UCLA Students Protest University Patent Claim On Prostate Cancer Treatment

13/03/2019 Divya Schlesinger

Students at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) renewed their protests today against a patent claim in an Indian High Court over a leading prostate cancer treatment, saying the claim, if successful, could make the drug unaffordable to millions of people in the developing world. Image Credits: Neda Ashtari. Continue reading ->

Global Health Benefits Of Reaching Climate, Environment Targets Could Be US$ 54.1 Trillion – Says UN Report

12/03/2019 David Branigan

The global health benefits of reducing air pollution and reaching the climate targets of the 2015 Paris Agreement could be as “high as $54.1 trillion dollars, at a cost of only $22.1 trillion,” according a new UN Environment analysis, to be released in full tomorrow. Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons. Continue reading ->

Short Regimen For TB Found To Be Safe With New First-Line HIV Drug

07/03/2019 William New

In what is being called an "important moment" for tuberculosis (TB) control, a new study found that "a shorter regimen to prevent TB can be safely co-administered with dolutegravir (DTG)—the first-line drug to treat HIV in many high-burden TB countries," according to a release. Continue reading ->

WHO-Led Fair Pricing Forum Registration Opens

01/03/2019 William New

Registration has begun for a closed-door gathering allowing governments and stakeholders to hold open discussions about a fairer pricing system for medical products, led by the World Health Organization. The second meeting of the Fair Pricing Forum, this time in South Africa, comes as debates over drug pricing and access rise ever higher in developing and developed countries alike. Continue reading ->

UN Launches New Strategy On Road Safety For UN Personnel

28/02/2019 David Branigan

The United Nations has launched a new road safety strategy to establish a coordinated approach for preventing road traffic crashes, which is a leading cause of death for UN personnel. Continue reading ->

Global Accelerator Network On Antibacterial Research Expands

26/02/2019 William New

A network of life sciences organisations working together to address antibacterial resistance worldwide has expanded to now include 10 top organisations from six countries, according to CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria), a US-based partnership investing hundreds of millions of dollars in R&D for antibacterial resistance over 5 years. Continue reading ->

WHO Directors Meet With Staff This Week On Agency Transformation

25/02/2019 William New

[Note: this meeting has been postponed until 6 March] Top officials from the World Health Organization will meet on 28 February will staff to discuss the transformation of the UN agency to a new structural alignment, according to an internal WHO email from the director general. Continue reading ->

Suzette Kox Named Secretary General Of International Generic And Biosimilar Medicines Association

22/02/2019 William New

The Geneva-based International Generic and Biosimilar medicines Association (IGBA) has named industry veteran Suzette Kox as secretary general. Image Credits: International Generic and Biosimilar medicines Association. Continue reading ->

Report Details Health Crisis Hidden In Plastics Lifecycle

19/02/2019 William New

A new report released today and authored by a range of environment and health groups pulls together research that "exposes distinct toxic risks plastic poses to human health at every stage of the plastic lifecycle, from extraction of fossil fuels, to consumer use, to disposal and beyond." Continue reading ->

WHO Names Members Of Advisory Committee On Human Genome Editing

14/02/2019 David Branigan

The World Health Organization today announced the membership of its advisory committee that will assist in the development of global standards for the governance and oversight of human genome editing. Continue reading ->