The Orphan Drug Act (ODA), which was passed in 1983 to incentivize drug development for rare diseases, has come under scrutiny in recent years. There are some within industry who claim that the program has been manipulated by drug manufacturers to maximize profits and protect niche markets for treatments for more common conditions. However, advocates in [...]
In the last remaining months leading up to the UK’s exit from the EU, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is taking action to prepare for a potential ‘no-deal’ Brexit. The MHRA strongly believes that cooperation between the UK and the EU will be beneficial for both sides and remains hopeful that an [...]
With the Brexit leave date fast approaching, efforts are continuously being made to ensure that patient health and wellbeing remain protected, following the UK’s exit from the EU. Last month, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, released two letters to the pharmaceutical industry outlining recommended contingency plans for a potential ‘no-deal’ Brexit [...]
Medicine shortages and rising drug prices continue to plague the US healthcare system, despite efforts being made by government on the national and local level to combat the issue. As it stands, hospitals around the country are finding that they cannot access the products they need and are being forced to bear the brunt of [...]
In a move that defies President Trump’s proposed budget for fiscal 2019, the Senate is gearing up to approve a $2 billion increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This increase has been proposed as part of the Senate’s “minibus”, which combines the Senate’s Defense bill and its Labor, Education and Health [...]
Late last month, The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) launched its new initiative, RareInsights, aimed at expanding public knowledge of rare diseases and using that knowledge to create real-world solutions for patients. NORD is one of the US’ leading non-profit organizations advocating for rare disease patients through education, funding and support for drug research [...]
Last week, President Trump’s administration released its new drug pricing plan, which calls for more competition and negotiation as well as greater incentives to lower list prices and out-of-pocket costs for patients. However, many commentators have claimed that the plan is too lenient on big pharma, as it does not push for any real drug [...]