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Top Ten most popular articles on Pharmafile.com this week

pharmafile | August 7, 2020 | News story | Medical Communications COVID-19, Top 10 news, top 10 

The top ten news stories this week are dominated by corporate scandals, with researchers finding that Coca-Cola paid an organisation of scientists to downplay how the sugary drinks they sell fuelled the obesity crisis, while Sanofi is being investigated for manslaughter in France over the deaths of four babies whose mothers took its anti-epilepsy medication Depakine.

In terms of COVID-19, the US will pay Johnson and Johnson more than $1 billion to create 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, while the EU has reached an agreement with Sanofi for 300 million doses of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate which will allow the trading bloc’s members to purchase the vaccines if and when it gets an approval.

1. Researchers find Coca-Cola paid scientists to downplay how their drinks fuelled the obesity crisis

Researchers have found that Coca-Cola paid an organization of scientists to downplay how the sugary drinks they sell fuelled the obesity crisis.

2. CAR T cell therapy is revolutionising cancer treatment, but at what cost?

CAR T cell therapy is one of the latest innovations in gene therapy. The process is primarily used to treat blood cancers, where a patient has their T cells extracted and modified into CAR T cells, which will precisely attack the cancer cells. While a revolutionary and life-saving technology, it is extremely expensive and is not guaranteed to work, meaning that American health insurers and European socialised healthcare systems are hesitant to widely cover the treatment in its current form. Conor Kavanagh will assess the benefits and drawbacks of CAR T cell therapy and what can be done to make it more economically viable as a cancer treatment.

3. UK Government secures 60 million doses of Sanofi and GSK’s COVID-19 vaccine

The UK Government have sealed another deal to procure an effective COVID-19 vaccine for its citizens, partnering up with Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline to reserve 60 million doses of their potential prophylactic candidate currently in development.

4. Sanofi indicted on manslaughter charges over its epilepsy drug Depakine

Sanofi is being investigated for manslaughter in France over the deaths of four babies whose mothers took its anti-epilepsy medication Depakine.

5. FDA expands Stelara indication to cover paediatric plaque psoriasis

Janssen’s IL-12 and IL-23 inhibitor Stelara (ustekinumab) has had its approved indications expanded by the FDA to include the treatment of skin lesions or plaques associated with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in patients between six and 11 years old, it has been revealed.

6. EU agrees deal with Sanofi for COVID-19 vaccine supply

The EU has reached an agreement with Sanofi for 300 million doses of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate which will allow the trading bloc’s members to purchase the vaccines if and when it gets an approval.

7. US Government commits $2.1bn to GSK and Sanofi’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate

The US Government has announced additional funding into Sanofi and GlaxSmithKline’s efforts to develop a recombinant protein-based vaccine to the value of $2.1 billion, as part of its Operation Warp Speed to identify, fund and deliver an effective COVID-19 vaccine from a range of promising candidates.

8. Lilly and Boehringer’s Jardiance reduces hospitalisation and CV death risk from heart failure at Phase 3

Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly have announced strong Phase 3 news on their sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor Jardiance (empagliflozin) in the treatment of adults with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, with and without diabetes.

9. US to pay Johnson and Johnson $1 billion for COVID-19 vaccine

The US will pay Johnson and Johnson more than $1 billion to create 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

10. European Commission approves first drug for hepatitis D

The European Commission has approved Heplcudex (bulvirtide) as the first hepatitis D drug.

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