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Cancer patients in the UK are being given a new immunotherapy treatment at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust as part of a global phase 1/2 clinical trial, which aims to evaluate its safety and potential for treating 'solid tumour' cancers such as melanoma and lung cancer. The experimental therapy, called mRNA-4359, has been designed to train patients' immune systems to recognise and fight cancer cells, according to researchers at Imperial College London. For the first time in the UK, cancer patients received the treatment at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Imperial Clinical Research Facility at Hammersmith Hospital. In this non-randomised trial, mRNA-4359 is administered to patients either alone or in combination with an existing cancer drug called pembrolizumab, a type of immune checkpoint inhibitor. The researchers are hopeful that this new therapeutic approach, if proven to be safe and effective in clinical trials, could lead to a new treatment option for difficult-to-treat cancers.

The 14th Community Pharmacy Conference by Sigma Pharmaceuticals has been timely, prime minister Rishi Sunak said, noting that it coincided with the launch of Pharmacy First, a new initiative that enables patients to receive treatments for seven common conditions directly from a pharmacist without the need for a GP appointment or prescription. "We are all grateful for the tremendous contributions that pharmacists make to our NHS. The fantastic work you do is critical to the success of Pharmacy First and many other initiatives," Sunak said in a written message. The conference was organised from 25-29 February at Sun City in Johannesburg, South Africa, under the theme 'community pharmacy in an integrated NHS'. In a recorded video address to the Sigma Conference, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said community pharmacies are 'critical' to the Labour party's mission to make the NHS 'fit for the future'. "You should be playing a much more significant role. Labour's reform agenda will get pharmacists working to the top of their licence. We want community pharmacists to play a greater role in healthcare, with more focus on their expertise in prescribing and medicines management," he said.

In a bid to bolster professional leadership within the pharmacy sector, the four government Chief Pharmaceutical Officers (CPhOs) have embarked on a significant initiative, forming the UK Pharmacy Professional Leadership Advisory Board (UKPPLAB). In a recent communication, all pharmacists and pharmacy technicians received confirmation of the board members selected by the CPhOs, alongside a note from the board's appointed chair, who was chosen collectively by the four CPhOs and reports directly to the CPhO for England. Over three years, the 21-member Board will implement recommendations from the UK Commission on Pharmacy Professional Leadership's report aimed to enhance professional fulfillment among pharmacists while simultaneously augmenting patient safety standards. This announcement also follows with the appointment of Sir Hugh Taylor as its Independent Chair and the appointment of Independent Expert Members who expressed his delight over the role's "potential to lead and support collaboration across the professions in the UK". However, the move has been met with cautious optimism from the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA), urging the new board to uphold transparency and openness to garner trust among pharmacists.

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In a recent announcement, the British supermarket chain, Asda has launched its first online prescription service becoming the first self-serving shop to offer prescribed medicine supply at the doorsteps through its latest healthcare accessibility venture. The NHS certified online pharmacy service, Asda Online Pharmacy, is set to offer patients a digital platform designed to simplify the prescription process for patients, offering the convenience of online management and home delivery with their partnership with Pharmacy2U. Effective immediately, new patients can register for an account on the platform via pharmacy.asda.com. Once registered, they gain access to a seamless prescription ordering system that facilitates home delivery, along with the ability to monitor the progress of their orders. Prescriptions submitted through Asda Online Pharmacy will undergo rigorous scrutiny by qualified pharmacists before being dispatched directly to patients' doorsteps, all without any additional charges.

Many people with advanced Parkinson's disease are currently required to take more than 20 pills a day to manage their symptoms, while some necessitate treatment through a permanent feeding tube. Soon, patients will only be required to wear a portable kit to get a continuous dose of the medication delivered into their bloodstream 24 hours a day. This innovative treatment, called Produodopa, will now be made available on the NHS, providing benefit to nearly 1,000 people with advanced Parkinson's disease, according to a BBC report. James Palmer, NHS England's medical director for specialised services, told the publication that the drug's rollout will offer "a vital new option on the NHS for those who aren't suitable for other treatments such as deep brain stimulation." He added that the new therapy will help patients manage their symptoms "more effectively" and improve their quality of life.

More than 500,000 women in England have benefitted from cheaper hormone replacement therapy (HRT) since the launch of the HRT prescription prepayment certificates (PPC) on 1 April last year, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). HRT is the main treatment for negative menopause symptoms that can impact all areas of a woman's life. Introduced as part of the government's Women's Health Strategy, which made menopause a priority area, the HRT PPC reduced prescription costs to just £19.30 per year, helping patients save hundreds of pounds in prescription charges. The DHSC has confirmed that more than £11 million was saved by women using the PPC in the last nine months. Using the HRT PPC, patients can get a range of HRT items, including patches, tablets, and topical preparations at reduced prices, and they can use it many times as needed throughout the year.