India, Egypt and Cuba among first states to develop and make their own vaccines as Covax falls behind Developing countries are increasingly turning to homegrown Covid vaccinations as the UN-backed Covax programme falls behind. While western countries roll out booster jabs to their own populations, Covax, which was set up by UN agencies, governments and …
Local Covid vaccines fill gap as UN Covax scheme misses target Read More »
Hedge fund Bluebell also demands replacement of GlaxoSmithKline chairman Sir Jonathan Symonds The British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline has come under fresh pressure to sell off its consumer arm and carry out a change of leadership, with a hedge fund demanding the appointment of a new chairman. Bluebell Capital Partners, an activist London-based hedge fund that has …
UK drugmaker GSK under fresh pressure to sell consumer arm Read More »
Uh oh, you have a toothache. You make your way over to the dentist that you haven’t visited since 2018, but it turns out that your insurance plan expired. And you need a root canal. Before seeing the endodontist, you want to get a general idea of how much it costs and how you’re going …
World Health Organization’s director general hails ‘historic day’ in fight against parasitic disease The World Health Organization has recommended the widespread rollout of the first malaria vaccine, in a move experts hope could save tens of thousands of children’s lives each year across Africa. Hailing “an historic day”, the WHO’s director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom …
WHO endorses use of world’s first malaria vaccine in Africa Read More »
After positive clinical trials for antiviral drug Molnupiravir, it joins other medicines that have shown promise Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The first clinical trial results showing a positive effect for a pill that can be taken at home has been hailed as a potential gamechanger that could provide a new …
Coronavirus treatments: the potential ‘game-changers’ in development Read More »
Value of Andrew Hopkins’ Exscientia firm reaches market value of $2.9bn in Nasdaq IPO A Welsh scientist who dreamed up his artificial intelligence biotech company while walking home from the laboratory is sitting on a potential $539m (£400m) paper fortune after its $2.9bn stock market float. The idea for Exscientia, an Oxford-based firm that uses …
Welsh scientist makes potential $539m fortune from biotech flotation in US Read More »
If approved, Merck’s drug would be first simple oral medication shown to be effective against coronavirus Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The first pill to treat coronavirus could be available within months after it was found to cut hospitalisations and deaths by half. If approved, the antiviral drug would be the …
Covid antiviral pill halves hospitalisations and deaths, maker says Read More »
Chemists wait for details of measures to ensure driver shortages do not adversely affect deliveries of prescription drugs Pharmacists are waiting for details from the government about what measures are in place to deal with any delays to deliveries of drug supplies as a result of van driver shortages. If the situation worsens, pharmacists have …
UK pharmacies in dark about ministers’ plan to maintain drug supplies Read More »
Bluebell Capital takes stake in pharma giant and puts pressure on Emma Walmsley GSK’s chief executive, Emma Walmsley, has come under pressure from a second activist hedge fund, Bluebell Capital Partners, which has taken a stake in the drugmaker to push for change at the top, including forcing her to reapply for her job. The …
Second hedge fund pushes for change in leadership of GSK Read More »
Six companies warned not to put profit before lives as report shows less than 1% of almost 6bn doses have gone to low-income countries Amnesty International has accused six pharmaceutical companies that have developed Covid-19 vaccines of fuelling a global human rights crisis, citing their refusal to sufficiently waive intellectual property rights, share vaccine technology …
Big pharma fuelling human rights crisis over Covid vaccine inequity – Amnesty Read More »
Artificial intelligence will be used to develop personalised treatments while investigating role of genetics The pharmaceuticals firm GSK has struck a five-year partnership with King’s College London to use artificial intelligence to develop personalised treatments for cancer by investigating the role played by genetics in the disease. The tie-up, which involves 10 of the drug …
GSK teams with King’s College to use AI to fight cancer Read More »
Government serves notice to terminate contract over allegations of a ‘breach of obligations’ Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The UK government is to pull out of a deal with the French pharmaceutical company Valneva to purchase its Covid-19 vaccination, the company has said. The move will come as a blow to …
UK cancels Covid vaccine deal with French firm Valneva Read More »
While Covid sent many firms to the wall, others prospered by spotting opportunities, from test kits to mask coatings The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on business, gutting high streets as familiar names fell into receivership. But for some less well-known firms, the past 18 months have been transformational. Those that have thrived did …
A year that changed the world – and medical companies’ fortunes Read More »
Company behind Pfizer vaccine expected to file results of trial of five- to 11-year-olds with regulator soon Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The German company BioNTech, which developed the Pfizer vaccine, expects to seek approval from regulators for Covid jabs suited for younger children as early as mid-October, its founders have …
BioNTech to seek approval for Covid jabs for younger children Read More »
Foreign materials including stainless steel identified in batches of Covid-19 vaccine though no safety or efficacy issues have been reported The Moderna coronavirus vaccine programme in Japan has been hit by a series of contamination incidents, prompting it to recall 1.63m doses found to contain metal fragments. Other potential contaminants have been identified in separate …
Japan’s Moderna Covid vaccine rollout hit by recall and contamination scares Read More »
Vague demand for board refresh from Causeway likely a hangover from £2bn rights issue The last time Rolls-Royce had an US activist fund on its tail, the aero-engine manufacturer took the unusual step of inviting one of its representatives onto the board. ValueAct Capital was judged to have constructive ideas and useful industry expertise. The …
Major shareholder’s Rolls-Royce grumble could rumble on Read More »
In 2016, the American Dental Association reported that dental care has the highest cost barrier in comparison to other healthcare services. The cost barrier for dental care prevents most patients from getting the proper care they need. Oral health can easily be neglected and labelled as unimportant, but that’s certainly not the case. In fact, …
Customers can order medicines for mild ailments, makeup, toiletries and more from 14 stores The pharmacy chain Boots will become the latest large retailer to make its products available through Deliveroo, as the takeaway delivery company aims to expand beyond restaurant orders. Stores in London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Nottingham will be among the 14 initially …
Boots launches on-demand delivery trial with Deliveroo Read More »
Ronapreve can be used to treat symptoms of acute infection after successful clinical trials Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The medicines regulator has approved use of the first treatment in the UK using artificial antibodies to prevent and fight Covid-19. The health secretary, Sajid Javid, said approval of the first drug …
UK approves rollout of ‘first of its kind’ Covid antibody treatment Read More »
Sales of BioNTech, Moderna and Pfizer drugs could rival $6bn-a-year market for flu vaccines, say analysts Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The drug companies Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna are poised to make billions of dollars from Covid-19 booster jabs this autumn, with analysts estimating that sales could rival the $6bn-a-year market …
Drug firms poised to make billions of dollars from Covid booster jabs Read More »
Raised charges and Covax deals on order books of Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Two US companies, Pfizer and Moderna, have raised the prices of their Covid-19 vaccines after data from clinical trials showed their mRNA formula was more effective than cheaper vaccines from Britain’s AstraZeneca …
Covid-19 vaccines: the contracts, prices and profits Read More »
Exclusive: campaigners say aligning with EU ruling on chemical testing will ‘blow a hole’ in UK leadership on cruelty-free cosmetics Ministers have opened the door to expanding the use of animal testing to ingredients used in cosmetic products for the first time in 23 years, an animal welfare charity has said. Cruelty Free International (CFI) …
UK could allow animal tests for cosmetic ingredients for first time since 1998 Read More »
Offer for UK company from Marlboro cigarettes maker had alarmed medical experts US private equity firm Carlyle has made an improved £958m takeover offer for British inhaler maker Vectura, trumping an earlier bid from tobacco company Philip Morris International that had alarmed medical experts. Carlyle said on Friday it would offer 155p a share for …
Carlyle ups bid for inhaler firm Vectura, trumping tobacco giant Philip Morris Read More »
Competition regulator the CMA alleges drugs firms abused dominant position with unfairly high prices Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Flynn have been accused by the UK’s competition watchdog of illegally overcharging the NHS for vital anti-epilepsy drugs by abusing their dominance in the market to raise prices overnight. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has confirmed …
Pfizer and Flynn accused of overcharging NHS for anti-epilepsy drugs Read More »
The firms are already taking the lion’s share of earnings from the market, as this week’s results will show Praised for preventing hundreds of thousands of deaths and allowing a return to more normal life, Covid vaccines will also substantially benefit some pharmaceutical companies. In June, analysts estimated the global market for the vaccines could …
As Delta spreads, Pfizer and Moderna get set for a booster shot to profits Read More »
Advanz Pharma and former private equity owners were fined £100m by markets watchdog A pharmaceuticals firm that inflated thyroid drug prices by up to 6,000% over a decade paid out more than £400m to shareholders and directors during the same period. London-based Advanz Pharma – and its former private equity owners HgCapital and Cinven – …
Drug firm that hiked prices by 6,000% paid shareholders £400m Read More »
Many Americans already have dental anxiety for obvious reasons, but another factor to consider is the cost. According to research findings from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the average annual expense for a dental visit has increased by 86% since 1996, and continues to increase as time progresses. This leaves many people at …
What Credit Score Is Needed For Dental Financing? Read More »
After Advanz’s £100m fine over the price of its thyroid tablets, two people recount the difficulty of obtaining medication The UK’s competition watchdog has fined pharmaceutical company Advanz over £100m for inflating the price of its thyroid tablets by up to 6,000%. The exorbitant costs resulted in NHS clinical commissioning groups advising doctors not to …
Pain aggravation: the human cost of medicine price hikes Read More »
Competition and Markets Authority is working on a string of cases involving the NHS being overcharged for drugs A fine by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for unfair pricing by private health companies is a rare story that looks set to become increasingly common. This week’s example is the £100m penalty dished out to …
Price gouging fine for Advanz is a rare story that is becoming common | Phillip Inman Read More »
