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Top Ten most popular articles on Pharmafile.com this week

pharmafile | March 23, 2018 | News story | Business Services, Manufacturing and Production, Medical Communications, Research and Development, Sales and Marketing Canada, Celgene, Lundbeck, Marijuana, Novartis, Roche, Vertex, brexit, cannabis, multiple sclerosis, neuroscience, pharma 

As me move startlingly quickly towards Easter, it’s time for another Top Ten rundown.

This week, Celgene surprised the industry by goign against the grain to invest in neuroscience, sealing a potential $2.2 billion drug development deal. The news that a male contraceptive pill currently in development also made waves by proving its safety in clinical studies. But the week’s most popular story, perhaps unsurprisingly, was the news that Novartis is set to step into the medical marijuana market, partnering with a producer of the products in Canada.

Check out the week’s ten most popular articles on Pharmafile.com now!

10. Independent committee report seeks Brexit healthcare clarity

An independent report, entitled Brexit – Medicines, Medical Devices and Substances of Human Origin and written by the Health and Social Care Committee, has called for greater clarity regarding the future for medicine access post-Brexit.

9. Roche’s immunotherapy improves PFS but unclear long-term benefit in lung cancer

Roche’s Tecentriq was able to show an improvement to progression-free survival (PFS) in first-line treatment but couldn’t conclusively show that there was a statistically significant boost to OS.

8. Celgene bucks trend to strengthen neuroscience pipeline

Celgene has gone against industry movement to back out of the neuroscience area by putting down a potential $2.2 billion to gain options on three drug candidates held by Prothena.

7. Male contraceptive pill hits safety goals

A male contraceptive pill may be edging closer to the market, after a new formulation was shown to be safe when taken daily for a month.

6. Pfizer to hang onto CEO, after 61% pay increase

Pfizer have given its Chief Executive Officer, Ian Read, a big boost to his pay packet, taking it to $27.9 million, but only in return for a commitment to stay with the company for the next year.

5. Lundbeck takes risk on Parkinson’s treatment, €905m on table

CNS’ treatments are notoriously risky, especially those that are still at an early stage; however, Lundbeck has decided to take a calculated risk on Prexton Therapeutics and its sole candidate for Parkinson’s.

4. Working Life: Chris Round, Head of EMEA Region, Merck KGaA

Merck KGaA’s Chris Round, Head of EMEA Region, spoke with Pharmafile.com to discuss his time at both the US and German firms which bear the name Merck, his successes, leadership strategies and more.

3. “Game-changer” stem cell transplant shows strength in multiple sclerosis

A new stem cell transplant is being hailed as a “game-changer” in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) after an international trial demonstrated that it halted disease progress, relieved symptoms and reduced disability in patients.

2. Vertex “astonished” by NHS England’s response to CF drug

Vertex has been battling to have its treatment, Orkambi, approved in the UK since 2016, when it was first rejected by NICE on cost-effectiveness grounds and has reacted strongly after being rejected again.

1. Novartis steps into the medical marijuana business

Canada’s burgeoning medical marijuana industry has finally drawn in a big pharma player, with Novartis generics unit in Canada signing an agreement with a producer of medical marijuana products.

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