Spotlight: Feb-Apr 22

Words by Jade Williams

GOLD looks back at some of the top news stories from the pharmaceutical industry over the last few months, including the latest standout drug approvals, philanthropic donations and much more 

28 February

UK Department of Health and Social Care releases first annual Rare Diseases Action Plan

08 March

Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine first to be manufactured and made available by an African company

10 March

In support of Ukraine, EFPIA members donate five million medicine doses and €55m to NGOs

14 March

AstraZeneca and MSD’s Lynparza is first approved drug for BRCA mutations in early breast cancer

16 March

NICE publishes quality standard to improve diagnosis of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder

18 March

FDA approves BMS’s first-in-class treatment Opdualag for unresectable or metastatic melanoma 

25 March

Jazz Pharmaceuticals announces plan to build manufacturing facility for regulatory-approved cannabis-based medicines

28 March

Gilead Sciences pledges $24m in grants to tackle health disparities between populations vulnerable to HIV

31 March

NICE recommends real-time continuous glucose monitoring for all people with type 1 diabetes for the first time

07 April

European Commission approves Sanofi’s Dupixent for six- to 11-year-olds with severe asthma

08 April

Gavi secures $4.8bn in funding pledges from world leaders for COVAX

11 April

EFPIA member companies commit to speedier European market launches to avert stricter regulation

This news round up features in GOLD 21 – read the full issue here.