Welcome to the December issue of Pharmafocus! As the year draws to a close, it’s the perfect time to reflect on everything that has happened this year.
Since our last edition, the UK has seen the resignation of Prime Minister Liz Truss and the appointment of Rishi Sunak, and further strikes have taken place on the rail networks, postal service and by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). In more light-hearted news, the Qatar World Cup has been in full swing, which has also brought its own controversies.
This month Pharmafocus brings you the latest news, including Lupin Limited’s carbon-neutral inhaler (see page 11), positive results for the new Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab, despite facing some criticism (see page 8) and the news that Merck has donated doses of its Ebola vaccine for testing to combat a resistant strain of the disease (see page 8).
This issue includes an article about Flanders in Belgium that highlights why so much of the vaccine industry is centred around the area, despite the challenges posed by COVID-19 and Brexit (page 13). We also have a Q&A from the Follicular Lymphoma Foundation about the future of treatments for rare blood cancer (page 16).
After the recent freezing cold weather, accompanied by some beautiful snow, we wish you a warm and happy festive season!