Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

AstraZeneca to transfer global rights for Eklira and Duaklir to Covis Pharma

AstraZeneca said today (November 1) it will transfer global rights for respiratory medicines Eklira and Duaklir to Covis Pharma Group for about £198 million, as the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker looks to offload its older portfolio of medicines.

The London-listed company also said that under the deal, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021, Covis will also cover certain ongoing development costs related to the medicines.


AstraZeneca, which has several new medicines in its pharmaceutical pipeline, including Covid-19 drugs and a vaccine, expects the agreement to help sharpen its focus on priority medicines in its respiratory and immunology portfolio.

Luxembourg-headquartered Covis had previously acquired the rights to other respiratory medicines Alvesco, Omnaris and Zetonna from AstraZeneca in 2018.

Eklira and Duaklir, used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or smokers' lung, had generated revenues of £105 million for AstraZeneca in geographies covered by a previous deal when the drugmaker had bought those rights.

More For You

Antibiotic prescribing for sore throats in England's pharmacies is twice as high as in Wales

Antibiotic supply rate was 72.7% under England’s Acute Sore Throat Pharmacy First compared to just 29.9% under Wales’ Sore Throat Test and Treat (STTT) scheme in six months.

Getty Images

Sore throat treatment: England pharmacies twice as likely to prescribe antibiotics as Welsh counterparts

A new study has highlighted significant differences in antibiotic use for sore throat treatment between pharmacies in England and Wales, suggesting that incorporating throat swabs to confirm bacterial infections could help reduce “unnecessary antibiotic supply.”

The study, published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy and first reported by The Independent, found that pharmacies in England were twice as likely to prescribe antibiotics for sore throats compared to those in Wales.

Keep ReadingShow less
GPs to play crucial role in transforming Wales’ health service

Jeremy Miles

(Photo credit: www.gov.wales )

Strengthening GPs’ role key to transforming healthcare - Jeremy Miles

Welsh health secretary Jeremy Miles has recognised the need to transform health services and bring healthcare closer to home.

Speaking at the recent Welsh Local Medical Committees Conference, he emphasised that strengthening the role of GPs would be crucial in improving patient healthcare and tackling NHS waiting lists.

Keep ReadingShow less
NPA and IPA urge NHS England to release pharmacy economic analysis immediately

Pharmacy bodies call for transparency on the funding gap amid ongoing contract negotiations.

Getty Images

Pharmacy bodies demand immediate release of economic analysis

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and the Independent Pharmacies Association (IPA) have jointly written to NHS England, demanding the immediate release of the independent economic analysis of pharmacy finances commissioned last autumn.

An open letter, signed by the owners of 3,034 pharmacies in England, calls for transparency on the funding gap amid ongoing contract negotiations.

Keep ReadingShow less
Discrimination: Asian and Black patients report lack of trust in primary care providers

Ethnic minority groups had worse experiences in their communication with their GP practice and felt taken less seriously

Getty Images

Survey reveals alarming rates of ethnic discrimination in NHS primary care

A recent survey by the NHS Race and Health Observatory has highlighted a worrying lack of trust in NHS primary care services among Black, Asian, and ethnic minority patients, who reported experiencing “racial or ethnic discrimination.”

Out of 2,680 survey respondents, only 55% reported trusting primary care providers to meet their health needs most or all of the time

Keep ReadingShow less