Not-for-profit pledge sees British firm’s sales revenue fall significantly short of US rival Pfizer Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine has brought in $1.2bn (£900m) in the first half of this year, with sales tripling in the second quarter from the first – but its earnings remained significantly below …
AstraZeneca sales of Covid vaccine triple to $1.2bn in first half of 2021 Read More »
CMA found company’s ‘excessive and unfair’ prices cost NHS almost £30m extra over 10 years The UK’s competition watchdog has imposed fines of more than £100m on the pharmaceutical company Advanz and its former private equity owners after it was found to have inflated the price of its thyroid tablets by up to 6,000%. An …
Pharma firm Advanz fined after thyroid drug price hike of 6,000% Read More »
Visiting the dentist can be frightening. Sure, having a cavity filled or a tooth pulled is scary in itself, but the true scare tends to come at the end: the dental bill. While insurance may help offset costs, most annual plans max out somewhere between $1,000 to $2,000, leaving you to still pay for the …
The tendency of many business owners is to do everything themselves. There are too many things that you need to do to focus on perfecting every single one of them on your own. For this reason, many businesses turn to other perfected products and services and form an agreement or partnership to use that product …
Pharmaceuticals firm thinks creating cluster of companies at its site could result in up to 5,000 jobs GlaxoSmithKline is seeking to create a £400m campus in Stevenage for new life sciences companies that it believes could result in up to 5,000 jobs over the next decade. The pharmaceuticals company has kicked off a process to …
GSK plans £400m life sciences campus in Stevenage Read More »
Watchdog issues warning after abuses that included paying would-be rivals to stay out of the market The UK’s competition watchdog has imposed fines totalling more than £260m on pharmaceutical companies after an investigation found that they overcharged the NHS for hydrocortisone tablets for almost a decade. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that the …
UK drug companies fined £260m for inflating prices for NHS Read More »
• Pharmaceutical company seeks FDA approval for third dose • Companies urged to instead prioritise less wealthy countries After a sharp increase in US Covid cases and amid fears of a surge of the Delta variant, Pfizer on Monday said it was seeking federal authorisation for third doses of its Covid-19 vaccine to be delivered …
Pfizer pushes for booster shots as WHO says greed is driving vaccine disparities Read More »
• Acting commissioner refers agency to inspector general • Biogen Inc’s drug Aduhelm controversially approved last month The US drug regulator has called for an independent federal investigation into the interactions between its representatives and Biogen Inc that led to the approval of the company’s Alzheimer’s disease drug last month. The drugmaker’s shares fell 3% …
FDA calls for investigation into its contacts with Alzheimer’s drug maker Read More »
Tobacco company strikes deal for British firm developing pioneering inhaled treatment for Covid-19 Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Philip Morris International, the tobacco company and maker of Marlboro cigarettes, has struck a £1bn deal to buy Vectura, the British pharmaceutical company developing a pioneering inhaled treatment for Covid-19. The £1.04bn offer …
Philip Morris International makes £1bn offer for pharma firm Vectura Read More »
Exclusive: Exscientia to use AI in proposed fast-track development of ‘low-cost’ pill for Sars viruses Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Exscientia, an Oxford-based firm that uses artificial intelligence to develop medicines, has won a $1.5m grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to create a Covid-19 treatment that also works …
Oxford drugs firm gains $1.5m Gates grant for Covid-19 therapy Read More »
Hedge fund had sought to force Emma Walmsley to reapply for her job ahead of drugmaker’s corporate split The drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline has issued a firm rejection of the main demands made by the activist investor Elliott Management, and insisted its chief executive, Emma Walmsley, would lead the new pharmaceuticals and vaccines company after a corporate …
GSK firmly rejects Elliott Management’s demands over chief executive Read More »
The first stage of the Nissan project in Sunderland will deliver 9GWh of capacity but there is a very long way to go in this ‘race’ One can’t grumble too much about ministers’ ra-ra tone over Nissan’s plans to build an electric battery plant, or gigafactory, in Sunderland as part of a £1bn project. The …
Nissan hasn’t put UK ahead in electric race, it’s just got it off the starting grid Read More »
US hedge fund ratchets up pressure on Dame Emma Walmsley before company’s demerger next year The US activist investor Elliott Management has in effect demanded Dame Emma Walmsley reapply for her job as chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline before the pharmaceutical company’s demerger of its consumer healthcare division next year. In a 17-page public letter (pdf) …
Activist investor Elliott tries to force GSK boss to reapply for her job Read More »
Whether the pharmaceutical giant jumped or was pushed, its New York deal is a significant sign of the way the wind is blowing Johnson & Johnson said it had already jumped. New York’s attorney general suggested the pharmaceutical giant was pushed. Either way, the American drug maker is the first to formally agree to get …
‘Johnson & Johnson helped fuel this fire’ – now it’s out of the opioids business Read More »
Pharmaceutical industry has “hidden web of policy influence” over dozens of all-party parliamentary groups Drug companies are giving groups of MPs and peers that campaign on health issues hundreds of thousands of pounds a year in “hidden” funding that could hand them “undue influence”, research has found. The pharmaceutical industry has built up a “hidden …
Drug firms giving MPs ‘hidden’ funding, research shows Read More »
Emma Walmsley still has time to build belief in product pipeline – but clinging onto consumer division hardly shouts confidence “I am a change agent,” declared Emma Walmsley, as she unveiled the biggest overhaul of GlaxoSmithKline in the 20-odd years of the company’s life in its current form. The consumer healthcare division will depart via …
GSK’s changes leave a long road ahead but CEO Walmsley deserves a hearing Read More »
Firm aims to boost pharmaceutical and vaccine business by 5% annually for five years GSK has cut its dividend and set ambitious sales targets as its under-pressure chief executive, Dame Emma Walmsley, pledged to lead Britain’s second-biggest drugmaker through a corporate shake-up next year. GSK is spinning off its consumer healthcare business and aims to …
GSK drugmaker sets ambitious sales target before shake-up Read More »
A study by the American College of Prosthodontics revealed that over 36 million people in the United States don’t have any teeth, while 120 million are missing at least one tooth. This is often the result of accidents, cavities, gum disease, teeth misalignment, and other factors. To resolve this issue, many have used dental bridges …
Optimistic forecasts about ‘bouncing back’ will only come true if new variants do not close borders and devastate trade again Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The world economy is on course to bounce back from the pandemic with a momentum that will carry through to next year and beyond. This prediction, …
Western countries must share Covid vaccines – if only for the sake of their GDP Read More »
We look at the drug firms – led by Pfizer and Moderna – that are set to profit most in an unprecedented global vaccination drive Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Drugmakers led by US firms Pfizer and Moderna stand to make tens of billions of dollars from their Covid-19 vaccines this …
Covid jabs for billions of humans will earn their makers billions of dollars Read More »
The boss’s plan to divide the pharma giant has support – but her own position may hinge on a crucial presentation this week Dame Emma Walmsley faces the toughest day of her career as chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline on Wednesday. The head of Britain’s second-biggest drugmaker will present a 10-year outlook to shareholders and analysts, …
Will Emma Walmsley’s radical therapy cure GlaxoSmithKline? Read More »
But Brussels court says AstraZeneca should earlier have used UK plants to fulfil EU deliveries Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The EU has failed in a legal attempt to secure an urgent 120m vaccine doses from AstraZeneca by the end of this month, while securing a judgment that sites in Oxford …
EU fails in court action to secure urgent 120m doses of Oxford Covid vaccine Read More »
But Brussels court says AstraZeneca should earlier have used UK plants to fulfil EU deliveries Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The EU has failed in a legal attempt to secure an urgent 120m vaccine doses from AstraZeneca by the end of this month, while securing a judgment that sites in Oxford …
EU fails in court action to secure urgent 120m doses of Oxford Covid vaccine Read More »
Exclusive: firm could charge more in places such as Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka once Covid pandemic is over Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage AstraZeneca can charge a higher price for its Covid-19 vaccine in dozens of poor countries once the pharmaceutical company decides the pandemic has ended, according to a copy …
AstraZeneca vaccine price pledge omits some poor countries, contract shows Read More »
Having built a big operation during the pandemic it could stick or twist but either way investors will soon want a decision What’s AstraZeneca’s strategy in Covid treatments? In the short term, there is no confusion: the company will continue pumping out vaccine doses, will keep signing partnerships and will try to ignore churlishness in …
Vaccines were not part of AstraZeneca’s grand strategy, so what’s the plan now? Read More »
Giving landlords and tenants six months to work out a deal on arrears could stop an wave of bankruptcies in the sector If it really is a case of “one more heave” on vaccinations before restrictions on the hospitality sector can be eased, what’s the best way to ensure the country’s pubs, restaurants and nightclubs …
Hospitality firms urgently need clarity from Sunak about £2.5bn of unpaid rent Read More »
If pharmaceutical companies do not waive intellectual property rights the cost could reach $80bn Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The world’s developing countries could be vaccinated against Covid-19 at a cost of just $6.5bn (£4.6n) if pharmaceutical companies waive their intellectual property rights, under plans being outlined at the G7 summit …
Covid vaccine programme for developing countries could cost $6.5bn Read More »
Advisory groups questioned whether the upfront payouts were in the best interests of shareholders The US drugmaker Regeneron, whose Covid treatment was hailed as a “cure” by Donald Trump last year, has come under fire from two influential shareholder advisory groups over “excessive” payouts made to its top executives ahead of its annual meeting on …
US drugmaker Regeneron under fire for ‘excessive’ payouts to executives Read More »
Pharmaceutical researcher with a flair for business who brought a string of vital drugs to market In 1960 the chemist Ronald Cresswell, who has died aged 86, had a lucky break. As a result of travelling from Glasgow to take up a post in New York he attended a conference of the American Chemical Society, …
Smaller firms are developing most antibiotics targeting superbugs but often at risk of bankruptcy Small drugmakers and biotech firms that are developing the bulk of new antibiotics need far more financial support, according to a new report, which warned that without these life-saving medicines there could be a pandemic of drug-resistant infections, worse than Covid-19. …
More research funding needed to avoid drug-resistant pandemic, warns report Read More »
