught: Number of Brits with Covid jumps by nearly a million to 2.3m while NHS staff off sick with coronavirus doubles December 31, 2021 An estimated 2.3 million people in the UK had Covid-19 in the week ending December 23, up from 1.4 million in the week to December 16 and the highest number since comparable figures began in autumn 2020, the Office for National Statistics said. Meanwhile, the number of NHS hospital staff in England absent due to [...]
Coronavirus next year: First calls for fourth shot in UK are clear indication Covid vaccines are not going anywhere in 2022 December 24, 2021 A senior UK health official suggested this morning that Brits will need more than two Covid vaccines and a booster shot. A fourth dose of the Covid-19 vaccine will “probably” be needed over the next few years, Scotland’s national clinical director said this morning. Scots have been asked to get a third dose of the [...]