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NICE has recommended use of tucatinib as an option to treat HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread in people who have already tried 2 or more anti-HER2 treatments. The move is set to benefit around 400 people with advanced breast cancer. Tucatinib works by blocking a specific area of the HER2 gene in cancer cells, which stops the cells from growing and spreading. The medicine is taken as two 150 mg tablets twice daily along with anti-cancer medicines trastuzumab and capecitabine. Helen Knight, programme director in the NICE Centre for Health Technology Evaluation, said: "Unfortunately there is no cure for breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. There is also a lack of additional anti‑HER2 treatments which can postpone the need for chemotherapy, especially for people whose cancer has spread to their brain because their treatment options are even more limited.

Thirty-five generic drug manufacturers will make a more affordable version of Pfizer's anti-Covid pill for the world's poorer nations, in licensing deals announced Thursday (17) by a UN-backed organisation. The global Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) signed agreements with three dozen manufacturers to produce the oral Covid-19 treatment nirmatrelvir for supply in 95 low- and middle-income countries. US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer signed a licence agreement with the MPP in November. The MPP, in turn, issued sub-licences to the generic drugs makers. The deals announced Thursday will "help ensure access to our oral Covid-19 treatment for patients in need around the world", said Pfizer chairman Albert Bourla.

Are you looking for ways technology can improve the health sector? Technology has revolutionized every industry imaginable, so it's no surprise that it has also made its mark on the health sector. In this blog post, we will discuss how technology is helping to improve healthcare for everyone. From telemedicine to mobile apps, technology makes it easier than ever for people to get the care they need. Keep reading to learn more. EASILY ACCESSIBLE MEDICAL INFORMATION One of the biggest ways technology improves healthcare is by making medical information more accessible to everyone. In the past, if you had a question about your health, you would have to either make an appointment with a doctor or do some research on your own. However, thanks to the internet, now you can easily find answers to all of your questions with a few clicks of a button. If you are running a medical facility, it is important to ensure that your IT department is up to date on all of the latest advancements in healthcare technology. As highlighted by the team behind Medicus IT, you can hire an IT health expert to manage all aspects of your digital infrastructure so that you can focus on providing quality patient care. This way, you can ensure that your patients are getting the best possible care.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended icosapent ethyl also called Vazkepa manufactured by Amarin for adults who have cardiovascular disease with controlled LDL-C levels taking a statin. It's final draft guidance is expected to be available on the July 20. Nearly half a million people are expected to benefit from the first licensed treatment shown to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in people with controlled low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C - sometimes called "bad" cholesterol) who are taking a statin and who have raised levels of triglycerides. NICE said: "Clinical trial evidence suggests that for people with raised triglycerides who have LDL-C levels controlled by statins, and who have cardiovascular disease, icosapent ethyl reduces their risk of cardiovascular events by over a quarter compared with placebo. Helen Knight, interim director of medicines evaluation at NICE, said: "Icosapent ethyl is the first licensed treatment of its kind for people who are at risk of heart attacks and strokes despite well controlled LDL cholesterol because they have raised blood fats. And although lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise, can help to reduce their risk, these may not work for everyone.

Two new subvariants of Omicron - BA.4 and BA.5 - are spreading much faster than other corovanirus variants in Europe, which could lead to more hospitalisations and deaths as they become dominant, the EU's disease prevention agency said on Monday (June 13). Most EU countries have so far detected low rates of the two subgroups. But in countries where the proportion has risen - such as Portugal, where BA.5 accounted for 87 per cent of cases by May 30 - there have been surges in overall cases, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The two sublineages were added to the World Health Organization's monitoring list in March and have also been designated as variants of concern by the ECDC. Variants BA.4 and BA.5 do not appear to carry a higher risk of severe disease than other forms of Omicron.But an increase in case numbers from higher transmission rates risks leading to an increase in hospitalisations and deaths, the agency said. "The growth advantage reported for BA.4 and BA.5 suggest that these variants will become dominant," ECDC said in a statement on its website.