President says agreement with German firm BioNTech has been delayed after Beijing intervention Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Taiwan’s president has accused China of interfering in its vaccine acquisition programme, as the island continues to battle hundreds of daily new cases of Covid-19 with low supplies of vaccines. Taiwan has received …
Taiwan accuses China of interfering with Covid vaccine deals Read More »
We’ve heard the argument before, but now it does seem the moment of maximum danger has passed Green shoots at M&S? That was chairman Archie Norman’s boast as he peered through the thicket of exceptional charges that dominated yet another set of annual results and turned a small headline pre-tax profit of £41.6m into a …
Has Marks and Spencer really got it right at last? | Nils Pratley Read More »
Private equity firm Carlyle Group to buy company that is developing inhaled treatment for Covid-19 Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The British pharmaceutical company Vectura Group, which is developing a pioneering inhaled treatment for Covid-19, has agreed a £958m takeover by Carlyle Group as it looks set to become the latest …
UK pharmaceutical firm Ventura agrees to £958m takeover deal Read More »
Whether you injured your nose, have breathing issues, or a birth defect, there are many reasons why one would choose to get a nose job (or in surgical terms, rhinoplasty). Surgical and non surgical rhinoplasty can both alter the appearance of the nose, but beyond this initial similarity, the route by which cosmetic surgeons go …
How Much Does A Surgical & Non-Surgical Nose Job Cost With Or Without Insurance? Read More »
Shadow trade secretary backs US call for patent waiver as party proposes plan to increase production in poorer countries Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The Labour party is urging Boris Johnson to lead a drive by rich countries to boost global Covid-19 vaccine production and is warning the threat from new …
Labour says UK must ‘get off the fence’ over global Covid vaccine access Read More »
Announcement follows encouraging news from collaboration with French drugmaker Sanofi Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage GlaxoSmithKline has unveiled positive interim results from mid-stage trials of a Covid-19 vaccine it is developing with the Canadian biotech firm Medicago, a day after releasing strong data from its vaccine collaboration with the French drugmaker …
GSK and Medicago report positive Covid vaccine trial data Read More »
Whatever Elliott Management’s intentions, the UK-based pharmaceutical firm will now be seen as a national asset GlaxoSmithKline’s progress on Covid vaccines has been slow, frustrating and surprising. More was expected sooner, because the company remains far bigger in the wider vaccine field than, say, AstraZeneca. But there are now tangible signs the pace is improving. …
News will offer some some relief for GSK chief Emma Walmsley, who has been under pressure from investor GlaxoSmithKline is in the running to bring a new Covid-19 vaccine on to the market by the year end, thanks to positive results from early trials that will allow the formula to enter into late-stage studies within …
GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi report strong results in trials of Covid vaccine Read More »
AstraZeneca’s vaccine effort is remarkable, but investors should not have let it divert them from the job of moderating bonuses Investors failed another test of backbone last week, as a number of eye-popping pay packages overcame the threat of voter rebellions at annual general meetings. The board of AstraZeneca asked shareholders to support their decision …
We’re all the poorer for shareholders’ loss of nerve on executive pay Read More »
Despite recording a net loss of $87 million in Q1 2021, the insurance startup’s leaders are optimistic about future growth, especially in light of the launch of +Oscar. A platform business, +Oscar generates revenue by making the company’s technology stack available to providers and payers.
Fund managers tried to vote down Pascal Soriot’s package for fear of more boardroom pay inflation A majority is a majority, but a rebellion of 40% against an executive pay policy is too large to be pinned solely on those brain-dead fund managers who outsource their thinking to proxy voting agencies. At AstraZeneca some serious …
Covid vaccine maker passes its remuneration policy but suffers sizeable rebellion AstraZeneca investors narrowly approved pay package proposals for its chief executive, Pascal Soriot, after nearly 40%voted against the policy, which could hand him payand perks of up to £17.8m for 2021. At the company’s annual meeting in Cambridge, the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker managed to pass …
Nearly 40% of AstraZeneca investors reject boss’s bonus rise Read More »
Investors are lining up to oppose pay-and-perks plan for Pascal Soriot worth up to £17.8m for 2021 AstraZeneca could be forced to rip up plans to boost the pay of its chief executive, Pascal Soriot, as investors prepare to vote on proposals that could take his remuneration after nearly a decade at the helm of …
AstraZeneca chief executive’s pay rise in doubt ahead of investor vote Read More »
Privacy advocates warn retail pharmacies in particular are blurring the line between public health and commerce Data rights organizations have warned that patients lack a clear understanding of how information about their health, employment, contact or location details may be used if it is collected by private entities during the Covid-19 vaccine drive. Some advocates …
How US companies could use patients’ data from Covid vaccine drive Read More »
The US is now backing plans that could help billions more access vaccines. The UK should follow suit The rapid emergence of Covid vaccines has been a remarkable yet bittersweet success, pointing to both humanity’s scientific achievements and its social and economic failures. Experts created them at extraordinary speed; yet as the pandemic rages, many …
Shares in Chinese and US companies fell sharply following announcement to boost production Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Shares in pharmaceutical companies fell sharply after the US government threw its weight behind global plans for a patent waiver on Covid-19 vaccines to boost their production and distribution around the world. Shortly …
Pharmaceutical firms’ shares tumble after US plans patent waiver on Covid vaccines Read More »
Health commissioner says plan is to reduce hospitalisation and tackle long-term impact of Covid Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Three Covid medicines with the potential to “change the course” of the pandemic will be authorised for mass production and use in the EU by October under a European Commission plan. Stella …
EU wants to mass produce three ‘course-changing’ Covid drugs from October Read More »
Analysis: Joe Biden’s support for idea is vital but it won’t happen without backing of other rich nations Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage It was a “seismic decision” by Joe Biden, the US president, say campaigners who have fought for the demolition of patent protection on vaccines and drugs for decades. …
US support for Covid vaccine patent waivers puts pressure on EU and UK Read More »
Former chief executive sent to prison for six months but will keep $1.65m in outstanding pay awards “We recognise that our remuneration structure is different in some respects from a typical UK package,” said Daniel Phelan, the chair of Indivior’s remuneration committee, in the company’s annual report. You bet. The difference isn’t only the size …
Indivior’s UK shareholders have chance to put teeth into clawback clauses | Nils Pratley Read More »
Shaun Thaxter was sentenced to six months in US prison for his role over drug misinformation case Indivior faces the threat of a shareholder revolt over the drugmaker’s decision to maintain bonus payments for its British former chief executive, who was jailed last year in a case related to the US opioid crisis. Continue reading…
Throwing money at an already heated market looks nonsensical and could lose the Treasury £2bn Surprise, surprise. Presented, or so they thought, with an end-March deadline to save a few thousand pounds on stamp duty, buyers rushed to complete their house purchases. Mortgage lending in the month reached a new record. It requires no imagination …
Sunak’s stamp duty holiday extension has merely inflamed the housing market Read More »
Advisory groups ask shareholders to oppose bid to raise Pascal Soriot’s maximum share bonus to 650% of £1.3m basic pay AstraZeneca is facing mounting opposition over its plans to award its chief executive, Pascal Soriot, a big increase in bonuses, with two investor advisory groups calling on shareholders to vote against the policy. Glass Lewis …
‘Obscene’ bonus hike for AstraZeneca boss prompts investor anger Read More »
Vaccine will generate 73% more than forecast based on contracts signed until mid-April Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage US drugmaker Pfizer expects to make $26bn (£19bn) in revenues from sales of its Covid-19 vaccine this year, with its soaraway product accounting for more than a third of the company’s annual income. …
Pfizer forecasts $26bn from annual sales of Covid-19 vaccine Read More »
Covid crisis spurs growing interest in drugmakers, diagnostics and medical equipment firms UK drugmakers, diagnostics, medical equipment and other life sciences companies have raised £10.6bn from private funding rounds and stock market flotations in the first three months of the year, more than half of last year’s record total, according to a report. Last year, …
Investors flock to life sciences as UK sector breaks funding record Read More »
Quarterly results from Anglo-Swedish producer of Covid vaccine show better-than-expected 15% rise Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage AstraZeneca has generated $275m (£197m) in revenues from its Covid vaccine in the first three months of the year and shipped 48m doses to 120 countries through the global vaccine-sharing initiative Covax. Most of …
AstraZeneca revenues up as it delivers jab to 120 countries via Covax Read More »
The CEO’s best policy is to ignore the noise. The decluttering demerger plan looks solid and is backed by shareholders It was not a knockout quarter to put Elliott Management, the big, aggressive and newly arrived US activist hedge fund, back in its box. GlaxoSmithKline’s revenues fell 18% as patients, sensibly, delayed their GSK shingles …
Miracles may not be in the pipeline at GSK but it’s too soon to panic | Nils Pratley Read More »
CEO is under pressure to improve GSK’s performance after profit slump and arrival of activist shareholder GlaxoSmithKline’s chief executive, Emma Walmsley, has vowed to lead the company through next year’s corporate split and beyond, and to keep research spending high, as she came under mounting pressure to improve the drugmaker’s performance after a decline in …
GSK’s Emma Walmsley vows to lead drugs firm through corporate split Read More »
Stock unloaded by Robert G Kramer would now be worth only $5.5m while FDA report found unsanitary conditions at plant Coronavirus – live news The chief executive of the pharmaceutical giant Emergent BioSolutions sold $10m in company stock weeks before the publication of the company’s financial results and a production error that ruined 15m Covid-19 …
Emergent chief sold $10m in stock before company ruined 15m Covid vaccines Read More »
Firm says it will ‘strongly defend itself’ against claim it breached agreement to supply Covid jab Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage AstraZeneca said it would “strongly defend itself in court” and highlighted its supply of 50m Covid vaccine doses to European countries as Brussels launched legal action against the pharmaceutical company …
EU starts legal action against AstraZeneca over vaccine shortfalls Read More »
This week’s lacklustre results will strengthen boss Emma Walmsley’s case for reform – but also inspire her critics When the American hedge fund Elliott Management took a sizeable stake in GlaxoSmithKline this month, the drugmaker’s shares jumped 5% on speculation of a possible shake-up at the company. GSK’s chief executive, Emma Walmsley, will face questions …
