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In what's seen as a major step forward for the treatment of schizophrenia, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has authorised a new Johnson & Johnson drug in Britain. Byannli is a six-monthly paliperidone palmitate (PP6M) and is the first long-acting injectable schizophrenia treatment which offers patients the potential for up to six months of symptom control and a reduction in their risk of relapse with only two doses a year. It is a long-acting injectable that works by dissolving and entering the bloodstream slowly, due to its extremely low water solubility, resulting in continuous absorption of paliperidone palmitate over a six-month period. "Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe brain disorder, and antipsychotic medication plays an important role in its treatment. However, many people with the illness experience relapses which are often caused by poor adherence to oral medication," said Prof David Taylor, director of Pharmacy and Pathology at the Maudsley Hospital.

Southwark Crown Court on Thursday sentenced two pharmacists to two years of imprisonment each, suspended for 24 months, after they were found guilty of selling 'industrial' quantities of Class C controlled drugs. Mandip Sidhu (47) of Littleover, Derby and Nabeil Nasr (42) of Cheadle, Greater Manchester, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing following an investigation by the Criminal Enforcement Unit of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA). Both Sidhu and Nasr were pharmacists registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council at the time of the offenses, which took place between May 2013 and June 2017. Sidhu was the director of Pharmaceutical Health Limited (PHL) in Derby, while Nasr owned several pharmacies across the North West of England. Sidhu was sentenced to two years imprisonment on each of five counts of supplying Class C drugs and four months for forgery, all to run concurrently and suspended for 24 months. Additionally, she must complete 200 hours of community service for her role in the illegal supply of diazepam, zolpidem, and zopiclone.

To complete the evaluations of Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test kits, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will approach pharmacies and send 15 combined kits to pharmacies in December. The combined kits will contain a standard LFD pack, one PCR test along with comprehensive instructions. For the evaluation, a part of meeting Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) obligations, UKSHA needs "dual swabbing through the community pharmacy Covid-19 lateral flow device distribution service." Pharmacies receiving these kits need to finish the current open carton of LFD packs and then open the next standard carton. Pharmacy negotiator PSNC has advised pharmacies to be mindful of "the expiration date of the kit and ensure these are handed out in sufficient time."

Thousands of lung cancer patients in England will benefit from a ground-breaking new drug that can reduce the risk of relapse. This follows a deal brokered by NHS England and approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for atezolizumab therapy to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). More than 850 patients are expected to be eligible for the drug in the first year, rising to more than 1000 in the third year. It is the first immunotherapy approved for patients with early-stage NSCLC who have undergone surgery and chemotherapy. Clinical trials have shown that atezolizumab can reduce the risk of cancer relapse or death by 34 per cent in patients with early-stage NSCLC.

Hundreds of children in England are set to benefit from a treatment for cystic fibrosis - Kaftrio, after the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) confirmed an extension to its licence. With the licence extension, more than 1,300 children in England with cystic fibrosis, aged six to 11, are newly eligible for this treatment, which improves lung function and improves overall quality of life of patients. Earlier, Kaftrio was only licensed for those aged 12 and above. British patients were the first in Europe to benefit from Kaftrio, when NHS England secured a landmark deal in June 2020. NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: "Since NHS staff delivered one of the fastest rollouts of Kaftrio in the world just over a year ago, the lives of thousands of patients with cystic fibrosis have been transformed. "Innovative treatments like Kaftrio are life-changing for patients and their families, and that is why the NHS has done all it can since we secured the deal for Kaftrio to ensure patients benefit as soon as possible.

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, India's largest drugmaker by revenue, reported a better-than-expected 5.2 per cent rise in third-quarter profit on Tuesday, driven by higher sales of its specialty drugs. The company, known for its consumer healthcare products such as Revital vitamins and pain relief medicine Volini, said it earned a consolidated net profit of 21.66 billion rupees ($265.23 million) in three months ended Dec. 31, up from 20.59 billion rupees last year. Analysts, on average, had expected the company to report a profit of 21.26 billion rupees, according to Refinitiv IBES data. Total revenue from operations climbed nearly 14 per cent to 112.41 billion rupees. Input costs rose 8.5 per cent. Drug sales in India rose 7.1 per cent to 33.92 billion rupees, whereas sales in the United States climbed 16.6 per cent to 34.66 billion rupees, with each of the two regions accounting for 31 per cent of the company's total consolidated sales. The company, founded in 1983, makes over-the-counter medications, anti-retrovirals and active pharmaceutical ingredients for chronic and acute treatments.