Pharmaceuticals Policy in the EU

Slovenian police dismantle drug, arms smuggling ring — 11 May 2012, 15:39 CET

Slovenian police said Friday they had dismantled a key organised crime group that had been smuggling drugs and arms from the Balkans into the European Union.

Nearly one new drug a week detected in EU — 26 April 2012, 12:02 CET

New illicit drugs are appearing on the European Union market at a rate of nearly one a week, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) said Thursday.

EU approves Novartis drug Signifor for Cushing's disease — 25 April 2012, 15:20 CET

European Union regulators have given Swiss pharmaceutical group Novartis a green light to market its drug Signifor as a treatment for Cushing's disease, the company said Wednesday.

EU approves J&J takeover of Synthes — 19 April 2012, 14:05 CET

The European Commission approved Thursday a takeover of the US surgical equipment company Synthes by pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson in exchange for J&Js divestment of other units.

Central Asia urges more border help ahead of NATO pull-out — 17 April 2012, 14:05 CET

With international forces set to pull out of Afghanistan in 2014, central Asian states appealed Monday for more help in securing the region's borders and cracking down on crime and trafficking.

Croatia charges nine for smuggling cocaine into EU — 14 April 2012, 21:37 CET

Croatia's prosecutors said on Saturday they have charged nine people for smuggling at least 175 kilos (385 pounds) of cocaine worth several million euros into Europe from the Caribbeans.

Billion-euro Italian mafia boss arrested in Spain — 07 March 2012, 12:45 CET

An Italian mafia boss who controlled a billion euro business empire and a major drug smuggling route between Spain and Italy has been arrested in Spain, Italian police said on Wednesday.

Novartis says EU approves expanded use of Glivec — 27 February 2012, 15:48 CET

Swiss pharmaceutical group Novartis said Monday the European Union will allow it to expand its use of the drug Glivec to treat certain rare forms of gastrointestinal cancer.

EU approves skin cancer fighting drug — 20 February 2012, 14:14 CET

Swiss drug giant Roche said on Monday it had been given European Union approval for its treatment to fight a highly aggressive form of skin cancer.

Macedonia seizes 22 kilos of heroin, detains four — 11 February 2012, 23:32 CET

Macedonian police seized some 22 kilogrames (48.4 pounds) of EU-bound heroin, worth up to three million euros (four million dollars), and detained four smugglers, a minister said on Saturday.

Euro police busts synthetics drug ring — 12 January 2012, 17:52 CET

Policing agency Europol said Thursday it has busted a major synthetic drugs-making network and arrested nine suspects in four countries, while recovering drugs, equipment, guns and explosives.

Bolivia asks EU, UN for anti-drug helicopters, radar — 13 December 2011, 23:27 CET

Bolivia, the world's third largest cocaine producer, will ask the European Union and United Nations to provide helicopters and radars to fight drug trafficking, President Evo Morales said Tuesday.

Canada-EU pact 'will raise drug costs' — 07 December 2011, 22:48 CET

A Canada-European Union free trade agreement that is currently being negotiated may lead to higher drug costs here, Canada's opposition warned on Wednesday.

Antimicrobial Resistance - guide — 17 November 2011, 17:57 CET

With about 25,000 patients dying per year in the EU from infections caused by drug resistant bacteria and related costs of over 1.5 billion euros in healthcare expenses and productivity losses , antimicrobial resistance is a growing health problem in the EU. Today, on the eve of European Antibiotic Awareness Day, the European Commission tabled a comprehensive Action Plan on Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) which unveils12 concrete actions to be implemented in close cooperation with the EU Member States.

EU drugs watchdog warns of 'legal highs' surge — 15 November 2011, 17:21 CET

The rapid emergence of synthetic new drugs, often sold online as "legal highs," represents a significant challenge for policy makers in the coming decade, a European Union drugs agency said on Tuesday.

Information to patients on prescription-only medicines - guide — 11 October 2011, 22:15 CET

The European Commission has adopted revised proposals clarifying the information that industry can supply to the public on prescription-only medicines.

EU approves P&G takeover of Teva drugs division — 30 September 2011, 18:27 CET

The European Commission gave its green light on Friday to the takeover by US consumer products giant Procter & Gamble of the 'over-the-counter' division of Israeli drugmaker Teva.

EU clears Takeda's takeover of Nycomed — 02 August 2011, 13:00 CET

European regulators cleared on Tuesday a takeover in the pharmaceutical sector worth 9.6 billion euros ($13.6 billion) by Japanese firm Takeda Pharmaceutical of Swiss drugmaker Nycomed.

EU Register of Clinical Trials — 22 March 2011, 17:57 CET

From 22 March 2011, all EU citizens have access to information on the thousands of authorised pharmaceutical clinical trials that are under way in the EU. The aim of this official public register is to make clinical research on pharmaceuticals more transparent for patients and others and to avoid unnecessary duplication of clinical trials. Every year approximately 4000 clinical trials are authorised in the EU. Since most of them last 2 to 3 years, this means that around 10,000 trials are ongoing at any given time.

European Medicines Agency — 23 September 2010, 22:06 CET

The European Medicines Agency is a decentralised body of the European Union, located in London. Its main responsibility is the protection and promotion of public and animal health, through the evaluation and supervision of medicines for human and veterinary use.

EU approves acquisition of Millipore by Merck — 08 July 2010, 16:39 CET

The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the acquisition of Millipore, a US-based life science group of companies by the German pharmaceutical and chemical company Merck.

Incentive driven pharmaceutical prescription is lawful, EU Court rules — 06 May 2010, 12:44 CET

The European Court of Justice has ruled that public authorities may offer financial incentives to induce doctors to prescribe cheaper medicinal products. However, those authorities are required, first, to ensure that the incentive scheme is based on non-discriminatory objective criteria and, second, to make public, inter alia, the therapeutic evaluations relating to the scheme

Cheaper drugs incentive schemes ruled legal by European court — 24 April 2010, 00:30 CET

The European Court of Justice has ruled that public authorities may offer financial incentives to induce doctors to prescribe cheaper medicinal products.

CASELEX:EU:2008:92 - IP Law - Trade marks - Pharmaceutical products — 03 February 2010, 16:38 CET

The reference was made by the Oberster Gerichtshof (Austria) in the course of proceedings between The Wellcome Foundation Ltd (‘Wellcome’), proprietor of the Austrian trade mark ZOVIRAX, and Paranova Pharmazeutika Handels GmbH (‘Paranova’), concerning pharmaceutical products under the ZOVIRAX trade mark, marketed in Member States of the European Economic Area (‘EEA’) by Wellcome or by third parties, and the subject of parallel importation by Paranova and marketing by the latter in Austria, after having been repackaged.

The EU drugs action plan (2009-2012) — 06 January 2010, 00:35 CET

This action plan establishes five priorities to be implemented in the fight against drugs: coordination at European and national levels, reduction of demand for drugs, reduction of supply of drugs, international cooperation and information on the drugs phenomenon.