GlaxoSmithKline faces dose of strong medicine from US investor Read More »
Pharmaceutical companies insist secrecy is the only way. But what if they were obliged to share recipes and supply chains? Biolyse is a small pharmaceutical manufacturer in Canada with a simple proposition: provide a recipe for a coronavirus vaccine, and it will produce 20m doses for nations in the global south. It has approached AstraZeneca …
Only semi-guaranteed outcome is that big pharma will never again agree to work for no profit during a pandemic It’s been hard to keep up with the European commission and EU leaders’ changing stances on the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine. But the ferocity of complaints about delayed deliveries seemed to have lessened in recent weeks. When …
EU’s legal pursuit of AstraZeneca looks short-sighted Read More »
Only a fifth of doses expected by May delivered as export bans, hoarding and supply shortages bite Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The global vaccine-sharing initiative Covax has so far delivered about one in five of the Oxford/AstraZeneca doses it estimated would arrive in countries by May, according to a Guardian …
Revealed: big shortfall in Covax Covid vaccine-sharing scheme Read More »
A new reality check is coming unless the west replicates its ‘whatever-it-takes approach’ to help poorer countries cope Denial. Panic. False dawn. Relief mingled with a decent dollop of euphoria. Britain’s response to Covid-19 has moved through distinct phases, and there are at least two more to come. Despite the success of the vaccine programme, …
The Covid crisis: some people think it’s all over … it isn’t Read More »
It can be challenging for businesses to stand out among the competition, especially when the competitors are multi million-dollar corporations. A Public Affairs Pulse survey polling What Americans Think About Business showed that 69 percent of respondents had a favorable opinion of large businesses, but far greater than that was the rating given to small …
How can small businesses stand out against large corporations? Read More »
UK pharmaceutical company has been under pressure to rebuild portfolio of new medicines Shares in GlaxoSmithKline jumped on Thursday, after it emerged that the activist hedge fund Elliott Management has built a sizeable stake in the company, signalling a potential battle over the future of the UK drug maker. New York-based Elliott, which is run …
GlaxoSmithKline shares jump at news of activist hedge fund interest Read More »
Company has said it is postponing deployment in Europe following concerns about blood clots in US Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The European commission is seeking “urgent clarification” from Johnson & Johnson after the company’s “completely unexpected” announcement that it has decided to delay the deployment of its coronavirus vaccine across …
EU seeking ‘urgent clarification’ on Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine delay Read More »
Pharmaceutical firms warn of delays to items such as the large bags in which vaccine cells are grown Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Vaccine-makers around the world face shortages of vital components including large plastic growbags, according to the head of the firm that is manufacturing a quarter of the UK’s …
Global Covid vaccine rollout threatened by shortage of vital components Read More »
Prof David Spiegelhalter says advantages of vaccinating young people far outweigh risks Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage People in their 20s should continue to get vaccinated against Covid despite the very rare cases of blood clotting linked to the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine because of the wider benefit to their families, friends and …
Coronavirus: UK expert urges people in 20s to keep getting vaccine Read More »
Downing Street will not confirm or deny report that more than 700,000 Covid jabs were sent after EU blocked export Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage British ministers and officials did not deny that more than 700,000 shots of the AstraZeneca vaccine were secretly dispatched from the UK to Australia a few …
UK ministers silent on AstraZeneca vaccine shipment to Australia Read More »
Vaccitech, the Oxford-based firm behind the AstraZeneca vaccine, is a high-profile float that slipped away A glowing, Deliveroo-style tribute from Rishi Sunak will not be required for this flotation. Vaccitech, the Oxford-based firm that owns some of the key biotechnology behind the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, is off to New York for a public listing. One …
A prized UK biotech firm looks to Wall Street, much to Rishi Sunak’s dismay Read More »
England’s deputy chief medical officer says delay would be precaution against rare side-effect of blood clots Coronavirus – latest UK updates See all our coronavirus coverage People under 30 have been told there may be a “small delay” to when they will receive a coronavirus vaccine, given adults in that age group are now being …
Under-30s may have ‘small delay’ in getting Covid jab, says Jonathan Van-Tam Read More »
People urged to keep getting Covid vaccine, with EMA and MHRA expected to give updates on investigation into rare blood clots Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Government advisers say concerns over the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab are being taken “very seriously” and “very thoroughly” investigated, before an imminent announcement by the vaccines regulator. …
AstraZeneca jab: UK government says concerns being investigated thoroughly Read More »
Anglo-Swedish company ‘solely’ to blame, says EU commissioner as bloc misses April vaccination target AstraZeneca has been squarely blamed by the EU for its comparatively slow Covid vaccine rollout after the bloc of 27 states failed to achieve its target to vaccinate 80% of older people by the end of March. Thierry Breton, the EU …
EU blames AstraZeneca ‘failure’ for sluggish Covid vaccine rollout Read More »
Half of UK adults have had a first jab, and future supplies of millions of doses look assured Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Two very different jabs have been responsible for inoculating Britain’s strikingly high number of vaccine recipients – with more than half of the country’s adult population having now …
Two new vaccines on the way – with more to follow this year Read More »
This is what happens when a third of humanity depends on one manufacturer for Covid jabs. We need to waive patents now As the UK’s vaccination programme was “knocked off course” due to a delay in receiving five million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India, a far more chilling reality was unfolding: about a …
Findings based on two doses three weeks apart are first to show shot remains effective for many months Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech protects against symptomatic Covid for up to six months, an updated analysis of clinical trial data has …
Pfizer vaccine has 91% efficacy for up to six months, trial shows Read More »
Drug firm in partnership with BioNTech to seek US approval after trials found vaccine ‘well-tolerated’ in school-age children Pfizer plans to seek emergency approval for its Covid vaccine in younger people after a US trial found the jab prevented the disease and was “well-tolerated” in 12- to 15-year-olds. Related: Germany restricts use of AstraZeneca jab …
Pfizer finds Covid vaccine safe and effective for children 12 to 15 Read More »
The company has struggled, like its rivals, to keep up with demand. But it has achieved great things at low prices AstraZeneca is one of the shining stars of the pandemic. Not only did it produce a vaccine where other big players failed, the UK-Swedish company has pledged to sell it at cost until it …
Safe, stable, sold at cost: AstraZeneca’s vaccine deserves celebration, not scorn Read More »
Serum Institute boss Adar Poonawalla has rented a Mayfair mansion for £50,000 a week Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The AstraZeneca vaccine has made Prof Sarah Gilbert – who led the Oxford team that created it – one of the UK’s most famous modern scientists and turned the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company …
‘Vaccine prince’: the Indian billionaire set to make Covid jabs for the UK Read More »
Drugmaker dismisses former research boss from role at Galvani Bioelectronics GSK has dismissed its former research boss Moncef Slaoui, who became US national vaccine chief under Donald Trump, after an independent investigation found that he sexually harassed one of its female employees. GSK said it had terminated Slaoui’s role at Galvani Bioelectronics, a joint venture …
GSK fires former US vaccine chief Moncef Slaoui over harassment allegation Read More »
Drugmaker isn’t entirely blameless but making it a political football for EU’s failures is simply ugly The European Union ought to be delighted. The “discovery” of a “stockpile” of 29m vaccine doses in Italy is really a non-discovery. The consignment is held at an authorised plant, available for inspection, and is merely awaiting quality sign-off. …
Why a fresh AstraZeneca fightback is required in Covid vaccine info row | Nils Pratley Read More »
Batches were found when Italian police searched factory at request of European commission Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage AstraZeneca has dismissed as “inaccurate” a report in the Italian press that 29m doses of its Covid-19 vaccine found in factory near Rome were destined for the UK. La Stampa reported on Wednesday …
AstraZeneca dismisses claim 29m vaccine doses in Italy were bound for UK Read More »
Bloc expected to assess countries’ Covid vaccination coverage and record in facilitating exports to EU Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The EU is expected to take into account the level of vaccination coverage in a country and its record in facilitating exports to the bloc when deciding on whether to prohibit …
EU to widen criteria for possible Covid vaccine export bans Read More »
Drug firm may have provided incomplete view of efficacy data from US trial, says safety monitor Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid has been dealt another blow within hours of AstraZeneca posting excellent results from its long-awaited big trial in the US. Questions have been raised in …
US agency questions AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine trial data Read More »
The UK’s chief scientific adviser loves good food, enjoys a Scandi drama – and has been called ‘the richest civil servant in history’ Sir Patrick Vallance spent his 60th birthday at a podium in Downing Street, flanking Boris Johnson. Whatever plans he had were scrapped. Continue reading…
The UK’s chief scientific adviser loves good food, enjoys a Scandi drama – and has been called ‘the richest civil servant in history’ Sir Patrick Vallance spent his 60th birthday at a podium in Downing Street, flanking Boris Johnson. Whatever plans he had were scrapped. Continue reading…
The newness of some of the technology and gaps in global preparedness have led to bottlenecks Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage When the first Covid-19 vaccines were approved in the UK and elsewhere three months ago, many thought the end of the pandemic was almost within reach. Few, however, had anticipated …
How are Covid vaccines produced and why have there been delays? Read More »
The newness of some of the technology and gaps in global preparedness have led to bottlenecks Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage When the first Covid-19 vaccines were approved in the UK and elsewhere three months ago, many thought the end of the pandemic was almost within reach. Few, however, had anticipated …
How are Covid vaccines produced and why have there been delays? Read More »
Civil cases lost by other banks only led to financial penalties, but the verdict here may hit its reputation NatWest had “resolved all its major legacy issues”, declared Sir Howard Davies, the chairman, 18 months ago, speaking far too soon. Here comes another potential nasty one. The Financial Conduct Authority is bringing criminal charges under …