When it comes to supplements, more and more people are starting to become interested in them. This is because supplements have a lot of benefits that can improve a person's health in many ways. However, with the increasing popularity of supplements also comes an increase in the number of low-quality and ineffective supplements on the market. Because of this, it is important for people who are interested in taking supplements to know how to choose quality ones that will be beneficial to their health. In this article, we will discuss some tips on how to do just that. CHOOSE SUPPLEMENTS FROM A REPUTABLE COMPANY Finally, one of the best ways to ensure that you're getting a quality supplement is to choose one from a reputable company. There are many different supplement companies out there, but not all of them are created equal. Some companies are more interested in making money than they are in providing their customers with safe and effective products. Therefore, when you're looking for supplements, it's important to do some research on the different companies that sell them. See if there have been any complaints filed against the company or if their products have been recalled by the FDA. Also, look for customer reviews of the company's products to see what other people have thought about them. As explained by the folks from Supplement First, A good supplement company will have no problem providing you with this information and will be happy to answer any questions you have. Doing some research on the company beforehand can save you a lot of time and money in the long run.

Covid-19 vaccine makers are shifting gears and planning for a smaller, more competitive booster shot market after delivering as many doses as fast as they could over the last 18 months. Executives at the biggest Covid vaccine makers including Pfizer and Moderna said they believe most people who wanted to get vaccinated against Covid have already done so - more than five billion people worldwide. In the coming year, most Covid vaccinations will be booster shots, or first inoculations for children, which are still gaining regulatory approvals around the world, they said. Pfizer, which makes its shot with Germany's BioNTech and Moderna still see a major role for themselves in the vaccine market even as overall demand declines. Upstart US vaccine maker Novavax and Germany's CureVac, which is working with GlaxoSmithKline, are developing vaccines they hope to target at the booster market. The roles of AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson, whose shots have been less popular or effective, are expected to decline in this market.

Maintaining a healthy digestive system is a vital component of a customer's overall health. Gut health affects how food is processed and digested, in turn affecting how and what vitamins and minerals are absorbed from the food that is ingested. It also impacts immune system efficiencies which can lead to allergies and autoimmune conditions. As such, supporting customers with their digestive health should be a key focus for community pharmacists. Alongside offering a range of over-the-counter products, pharmacists are well placed to offer one-to-one guidance for customers concerned about their digestive health. Top tips that pharmacists should provide their customers with, include: Eating well Pre and probiotics Water intake Smoking cessation Alcohol Intake

Pfizer said on Tuesday it will pay $11.6 billion to buy Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, making a big bet on its ability to boost sales of the top-selling pill in a new class of migraine drugs. The boards of both companies have approved the deal, they said. Biohaven shares jumped 70 per cent to $141.31, while Pfizer was up slightly at $48.83. Pfizer is flush with cash from a once-in-a-lifetime surge in revenue from Covid-19 vaccines and therapeutics and has said it is looking to buy companies or drugs that could add at least $25 billion in annual sales by the end of the decade. "The CGRP oral medications, though still somewhat newer entrants in a deeply entrenched space, continue to make steady inroads in disrupting the broader migraine market in the U.S.," said BioHaven chief executive Vlad Coric. Biohaven forecast Nurtec sales of $825 million to $900 million in 2022. Pfizer said it expects the pills to eventually overtake the shots.

The NHS catch up plan to bring down the number of waiters in the diagnostic list has helped in witnessing a drop of 6,500 people waiting more than two years for elective treatment between February and March. While those waiting more than 78 weeks - a year and a half - dropped by 5,700 over the same period. According to latest month data published today (May 12) more than two million diagnostic tests were carried out - the highest total for March on record - and an increase of 217,000 on the previous month (Feb 2022). The data revealed that it was also the highest month on record for cancer referrals, with 253,796 people checked in March alone - an almost 40 per cent increase on the number of checks made in March 2020. Alongside this, almost 30,000 people started treatment for cancer (28,378) - the second highest number on record. This is second only to March 2020, with 28,881 people starting treatment.

