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Top Ten most popular articles on Pharmafile.com this week!

pharmafile | April 18, 2019 | News story | Business Services, Manufacturing and Production, Medical Communications, Research and Development, Sales and Marketing GSK, Genentech, Gilead, HIV, MS, Novartis, kidney disease, pharma 

This week was a good one for clinical trials and a bad one for employees after both Gilead and GSK announced redundancies as Janssen scored twice in Phase 3 trials in chronic kidney disease and HIV.

Meanwhile Genentech IT employee Timothy Pruitt was awarded $250,000 after being fired from the firm. Two of our features also came into the top 10 this week as we talked to cannabis investors Spinnaker Opportunities and Rebecca Pender, the mother of a girl with the rare chromosome disorder Inv Dup Del 8p. Check out this week’s top ten stories on Pharmafile.com!

10. Novartis’ Kisqali combo rejected by NICE for advanced breast cancer

Novartis’ Kisqali (ribociclib) has been rejected for use on the NHS by NICE for the treatment of advanced breast cancer, the organisation has announced. 

9. Use of Genzyme’s MS drug Lemtrada restricted under ongoing EMA safety review

The EMA has launched a review into Genzyme’s multiple sclerosis drug Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) after reports emerged of treatment-related safety issues arising from heart, blood vessel and immune-mediated conditions, some of which were fatal.

8. Feature – Medical cannabis: A green light for patients in need?

Spinnaker Opportunities announced in February it had reached a preliminary agreement to acquire cannabis oil-focused research firm Kanabo Research and its growing portfolio of activities. Spinnaker Chairman Andy Morrison explains the move towards medical cannabis, and the opportunities and challenges ahead for healthcare as attitudes towards the drug slowly shift.

7. Janssen’s Invokana combo smashes primary and secondary endpoints in chronic kidney disease

Janssen has unveiled promising new Phase 3 for its sodium-glucose transport (SGLT) protein-2 inhibitor Invokana (canagliflozin), showing that the therapy met its primary endpoint in the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) when used in addition to standard of care.

6. Janssen’s Symtuza around 90% effective in achieving undetectable HIV-1 viral loads, when used immediately following diagnosis

Janssen has lifted the curtain on data from the first Phase 3 trial investigating the efficacy of Symtuza in treating HIV-1 infection when the regimen is started within 14 days of diagnosis, starting on the drug before laboratory or baseline resistance test results are available.

5. Feature – Living with a rare chromosome disorder

Rebecca Pender’s daughter Hannah lives with the ultra-rare condition Inv Dup Del 8p, a genetic arrangement that affects just 80 people worldwide. She recounts the struggle to secure a diagnosis, and how the experience shaped her attitude on how we confront rare disease.

4. Pfizer unveils new Phase 2 data on 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine

Pfizer has revealed new Phase 2 data on its 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine candidate, detailing the efficacy of the product in preventing invasive disease and pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae.

3. Genentech employee awarded $250,000 over racial discrimination case

A US jury has awarded a former Genentech employee nearly $250,000 after the black worker was fired from the firm after filing a racial-discrimination complaint against his manager.

2. GSK to make redundancies at plant in Stevenage

GlaxoSmithKline are set to make redundancies at their site in Stevenage. The move comes as the firm takes “a new approach to research and development,” in focusing more strongly on “transformational medicines.”

1. Gilead to lay off one fifth of sales force

Gilead Sciences is preparing to lay off around a fifth of its salesforce in anticipation for the expiry of patents on two of the company’s older drugs.

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