The FCA’s criminal prosecution of NatWest could cause real damage Read More »
Civil cases lost by other banks only led to financial penalties, but the verdict here may hit its reputation NatWest had “resolved all its major legacy issues”, declared Sir Howard Davies, the chairman, 18 months ago, speaking far too soon. Here comes another potential nasty one. The Financial Conduct Authority is bringing criminal charges under …
The FCA’s criminal prosecution of NatWest could cause real damage Read More »
Plan is backed by $4bn from Sackler family Most parties onboard but Democratic attorneys general oppose Purdue Pharma is proposing a $10bn plan to emerge from bankruptcy that calls for it to be transformed into a company funnelling profits into the fight against the opioid crisis. Those efforts would include a significant boost – more …
Purdue Pharma unveils $10bn opioid settlement plan to exit from bankruptcy Read More »
Plan is backed by $4bn from Sackler family Most parties onboard but Democratic attorneys general oppose Purdue Pharma is proposing a $10bn plan to emerge from bankruptcy that calls for it to be transformed into a company funnelling profits into the fight against the opioid crisis. Those efforts would include a significant boost – more …
Purdue Pharma unveils $10bn opioid settlement plan to exit from bankruptcy Read More »
Parents whose only hope was finding foreign sponsorship or a clinical trial are now looking for homegrown breakthroughs For three years, Vidya tried to find the cause of her son’s recurrent fevers and low cognitive development. When she found out, she was devastated. Vineeth, 10, has an incurable illness – mucopolysaccharidosis type 2 – that …
What price a child’s life? India’s quest to make rare disease drugs affordable Read More »
Deployment of Oxford vaccine temporarily deferred after latest reports from Norway Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Ireland is suspending use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid as a precautionary measure following further reports of blood clots in people who have received it, this time from Norway. The deputy chief medical officer, …
Ireland suspends AstraZeneca Covid vaccine over blood clot concerns Read More »
Jab has 97% efficacy against disease and death and 94% against infection without symptoms The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine appears to give high protection against asymptomatic Covid-19, according to data from Israel – a finding that will boost hopes that mass vaccination can stop the spread of the virus. The top line of the real-world results, issued …
Israeli real-world data on Pfizer vaccine shows high Covid protection Read More »
The companies in line for the biggest gains – and the shareholders who have already made fortunes Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The arrival of Covid-19 vaccines promises a return to more normal life – and has created a global market worth tens of billions of dollars in annual sales for …
From Pfizer to Moderna: who’s making billions from Covid vaccines? Read More »
Row continues between EU and drug firm after shortfall in vaccine deliveries to bloc Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Italy has blocked the export of 250,000 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to Australia in an escalation of a row with the Anglo-Swedish company. In the first such intervention under the EU’s …
Italy blocks export of 250,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Australia Read More »
Joy and relief from campaigners as chancellor’s budget extends support that had been due to run out in 2023 Analysis: Sunak digs in for battle against financial cost of Covid Budget 2021: key points at a glance Budget 2021 live: Sunak to freeze income tax thresholds Thalidomide campaigners have reacted with relief and joy after …
Thalidomide scandal: Sunak pledges lifetime support for survivors Read More »
Both countries urged to take action to avoid pile-up of unused AstraZeneca vaccine doses Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Authorities in Germany and France are under pressure to come up with creative solutions to shift the AstraZeneca vaccine at higher speed in order to avoid a pile-up of unused doses over …
Covid: Germany and France under pressure to shift Oxford vaccine Read More »
Vaccine, along with those from Pfizer and Moderna, should provide US with more than enough supply to vaccinate every person The battle against Covid-19 took a major step forward on Friday as the US moved closer to distributing its first one-shot Covid-19 vaccine, after an independent expert advisory panel recommended drug regulators authorize the Johnson …
Johnson & Johnson one-shot Covid vaccine gets nod from FDA advisory panel Read More »
Former prime minister tells the Guardian the world must be better prepared for the next pandemic World leaders could have cut the length of the Covid outbreak by three months if they had collaborated on vaccines, testing and drugs, Tony Blair has claimed as he launched a report on preparing for the next deadly pandemic. …
Blair says collaboration on Covid could have cut three months off crisis Read More »
While Moderna is being hailed as a national saviour in the US, AZ’s only gain so far has been goodwill Compare and contrast. AstraZeneca is currently producing Covid vaccines for no profit and still manages to get beaten up by opportunists in Brussels. Over in the US, Moderna is hailed as a national saviour while …
AstraZeneca and Moderna’s contrasting rewards for fighting Covid hardly seem fair Read More »
Better than expected revenues will push US firm founded in 2010 into profit for first time Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Moderna expects to rake in $18.4bn (£13bn) of sales from its coronavirus vaccine this year, marking a huge turnaround in the fortunes of the US biotech firm. The expected revenue …
Moderna forecasts $18bn in sales of Covid vaccine this year Read More »
UK assembly line at standstill as pharmaceutical company sets up in Amsterdam and plans EU expansion A Sussex pharmaceutical company has told how it had to bundle a production line into a white van and take it to Amsterdam to beat a Brexit medicines ban. The impromptu four-wheeled mission to the Netherlands has secured the …
Sussex medicines firm takes production line abroad in white van to beat Brexit ban Read More »
Technology that speeded the development of Covid vaccines has potential to transform the pharmaceutical industry The hunt for new medicines has often been more like a game of roulette than high-end science. But now the pharmaceutical sector is on the cusp of a transformation, as it delves into cutting-edge technology to come up with new …
Drug companies look to AI to end ‘hit and miss’ research Read More »
Oxford Covid vaccine described in German media as ‘shelf warmer’ with only 17% of doses administered so far Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Politicians in Germany are stepping out in support of the AstraZeneca vaccine as public scepticism around the Oxford-developed product is threatening to hamper Europe’s Covid-19 immunisation programme. The …
German politicians counter AstraZeneca vaccine scepticism with show of support Read More »
Investors will get a vote on oil company’s plan to cruise down the middle lane Shell billed its net-zero by 2050 plan as an “acceleration” of strategy, which was a generous self-assessment. In today’s Big Oil terms, the approach is a cruise down the middle lane – a tweak here and there, but nothing to …
Shell strategy looking like a bundle of compromises | Nils Pratley Read More »
Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical firm’s profits rise to $7.4bn as main business ‘remains strong’ Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage AstraZeneca has said it could take between six and nine months to produce Covid-19 vaccines that are effective against new variants of the coronavirus. The company’s vaccine, developed jointly with scientists at the University …
AstraZeneca says vaccine against new Covid variants may take six months Read More »
Shots: Bain Capital and Cinven to acquire Lonza’s specialty ingredients business and operations for an enterprise value of $4.7B. The transaction is expected to close in H2’21 The divestiture will allow Lonza to refocus its business as a pure-play partner to the healthcare industry Lonza’s specialty ingredients business provides microbial control solutions for Professional Hygiene …
Lonza to Divest Specialty Ingredients Business to Bain Capital and Cinven for $4.7B Read More »
From doubts about safety in older people to questions about variants, scientists have faced a battle to convince the public and regulators Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine against Covid has barely been out of the news from the moment the race to protect the world’s population from …
A series of knocks: Oxford/AstraZeneca’s bumpy road to Covid vaccine confidence Read More »
The Anglo-Swedish firm already had a strong lineup of cancer drugs when vaccine success gave it a further boost Before the pandemic, AstraZeneca was highly regarded in the business and pharmaceutical world – seen as one of the UK’s best companies. Now, thanks to Britain’s successful vaccine programme, it is a household name. The Anglo-Swedish …
AstraZeneca set to weather Covid in better health than rivals Read More »
The Amazon founder gains time for other projects, such as space and newspapers, while still making the big decisions Jeff Bezos is stepping aside at Amazon – sort of. In fact, he is merely dropping one of his three job titles at thee online retailer. He will no longer be chief executive but will still …
Bezos is handing over fronting Amazon, but not his grip on his creation | Nils Pratley Read More »
Companies hope to have next generation of vaccines against emerging variants by next year GlaxoSmithKline and Germany’s CureVac have reached a €150m (£132m) agreement to develop a next generation of Covid-19 vaccines targeting new emerging variants in the pandemic. The two companies said they they plan to work jointly to develop a vaccine that can …
GSK and CureVac sign £132m deal to develop multi-variant Covid vaccine Read More »
Centralised approach was meant to underline Europe’s solidarity but has had opposite effect The EU has made an almighty hash of procuring treatments for Covid-19. Vaccine centres are running short of supplies as a result. National governments want jabs rather than excuses for what has gone wrong. The search for scapegoats is on. Stripped of …
EU Covid incompetence leaves governments wanting vaccines, not excuses | Larry Elliott Read More »
People are dying as AstraZeneca and the EU clash •You can buy your own copy of this cartoon Continue reading…
European commission says new mechanism will give national regulators power to refuse exports Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Millions of doses of vaccines could be blocked from entering Britain from the EU within days, as part of Brussels’ response to a shortage of doses among its member states. The European commission …
EU could block millions of Covid vaccine doses from entering UK Read More »
The retailer has gone from $19 to $33o thanks in part to amateurs taking on the hedge funds If you find trading bitcoin insufficiently hair-raising, try GameStop. It is the Texas-based video games retailer that will be hard to out-do as the stock market story of 2021. The share price was $19 at the start …
Slowness to sign up to and approve the vaccine may have caused delays, but Brussels feels the company is being less than cooperative Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Last year AstraZeneca was heralded for its pioneering vaccine discovery. Yet today the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company is embroiled in a dispute with the …
The EU’s vaccine bust-up with AstraZeneca is of its own making | Leo Cendrowicz Read More »
Pascal Soriot has provided the deepest insight yet into supply issues The chief executive of AstraZeneca has dismissed suggestions that the UK is being unfairly prioritised for Covid-19 vaccine doses, in a wide-ranging interview revealing “glitches” that have constrained production. Pascal Soriot offered the deepest insight yet into a scientific process that has been dragged …