To curb the supply issue of HRT medicine, the government has taken a further action by issuing SSPs for Oestrogel, Ovestin cream, Lenzetto transdermal spray and Sandrena gel sachets - with appropriate alternatives. The move aims to allow community pharmacists to supply specified alternatives to the prescribed HRT products without needing to seek authorisation from the clinician who has prescribed the medicine. The regulator said that the availability of Premique Low Dose has impoved 'thanks to SSPs issued on 29 April to restrict dispensing for Oestrogel, Ovestin and Premique Low Dose to three months' supply'. "Since these measures were implemented, further deliveries of all three products have been made, with Premique Low Dose returning to good availability this week. The manufacturers of Oestrogel and Ovestin, as well as suppliers of alternative HRT products, are taking action to increase UK supply." It added, "SSPs restricting prescriptions to a maximum of three months' supply will also be issued for substitute products, as a precautionary measure to ensure the supply of those substitutes is maintained."

French drugmaker Sanofi said on Monday (June 13) an upgraded version of the Covid-19 vaccine candidate it is developing with GSK showed potential in two trials to protect against the virus's main variants of concern, including the Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 strains, when used as a booster shot. While the two companies' first experimental Covid shot is undergoing review by the European Medicines Agency, Sanofi and GSK have continued work on a vaccine that is moulded on the now-supplanted Beta variant, hoping still that it will confer broad protection against future viral mutations. Sanofi said this new vaccine candidate was shown to significantly boost antibody levels against a number of variants of concern, when given to trial participants who had an initial course of mRNA vaccines, a type made by BioNTech-Pfizer and Moderna. In a separate trial conducted by a French hospitals network, Sanofi's Beta-adapted booster shot triggered a higher immune response than Sanofi's first-generation shot or Pfizer-BioNTech's established vaccine in previously vaccinated volunteers.

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has removed a pharmacist from its register who black-marketed 'zolpidem' along with another pharmacist between 2015 and 2016. Dean Zainool Dookhan, a pharmacist first registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain on 18 October 2004 and whose registration was later transferred to the General Pharmaceutical Council under registration number 2059808, was jailed last year for exporting 20,000 packets of zolpidem to the Caribbean. While hearing the case on 24-25 May, GPhC's Fitness to Practise Committee stated that "removal of the Registrant's name from the register is the appropriate and proportionate response to his convictions." "The public interest includes protecting the public, maintaining public confidence in the profession, and maintaining proper standards of behaviour. The Committee is entitled to give greater weight to the public interest than the Registrant's own interest in remaining on the register." "The Committee recognises the sanction has a punitive effect in that the Registrant's ability to practise and earn an income as a pharmacist and 28 his professional reputation will be curtailed; it will be five years before he can seek restoration to the register. However, that is the price he must pay for failing to comply with the fundamental tenets of his profession."

It is common knowledge that human happiness and well-being are dependent on good health. According to The American Lung Association (ALA) though, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in men and women as well. Unfortunately, it seems we often overlook the importance of our lungs. We tend to forget that they are nature's natural defensive system designed to keep dirt and germs out. However, there are several crucial things you can do to lower your lung disease risk. Here are some valuable guidelines for keeping your lungs in good shape. 1. AVOID EXPOSURE TO POLLUTION 2. NO SMOKING! 3. KEEP AWAY FROM INFECTIONS 4. TAKE DEEP BREATHS 5. EXERCISE REGULARLY These are the most essential and valuable guidelines that you should follow if you want your respiratory system to be healthy. Along with proper exercise, maintaining a balanced diet, and keeping your mind in a healthy vigorous state, they should form the foundation for long and prosperous life. Let's always keep in mind the teachings of ancient Greek philosophers, like Hippocrates, who maintained the axiom "a healthy mind in a healthy body", and we'll always be on the right track.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) has published a new professional guidance for prescribing practice on Monday (June 6) which it says will be "for the benefit of all independent prescribers across the UK". Based on collaboration with multi-professional stakeholders, the document is a guidance tool for prescribers wanting to expand their prescribing scope of practice. Commissioned by the Welsh government, the document was developed through an expert group with representatives from many healthcare professions, including from Higher Education institutions, professional bodies, regulatory bodies, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, NHS Education for Scotland, Health Education and Improvement Wales, and representatives from hospital, community and GP practice. RPS president Claire Anderson said: "It's fantastic to see the growth in prescribing, both across the profession and more widely, to improve patient care.

