NICE has published a new guideline (NG127) on the recognition and referral of patients with suspected neurological conditions. The guidance aims to help non-specialist healthcare professionals to identify people who should be offered further specialist investigation.
NICE says that suspected neurological conditions account for about one …

The CHMP has recommended the granting of a conditional marketing authorisation for cemiplimab (Libtayo) for the treatment of advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Conditional marketing authorisations are granted to medicines that fulfil unmet medical needs when the benefits of immediate availability outweigh the risks associated …

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued a warning following two recent reports of fatal adverse reactions to the yellow fever vaccine (Stamaril).
In one case, the vaccine was given to a person who had undergone a thymectomy following a thymoma. This is …

The EMA’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) is currently conducting a review of the safety of the multiple sclerosis (MS) medicine alemtuzumab (Lemtrada). The EMA has restricted the use of the drug as a temporary measure, pending the conclusion of an ongoing review of the …

The EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended the granting of a marketing authorisation for Sixmo, a buprenorphine implant for the management of opioid dependence.
Sixmo consists of four small rods containing 74.2mg buprenorphine that are implanted subcutaneously in the patient’s upper …

In a final appraisal document, NICE has recommended the new biological therapy tildrakizumab (Ilumetri) for the treatment of patients with severe plaque psoriasis.
Tildrakizumab is a monoclonal antibody that selectively binds to the p19 subunit of interleukin (IL)-23, blocking its interaction with the IL-23 receptor, thus …

From this April, gabapentin and pregabalin have been reclassified as controlled drugs under Schedule 3 of the Misuse of Drug Regulations 2001 and Class C of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. This makes the possession of these drugs without a prescription and their sale …

The MHRA has issued a new Drug Safety Update on the use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics (including ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin and ofloxacin), following reports of rare but disabling side-effects and new restricted indications for these medicines.
The MHRA advises that systemic fluoroquinolones can very rarely cause long-lasting, …

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has issued new advice to healthcare professionals recommending that they do not exceed the recommended dosage of tofacitinib (Xeljanz) when treating patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
The advice follows the results of an ongoing clinical trial that has shown an increased risk …

NHS Digital has published a new Prescription Cost Analysis, detailing all NHS prescription items dispensed in the community in England during 2018 and their cost. The analysis includes prescriptions written by GPs and non-medical prescribers such as nurses and pharmacists, as well as those written …