EU Covid vaccines row: AstraZeneca boss reveals problems Read More »
Commission president says firms must deliver on orders after AstraZeneca warns of shortfall Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The EU “means business”, Ursula von der Leyen has said, as the bloc doubled down on plans for tighter monitoring of vaccine exports to countries outside of the union, such as the UK. …
EU means business over Covid vaccine exports, says Von der Leyen Read More »
Supply delays underline there was no legal or economic justification for central planning A storm is raging over the EU’s failure to have ordered more of the approved Covid-19 vaccines ahead of time. Stéphane Bancel, the CEO of the US pharmaceutical company Moderna, which gained approval for its vaccine shortly after Pfizer/BioNTech, claims that the …
EU’s Covid vaccination debacle is down to institutional inflexibility Read More »
Analysis: From retail to aviation to pharmaceuticals, we look at what will change from 1 January After months of tortuous negotiations between the UK and the EU, a Brexit trade deal was agreed at almost the last minute. But how prepared are UK businesses for the significant changes that will come into force on 1 …
Sector by sector: are British firms ready for post-Brexit trade? Read More »
Staff at Wockhardt in Wrexham buzzing at news of approval after working over Christmas Most of the sprawling industrial estate on the edge of Wrexham was quiet. There was little sign of activity at the engineering firms or in the self-storage units or greasy spoon cafes. But behind the wire fence of the Wockhardt UK …
‘Happy vaccine day’ at Welsh factory proudly preparing Oxford doses Read More »
From worst crash in a generation to record highs on news of a Covid vaccine, experts review the rollercoaster that was 2020 Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage 2020 has been the most remarkable year for the global financial markets. After the Covid-19 pandemic triggered the worst crash in a generation, unprecedented …
‘I’ve never seen anything like it’: 2020 smashes records in global markets Read More »
The 2020 Observer Business Agenda Awards honour showoffs, light-touch founders and even … Big Pharma Each year, our awards celebrate the physical prowess of the finance world’s most alluring tycoons – who get their very own entry on our prestigious topless calendar. Continue reading…
Exclusive: antibody therapy could confer instant immunity against Covid-19 to at-risk groups See all our coronavirus coverage British scientists are trialling a new drug that could prevent someone who has been exposed to coronavirus from going on to develop the disease Covid-19, which experts say could save many lives. The antibody therapy would confer instant …
UK scientists trial drug to prevent coronavirus infection leading to disease Read More »
Shots: Agios to receive ~$1.8B upfront in cash & ~$200M as regulatory milestones for Vorasidenib along with 5% royalties on sales of Tibsovo in the US from transaction close through the loss of exclusivity and 15% royalties on sales of vorasidenib in the US from first commercial sale through the loss of exclusivity The acquisition …
Servier to Acquire Agios’ Oncology Business for ~$2B Read More »
Other firms better placed to supply antibody tests, argues case against health secretary Matt Hancock Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The government was operating an illegal “buy British” policy when it signed contracts with a small UK firm to supply Covid antibody tests, claim lawyers who have filed a case against …
Government ‘operated illegal buy British policy’ over Covid contracts Read More »
Treatment grown on tobacco plants gets US backing for clinical study Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage British American Tobacco has moved a step closer to producing a vaccine for coronavirus using tobacco plants, as it won approval in the US to begin testing on humans. The company behind cigarette brands including …
British American Tobacco wins approval to test Covid vaccine on humans Read More »
Risk assessment documents say cost, delays and shortages could lead to billions not vaccinated until 2024 Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The global scheme to deliver Covid-19 vaccines to poorer countries faces a “very high” risk of failure, potentially leaving billions of people with no access to vaccines until as late …
Scheme to get Covid vaccine to poorer countries at ‘high risk’ of failure Read More »
Dashing ahead with a nuclear power station that’s modelled on Hinkley Point C would be reckless This is the government’s problem as it reopens talks on a proposed nuclear power station at Sizewell C in Suffolk: it is contemplating ordering a replica of Hinkley Point C before the Somerset original has produced a single megawatt …
Ministers would be wise to play for time before ordering Sizewell C | Nils Pratley Read More »
Britain’s biggest drugmaker offers 45% premium for shares of US rare diseases specialist AstraZeneca shares fell sharply after it agreed to a $39bn (£29bn) takeover of the US rare diseases specialist Alexion, the biggest deal in its history if it goes ahead. Investors sold off shares in the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker over fears it was paying …
AstraZeneca shares slump after it agrees $39bn Alexion buyout Read More »
Companies are praying a trade agreement can be struck, but must prepare for talks to fail. Which will be most affected? The scene is set for a showdown, and the future of the UK economy is at stake. Will Britain secure a free trade deal with the EU? Or will the prime minister choose to …
Deal or no deal: how life will look for key industries after Brexit Read More »
The challenge of delivering vaccines on this scale are hard, but are firmly within the world of logistics, engineering, and politics Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The UK has become the first country to approve one of the coronavirus vaccines that the entire world has been desperately waiting for. And on …
Can the UK deliver on the Covid vaccine rollout? | Stephen Buranyi Read More »
They make life-saving medicines, but no one likes them. Could this year be a turning point? Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Never before has the world awaited a new medicine with such bated breath. A vaccine for Covid-19 has the potential to unlock society and save millions of people from death …
Covid vaccines offer chance for big pharma to improve its image Read More »
Shots: Boston Scientific signs an agreement with Stark International and SERB SAS to sell its BTG specialty pharma business for $800M in cash. The transaction is expected to close in H1’21 The agreement includes the transfer of 5 facilities & ~280 employees globally. This transaction will help the BTG specialty pharma business enhance its potential …
Boston Scientific to Divest BTG’s Specialty Pharma Business for ~$800M Read More »
Covid vaccine with an efficacy of almost 95% has been authorised by the UK medicines regulator Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine, which has an efficacy of almost 95%, has been authorised by the UK medicines regulator, making the UK the first western country to license a vaccine …
How does the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine work and who will get it? Read More »
Oxford/AstraZeneca planning new trial of lower-dose jab to see how well it works in older people Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Concerns around the efficacy of the Oxford University/AstraZeneca coronavirus jab in older people could lead to different age groups being given different vaccines, experts have said. The partners announced last …
Different age groups may get different Covid vaccines, experts say Read More »
Pioneered by a Turkish-German couple, its significance exceeds its practical value The world took note when the German startup BioNTech announced its breakthrough in the development of a new type of vaccine to combat Covid-19. After testing tens of thousands of people, BioNTech’s vaccine has been shown to be 95% effective in providing protection for …
BioNTech’s Covid vaccine is a triumph of innovation and immigration | Hans-Werner Sinn Read More »
Do not demonise. To optimise the vaccine rollout, all of us must show respect to those who are unsure about inoculations Will Hanmer-Lloyd is a behavioural strategist The Covid-19 vaccines, which are up to 95% effective, have the potential to save millions of lives in the UK and many more around the world. Yet creating …
Here’s how to tackle the Covid-19 anti-vaxxers | Will Hanmer-Lloyd Read More »
Results from clinical trials have shown that the world has three apparently highly effective vaccines for Covid-19. With the race now on for regulatory approval, production and distribution, is the end of the pandemic within reach? After a gruelling year of successive waves of Covid-19 infections and national lockdowns there has been a burst of …
Despite the promising trial data, a viable – and profitable – vaccine is still some way off The stock market is cruel. AstraZeneca’s reward for unveiling promising data for its “vaccine for the world”, developed in partnership with Oxford University, was a 3.8% fall in its share price. No gratitude there – just a decline …
Why AstraZeneca’s reward for Covid vaccine is a share price slump | Nils Pratley Read More »
Plans for mass immunisation against Covid-19 are developing fast, but concerns must be addressed In the 1960s, academics studying rumours drew inspiration from epidemiology. They noted how such stories spread through communities, “infecting” some individuals while others seemed immune, and how more resistant populations could stop their spread. Their insights have in turn been taken …
The Guardian view on coronavirus and vaccine scepticism: time to act | Editorial Read More »
Request will be made at WTO meeting in order to allow mass production of treatments Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The UK will be asked to reconsider its opposition to waiving intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines and treatments at a World Trade Organization meeting on Friday, a move that would …
UK faces calls to drop opposition to patent-free Covid vaccines Read More »
Among first 170 Covid cases in trial, eight had received vaccine and 162 were in placebo group Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19 performs even better than previously thought, with 95% efficacy, equalling the early results from Moderna on Monday, according to an analysis of the final …
Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine has 95% efficacy and is safe, further analysis shows Read More »
The director’s next project after Da 5 Bloods is based on a 2018 Esquire article and will be co-written by Kwame Kwei-Armah Spike Lee is to direct a musical about the impotence medication Viagra, it has been revealed. According to Deadline, the film will be Lee’s next project after Da 5 Bloods and American Utopia, …
Standing ovation: Spike Lee to direct musical about Viagra Read More »
Berkshire Hathaway bought $5.7bn worth of shares in four companies in third quarter The investment company run by billionaire investor Warren Buffett bet $5.7bn (£4.3bn) on pharmaceutical companies during the third quarter of 2020, as the sector takes centre stage in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Berkshire Hathaway bought shares in drug companies AbbVie, …
Warren Buffett makes big investment in US pharmaceutical firms Read More »
While Pfizer/BioNTech’s version requires -75C storage, Moderna’s could be easier to roll out A second coronavirus vaccine candidate was always likely to struggle to match the excitement of the first, at least in stock market terms. Sure enough, Moderna’s promising trial results merely added to the generally bullish mood in markets without generating the same …
Easier distribution may make Moderna’s vaccine much more valuable | Nils Pratley Read More »
To make vaccination work, we must reach out to the naturally cautious – a bigger proportion than you might assume Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Lydia Guthrie is not very daring by nature. A psychotherapist and mother of two from Oxford, she couldn’t be persuaded into bungee jumping for all the …