The age at which people can buy tobacco in England should rise by one each year until it becomes a "smoke-free" society, a government-commissioned review recommended on Thursday (June 9). The minimum age today is 18. But the review by Javed Khan, former head of children's charity Barnardo's, advised raising it annually until eventually no one can buy tobacco products. His review recommends 15 interventions to help the government meet its national target to be smoke-free by 2030, including the promotion of vaping to help smokers quit. "Without immediate and sustained action, England will miss the smoke-free target by many years and most likely decades," said Khan. "A smoke-free society should be a social norm -- but to achieve this, we must do more to stop people taking up smoking, help those who already smoke and support those who are disproportionately impacted by smoking."

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has advised self-isolation for people diagnosed with monkeypox to reduce the risk of spreading the infection. Household members are at the highest risk of becoming infected from a case within their house. The new guidance advises people with monkeypox infection to take steps to try and limit transmission within the household. "Monkeypox infection mainly spreads between people through direct, skin-to-skin contact, including sexual contact. Infection can also be spread via contaminated objects such as linen and soft furnishings," said UKHSA. The guidance advises that, where possible, cases are encouraged to sleep and eat in a separate room and use a separate bathroom to their household if possible. Good hygiene measures, to follow at all times, have also been set out. It suggests, "Where the use of a separate room isn't possible, cases should avoid physical contact and keep at least three steps (one metre) away from all household members. It is particularly important that they avoid close contact with young children, pregnant women and immunosuppressed people as they may be at higher risk of serious illness."

Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline aims to get its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine to regulators for review later this year, after interim data showed the vaccine was effective in a keenly-watched late-stage study involving older adults. RSV is a leading cause of pneumonia in toddlers and the elderly, but the complex molecular structure of the virus and safety concerns have stymied efforts to develop a vaccine since the virus was first discovered in 1956. Companies including Pfizer, J&J, Sanofi, Moderna and AstraZeneca are also racing to get an RSV therapy or vaccine approved. The latest GSK trial is the first to show statistically significant efficacy for RSV in adults aged 60 years and older, the British drugmaker said of the ongoing study on Friday (June 10). If approved, the RSV vaccine is expected to generate billions for GSK, which is already the world's biggest vaccine maker by sales but has faced pressure from activist investors such as Elliott Management who have urged the London-based company to shore up its drug pipeline.

The NHS on Thursday (May 5) said it has rolled out the arthritis drug baricitinib for seriously ill Covid patients. The Recovery trial, conducted by the NHS and University of Oxford, found that 13 per cent fewer severely ill patients died of Covid when treated with the drug compared to existing treatment options. Typically used to treat arthritis to reduce pain and inflammation, baricitinib can now be given to hospitalised Covid patients in addition to current treatments, and clinical studies show that this can provide benefits on top of existing treatment. The NHS has led the rollout of Covid medicines, from the discovery of dexamethasone as the world's first effective treatment, to the first vaccination outside of a clinical trial in December 2020. The NHS said baricitinib works by reducing inflammation caused by Covid-19 by blocking signals to the immune system that are causing it to attack the body.

Following concerns raised about cracked cartridges and insulin leaks, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued a national patient safety alert for the NovoRapid PumpCart prefilled insulin cartridge and the Roche Accu-Chek Insight Insulin pump system. The regulator have asked patients to check the pre-filled glass insulin cartridge for cracks before use. It advised against using the cartridge if it has been dropped even if no cracks are visible and urged to closely follow the updated handling instructions in the pump user manual when changing pre-filled glass insulin cartridges. In some of the reported leakage incidents, the cartridges were found to be cracked and provided an inadequate supply of insulin to patients. Leakages also occurred in cases where no cracks in the cartridge were visible, the regulator said. In some patients there were consequences of not receiving enough insulin from their pump system, including reports of severely high blood sugar and diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious complication of diabetes when the body produces high levels of blood acids called ketones. Healthcare professionals are being advised to contact patients over the next six months using said device to discuss their individual needs and source an alternative pump where appropriate. "Because of the rare risk of insulin leakage from the Roche Accu-Chek Insight Insulin Pump, patients should check the pre-filled glass insulin cartridge for any cracks prior to usage," Dr June Raine, MHRA chief executive, said.