NHS strikes deal on drug prices and access
A new deal, the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access & Growth (VPAG), has been agreed by the UK Government, NHS England and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI).
UK REACH edges closer
The UK Government has published an alternative transitional registration model (ATRm) for its UK REACH regulations.
Pharma’s final frontier
Pharma major Eli Lilly is partnering with space infrastructure specialist Redwire on the inaugural mission of Redwire’s PIL-BOX-01 in-space pharmaceutical manufacturing platform. PIL-BOX is designed to produce small-batch crystals of protein-based pharmaceuticals and other key pharmaceutically relevant molecules for research.
Veterinary antibiotic use at a record low
The use of antibiotics on farms has been described by the World Health Organization as ‘one of the biggest threats to global health, food security and development today’, due to their contribution to antimicrobial resistance. However, within the European Union, regulation is believed to have contributed to a reduction in their use.
Safer antifungal through rational design
Researchers in the US have tweaked the structure of a life-saving antifungal drug to make it safer. The drug is the natural molecule amphotericin B (AmB), which has been used for decades to treat invasive fungal infections and save the lives of seriously ill patients.
AI unlocks Martian oxygen production
Chinese researchers have developed an AI robot that can make oxygen from ores found in Martian meteorites. They say similar technology could one day make human missions to Mars easier and more cost-effective.
UK wins the race to approve Crispr therapy
The UK has become the first country to approve a therapy based on Crispr gene editing. In November 2023, the UK’s regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) authorised a treatment for sickle cell disease and beta thalassaemia – a severe type of anaemia.
Enceladus: our best shot at alien life?
For both astronomers and science-fiction writers, Mars has always been the most likely place in the solar system to encounter alien life. In recent years, however, another planetary body has pushed its way to the front of the extraterrestrial queue, spurring the development of novel instruments to detect possible signs of this life. Jon Evans reports
The liquid future of catalysis
Liquid metals could drive a green renaissance in catalysis, say chemical engineers in Australia. They report their use in the synthesis of propylene (Nature Nanotechnology, doi: 10.1038/s41565-023-01552-7).
UK chemicals see downturn
The latest survey from the UK Chemical Business Association has identified major disruption in terms of sales, orders and margins for manufacturers, distributors, traders, and logistics providers in the UK chemical supply chain.