Pfizer was first with the news, but biotech firms, governments, banks and NGOs are all involved in the search for a jab to prevent coronavirus infectionThe leading candidate to become the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine, developed by the US pharmaceutical company Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech, had its genesis in late January 2020. Uğur Şahin, chief …
Speedy work on Covid gives the vaccine industry a shot in the arm Read More »
Exclusive: Ugur Şahin says he and Pfizer CEO received results night before announcement Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The scientist behind the BioNTech/Pfizer coronavirus vaccine has defended his company from Donald Trump’s accusation that it deliberately delayed news of its rapid progress until after the election, saying “we don’t play politics”. …
BioNTech chief rejects Trump claim it delayed Covid vaccine news Read More »
Pfizer said sale of shares by Albert Bourla was automated under plan set up in August Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Pfizer’s chief executive sold shares in the company worth $5.6m (£4.2m) on the day the drugmaker announced that its Covid-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective in protecting people from …
Pfizer chief sold $5.6m of shares on day Covid vaccine was announced Read More »
Roll-Royce gave an eye-catching pitch but the economics of nuclear power needs further inspection An energy white paper is in the offing, so consider Rolls-Royce’s pitch for the wonders of small modular reactors (SMRs) a piece of last-minute lobbying. After all, it is clear already that more nuclear, in combination with more offshore wind capacity, …
Mini-nuclear plants may be an experiment worth exploring Read More »
China’s ambition to build a nuclear plant in Essex will likely fail on national security grounds The new national security and investment bill, aiming to give the government sweeping powers to block foreign takeovers and investments, will inevitably be viewed through the lens of China and new nuclear power plants in UK. That is, indeed, …
UK security bill signals open door era for foreign takeovers is over Read More »
Promising clinical data from Pfizer and BioNTech help the index to a £28bn one-day gain Optimism that a mass rollout of Covid-19 vaccines will lead to an economic recovery lifted stocks in London again on Tuesday, to their highest closing level in over four months. London’s FTSE 100 index of blue-chip shares rallied by nearly …
FTSE 100 recovers to highest level since June after vaccine unveiled Read More »
Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca pledged to make their vaccines available on a not-for-profit basis Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The US drugmaker Pfizer and the German biotech firm BioNTech stand to bring in nearly $13bn (£9.8bn) in global sales from their coronavirus vaccine next year, which will be evenly split …
Pfizer and BioNTech could make $13bn from coronavirus vaccine Read More »
Europe and US create vast facilities for Covid-19 vaccine but poorer nations lack infrastructure say experts Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Two vast football-pitch-sized facilities equipped with hundreds of large freezers in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Puurs, Belgium, will be the centres of the huge effort to ship the coronavirus vaccine developed …
Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine poses global logistics challenge Read More »
But the news highlighted divergences in fortunes across sectors during the pandemic Global stock markets surge after Pfizer Covid vaccine news Nils Pratley: ‘A great day for humanity’ – and not bad for markets The FTSE 100 posted its biggest one-day gain since March on Monday after the drug companies Pfizer and BioNTech said their …
Global markets: winners and losers as Covid vaccine hopes send shares surging Read More »
Interim trial results are encouraging as scientists welcome news Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage It is not yet the end of the pandemic, but the announcement by Pfizer/BioNTech that their vaccine has been 90% successful in the vital large-scale trials has got even the soberest of scientists excited. These are interim …
Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine announcement is cause for cautious celebration Read More »
Couple who set up and run firm are children of long-maligned ‘guest workers’ from Turkey Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage When the German biotechnology company BioNTech picked a street called An der Goldgrube or At the Goldmine in the western city of Mainz for its headquarters, the couple behind it could …
BioNTech’s Covid vaccine: a shot in the arm for Germany’s Turkish community Read More »
Early results from phase 3 trial look promising but there are still many questions to be answered Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Pfizer and the German biotech company Biontech said on Monday that they had had encouraging early results from a phase 3 clinical trial of their coronavirus vaccine. The trial …
What has Pfizer’s Covid vaccine trial found and is this a breakthrough? Read More »
FTSE 100 jumps as Pfizer and BioNTech report coronavirus vaccine is 90% effective Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Global stocks have surged after the drug companies Pfizer and BioNTech announced that their coronavirus vaccine was 90% effective in tests, giving hope that economies around the world can soon return to normal. …
Global stock markets surge after Pfizer Covid vaccine news Read More »
Analysts estimate revenue generated, assuming an annual jab at an average price of $20 Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The future market for Covid-19 vaccines could be worth more than $10bn (£7.6bn) in annual revenues for pharmaceutical companies, according to industry experts, even though some drugmakers have pledged to provide their …
Future market for Covid vaccines ‘could be worth more than $10bn a year’ Read More »
Since entering the pharmaceutical industry as a graduate trainee in the late 1990s, Asad Mohsin Ali’s career has taken him across the business from Novartis, MSD and Tesaro, before joining global biopharma Ipsen. He tells us how the company has responded to COVID and how he’d like to see the UK industry grow in the …
Vaccine being trialled by Oxford University and AstraZeneca offers hope for all age groups Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage One of the world’s leading Covid-19 experimental vaccines produces an immune response in both older and young adults, raising hopes of a path out of the gloom and economic destruction wrought by …
Oxford Covid vaccine works in all ages, trials suggest Read More »
Pharmacy chain says £120 cost will be one of cheapest private tests available Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Boots is to offer a coronavirus testing service it says can return results from swab tests in only 12 minutes. The pharmacy chain said the LumiraDx devices, which are able to quickly process …
Boots to offer 12-minute Covid testing service within weeks Read More »
Emails show senior managers ‘expecting’ attendance at Nottingham HQ despite big spike in local cases Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Boots told staff they were “encouraged” to come in to its headquarters in Nottingham, where Covid-19 infection rates are the highest in England, even after the government advised people to work …
Boots bosses ‘encouraged’ staff to work at head office despite UK government advice Read More »
Profit margin fall, blamed on Covid-19 effects, drags global firm to $3m quarterly loss Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Sales at Boots slumped nearly 30% in the three months to the end of August as shoppers stayed away from town centres and picked up health goods at supermarkets instead. Over the …
Boots chain reports 30% sales drop at retail sites in UK Read More »
Company is unclear about whether patient was receiving vaccine or placebo in 60,000-patient study Johnson & Johnson has paused its Covid-19 vaccine trial due to an “unexplained illness” in a participant, the company confirmed. The pharmaceutical giant was unclear if the patient was administered a placebo or the experimental vaccine, and it’s not remarkable for …
Johnson & Johnson pauses Covid vaccine trial over participant’s ‘unexplained illness’ Read More »
Doctors say patients are seeking to participate in drug’s trials as Regeneron’s stock soar after president touts treatment Doctors are reporting a spike in enquiries by patients for an experimental Covid-19 drug cocktail after Donald Trump called the Regeneron Pharmaceuticals drug “a blessing from God” that is a “cure” for the virus. Two doctors involved …
Demand surges for Regeneron drug that Trump claims ‘cures’ Covid-19 Read More »
Link to drug company boss raises questions about ‘cure’ claims and exclusive access Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage New questions have emerged over the circumstances in which Donald Trump was given an experimental antibody drug cocktail produced by a golfing acquaintance to treat his coronavirus infection. As Trump wrongly hailed his …
Provider of Trump Covid drug is president’s golf friend Read More »
Pharmaceutical firm reports ‘significant drop in processing capacity’ of reagents, kits and swabs Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Concerns have been raised over the supply of vital testing materials for a range of conditions, including Covid-19, following a supply chain problem with the pharmaceutical company Roche. On Tuesday, Roche said it …
NHS coronavirus tests threatened by Roche supply chain glitch Read More »
Drugs company says infection controls at some of its sites are so secure the app is not needed Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The pharmaceuticals firm GlaxoSmithKline has told staff to switch off the contact tracing function that allows the NHS test-and-trace app to monitor the spread of Covid-19 while at …
GSK tells UK staff: turn off Covid test-and-trace app while at work Read More »
Campaign scoring countries for global access efforts calls for more British transparency Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The UK is doing more than most countries to support access to Covid vaccines for the poorest populations in the world, but it is not transparent enough about the deals it is doing at …
UK doing more than most to help poor get Covid vaccine, study finds Read More »
Boots, LloydsPharmacy and Well Pharmacy report unprecedented take-up and many chemists run out of stock Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Pharmacies across England are struggling to keep up with the demand for the flu vaccine, pausing online bookings and limiting it to those most in need. The country’s three largest pharmacy …
Pharmacies in England pause online flu jab bookings as demand soars Read More »
We are raiding the Audio Long Reads archives and bringing you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week’s article: Britain’s biggest pharmacy used to be a family business, dedicated to serving society. Now, many of the company’s own staff believe that its relentless drive for profit is putting …
From the archives: How Boots went rogue – podcast Read More »
Regulator agrees to float of UK firms but recreational suppliers still banned Medicinal cannabis companies have been cleared by the UK’s financial regulator to float on the London Stock Exchange but firms that sell marijuana to recreational users will still be banned. The Financial Conduct Authority said businesses that grow and sell recreational cannabis, even …
Medical cannabis companies cleared for London stock market Read More »
Pharmaceutical firm’s boss says 2020 deadline possible if regulators move fast Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine could still be available by the end of the year, or early next year, according to the company’s chief executive, Pascal Soriot, despite clinical trials being paused after a volunteer fell ill. …
Oxford Covid-19 vaccine is still possible this year, says AstraZeneca chief Read More »
