In response to the ongoing national medicines shortages, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England and NHS Improvement have jointly produced a guide for pharmacists, clinicians and other healthcare professionals to help them manage medicines supply issues in England, and inform them …

The EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended a marketing authorisation for siponimod (Mayzent) for the treatment of adults with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS).
Siponimod is an oral sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptor agonist that is selective for two out of the …

NICE has published a new guideline on the assessment and management of thyroid disease (NG145) in children and young people.
This is the first full clinical guideline from NICE on thyroid disorders, despite these being common conditions in the UK population. The estimated prevalence of hypothyroidism …

In final appraisal determinations, NICE has recommended the use of cannabidiol (Epidyolex) as an option for the treatment of seizures in Dravet syndrome or Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, two rare forms of severe epilepsy. The decision reverses the initial recommendations made in draft guidance, in which NICE …

The CHMP has adopted a positive opinion on fostamatinib (Tavlesse), recommending a marketing authorisation for the treatment of primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP).
ITP is a condition in which the immune system attacks and destroys the body’s own blood platelets. Common symptoms include excessive bruising and bleeding, …

NICE has published final technology appraisal guidance (TA607) recommending rivaroxaban (Xarelto), in combination with aspirin, for the prevention of atherothrombotic events in adults with coronary artery disease or symptomatic peripheral artery disease who are at high risk of ischaemic events.
In the case of patients with …

The EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended a marketing authorisation for upadacitinib (Rinvoq) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Upadacitinib is a selective, reversible janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor that reduces the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis by preferentially inhibiting JAK1 signalling, resulting …

Following an initially negative opinion in June and subsequent re-examination of the data, the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has reversed its decision on romosozumab (Evenity) for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, now recommending the granting of a marketing …

The EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended the granting of a marketing authorisation for esketamine nasal spray (Spravato) for patients with treatment-resistant depression.
The recommended indication is for use in combination with an SSRI or an SNRI, for adults with treatment-resistant …

NHS England has reached a commercial agreement with Vertex Pharmaceuticals to allow NHS patients in England access to all three of their cystic fibrosis medicines.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals is the licence holder for the cystic fibrosis treatments ivacaftor/lumacaftor (Orkambi), tezacaftor/ivacaftor (Symkevi) and ivacaftor (Kalydeco). Orkambi, which was …