Tests have been paused after a UK volunteer became ill. How will it affect the search for a cure? The AstraZeneca vaccine trial has been paused – should we be worried? Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage One of the volunteers in the UK has become ill and it is crucial that …
Oxford Covid vaccine trial suspension: what happens next? Read More »
World’s largest vaccine makers to begin testing on people in US with eye on rollout in early 2021 Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi are to start testing their protein-based Covid-19 vaccine on humans for the first time, following promising results in earlier studies. GSK, the world’s largest vaccine …
GSK and Sanofi to start human trials of potential Covid-19 vaccine Read More »
UK drugmaker and Oxford Biomedica to produce more of potential coronavirus product Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage AstraZeneca has expanded an agreement with Oxford Biomedica to scale up production of its potential Covid-19 vaccine, as the race continues to find an effective prevention for the deadly virus. Under the supply agreement, …
AstraZeneca expands Covid-19 vaccine deal as final trials begin Read More »
Volunteers are receiving doses of drug, which has potential both as a vaccine and a treatment Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The pharmaceutical group AstraZeneca has started a clinical trial of a drug to help prevent and treat Covid-19, with the first volunteers already receiving doses. The company, which is separately …
AstraZeneca starts Covid-19 antibody drug trial in UK Read More »
AstraZeneca says it has not discussed ‘emergency use authorisation’ with the US Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The company manufacturing the Oxford University coronavirus vaccine has denied it is in talks with the Trump administration about fast-tracking its vaccine for emergency use ahead of November’s presidential elections. With both Russia and …
Oxford University Covid-19 vaccine firm denies Trump talks Read More »
A justice department document shows prosecutors recommended the OxyContin face wire fraud and money-laundering charges A Department of Justice internal memorandum obtained by the Guardian shows that government prosecutors found evidence that executives at the drugs giant Purdue Pharma may have committed multiple crimes, including wire fraud and money laundering, to boost sales of its …
Purdue Pharma escaped serious charges over opioid in 2006, memo shows Read More »
Government secures early access to those being developed by Novavax and Janssen Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The UK government has reached agreements it says will give British citizens early access to 90m doses of two more potential Covid-19 vaccines. The vaccines are being developed by the US biotech company Novavax …
UK agrees deals for 90m doses of two potential coronavirus vaccines Read More »
Businesses already struggling with the fallout from Covid-19 will be forced to deal with a mountain of new bureaucracy in the middle of a deep recession The government did not quite achieve the Brexit breakthrough it was seeking on Friday, when there was hope that a fast-tracked trade agreement with Japan might be reached. But …
The Guardian view on Brexit bureaucracy: tied up in red tape | Editorial Read More »
The president thinks that as long as they buoy the stock market, they’re helping the US economy – and that’s pure rubbish Since the start of the pandemic, American billionaires have been cleaning up. As more than 50 million Americans filed for unemployment insurance, billionaires became $637bn richer. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg’s wealth has ballooned 59%. …
Trump has no problem letting billionaires profit off the pandemic | Robert Reich Read More »
Products made by diagnostics firm Randox removed from care homes and individuals Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage the Up to 750,000 unused coronavirus testing kits manufactured by diagnostics company Randox have been recalled from care homes and individuals due to concerns about safety standards. At the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, …
Up to 750,000 UK Covid test kits recalled due to safety concerns Read More »
Activists accuse company of pushing remdesivir to boost profit GS-441524 has been used to treat a coronavirus in cats Coronavirus – latest global updates Activists are calling on the pharmaceutical firm Gilead Sciences to study a drug for the treatment of Covid-19 that showed promise in curing cats of a coronavirus. The drug, called GS-441524, …
Covid-19: Gilead Sciences urged to study drug that showed promise with cats Read More »
Companies can return to work from 1 August, but many employers are making their own plans Companies ready to defy Boris Johnson’s planned return to work Future shape of offices: proposals to make workplaces safe Major companies in England have been told that, from 1 August, they can discuss with workers whether it is safe …
Return to work: a sector-by-sector look at the plans of England’s major employers Read More »
GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi Pasteur could supply vaccine by early next year if it is successful Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The government has signed a deal with the pharmaceutical firms GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Sanofi Pasteur for 60m doses of a potential Covid-19 vaccine. If the vaccine proves successful, the UK could …
Coronavirus: UK signs deal for 60m doses of potential vaccine Read More »
The trade committee urged ministers to develop “parallel supply chains” as a solution Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Britain needs to ensure its stockpile of medicines is replenished to deal with a second wave of coronavirus and any shocks to a supply chain dominated by China and India, the trade committee …
UK must ensure medicines replenished for Covid-19 second wave Read More »
Pharmaceuticals company buys global rights to new technology from Japan’s Daiichi Sankyo Drugmaker AstraZeneca could pay up to $6bn (£4.7bn) for the global rights to a new Japanese cancer treatment. The Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company said it would pay $1bn (£800m) up front to its partner Daiichi Sankyo. Related: Covid-19 is Big Pharma’s chance to impress. …
AstraZeneca signs deal worth up to £4.7bn for cancer treatment Read More »
AstraZeneca and GSK both release results this week. But picking winners in the sector may be complicated It was the press announcement heard around the world: a potential Covid-19 vaccine from the University of Oxford and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca had not only been “tolerated” by patients, but “generated robust immune responses against the Sars-CoV-2 virus …
Covid-19 is Big Pharma’s chance to impress. But who’ll do best? Read More »
Synairgen’s share price rises 540% on morning of news of successful drugs trial Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Three professors at the University of Southampton school of medicine have this week made a “major breakthrough” in the treatment of coronavirus patients and become paper millionaires at the same time. Almost two …
‘Major’ breakthrough in Covid-19 drug makes UK professors millionaires Read More »
GSK’s share price has been left standing by AstraZeneca’s high-risk success in cancer treatments Monday’s most important vaccine news was the promising early data from the Oxford University and AstraZeneca coronavirus trial – “robust immune responses” is encouraging. But let’s not overlook other vaccine developments. The industry has been viewed for years as a dull …
GlaxoSmithKline makes bold move with £130m Covid-19 investment | Nils Pratley Read More »
Stake of 10% in CureVac is part of deal that could eventually be worth more than £800m Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline has bought a 10% stake in a German biotech company that is a key player in the global race for a coronavirus vaccine as …
GSK buys £130m stake in German coronavirus vaccine maker Read More »
Care homes and members of public told to immediately stop using firm’s kits Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The UK government has instructed care homes and members of the public to immediately stop using coronavirus testing kits produced by a healthcare firm after safety problems were discovered. Randox was awarded a …
UK government orders halt to Randox Covid-19 tests over safety issues Read More »
We need a public register to show if healthcare professionals are in the pay of industry – or more patients will suffer It was never “just women’s problems”. After decades of having their suffering dismissed, many patients will have been relieved about the publication of the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review yesterday. Led …
The family behind the firm that made OxyContin denies wrongdoing – but numerous cases against them have been halted while a court deliberates With most Americans transfixed for months by the election, Donald Trump’s impeachment, the coronavirus and economic catastrophes and anti-racism protests, the nation’s opioids crisis risks becoming “the forgotten epidemic”. But millions of …
Activists see Purdue bankruptcy case as last chance to call Sacklers to account Read More »
Former pharmaceutical executive died of cancer on 30 June Sackler was named as defendant in key opioid lawsuits Jonathan Sackler, one of the owners of Purdue Pharma, the maker of the controversial opioid prescription painkiller OxyContin has died, the company confirmed on Monday. Sackler died on 30 June, according to a court filing. He was …
Jonathan Sackler, joint owner of opioid maker Purdue Pharma, dies aged 65 Read More »
Regulators also criticise sale of paracetamol and hand sanitiser at excessive costs Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Two UK watchdogs have warned pharmacies they should not be overcharging customers for in-demand items including face masks, hand sanitiser and paracetamol. With face masks compulsory on public transport and increasing numbers of people …
Watchdogs warn pharmacies not to hike price of face masks Read More »
Evidence given to parliamentary committee sparks new calls to develop national capability to manufacture medicines and key supplies Australian companies were “shocked” to experience price-gouging and had trouble accessing critical supplies to make medicines and personal protective equipment at the height of the pandemic, a parliamentary committee has been told. It has prompted fresh calls …
Australian drugmakers hit by critical shortages at height of pandemic, inquiry hears Read More »
Rich countries’ governments are putting all their trust in a marriage of markets and philanthropy called Gavi Vaccines for Covid-19 are coming. Billions of dollars are flowing in, over 100 efforts are under way, and at least 13 leading candidates are already being tested on humans. But how will these vaccines reach the poorest people …
Legislation protects those needed in future pandemics who may be struggling now Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The UK government has introduced legislation to protect businesses that are key to public health from foreign takeovers. The changes give the government the power to protect companies that could be critical in helping …
UK firms critical to public health protected from foreign takeovers Read More »
Four unnamed stores suspected by competition regulator of profiteering during Covid-19 crisis Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The competition watchdog is to investigate suspected profiteering by four pharmacies and convenience stores for over-charging shoppers for hand sanitiser during the coronavirus pandemic. Stocks of hand sanitiser were among the first items the …
Watchdog investigates possible overcharging for hand sanitiser in UK Read More »
Pascal Soriot heroically defended the company against Pfizer, but now he needs to calm his investors It’s hard to keep AstraZeneca out of the headlines. A booming share price made the company the biggest in the FTSE 100 index last month, albeit Shell is now marginally in front again. More significantly, the group is in …
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