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Novartis faces legal trouble in Japan

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 09 Januari 2014 | 08.17

SWISS pharmaceutical group Novartis is facing criminal proceedings in Japan and a public lawsuit in the US for allegedly using unsound marketing tactics for two of its medications.

Japan's Health Ministry on Thursday filed a criminal complaint with prosecutors against the drug giant's Japanese arm over alleged exaggerated advertising for a popular blood pressure drug.

Novartis in Tokyo used two Japanese universities' clinical studies of the drug, Diovan, that contained false data.

The ministry said it suspects Novartis continued to use ads citing the studies even after they became aware that clinical data in them had been manipulated.

Novartis apologised online "for causing trouble and concern" with the advertising.

The company said it "took the situation extremely seriously and will continue to cooperate fully with authorities".

Novartis has conceded employee involvement in the flawed research, but has claimed it was not aware of the false data in the studies. It also said clinical trials in other countries showed similar results.

In New York, prosecutors charged on Wednesday that Novartis had defrauded public health care services by offering the BioScrip pharmacy company kickbacks, which in return aggressively marketed Exjade, a Novartis blood transfusion medication.

BioScrip had contacted patients and recommended they continue taking the drug, "while understating Exjade's serious, potentially life-threatening side effects", the US attorney's office for the southern district of New York said.

Novartis said it stands behind its programs to get patients to stick to drugs like Exjade, which are difficult to administer but important for chronic patients.

The European Union announced last month that it would fine Novartis and Johnson and Johnson a total of 16 million euros ($A25 million) for delaying the launch of a generic painkiller in the Netherlands.


08.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

ECB leaves rates unchanged

THE European Central Bank has left its key interest rate unchanged at a record low of 0.25 per cent despite concerns over a weak economy and low inflation.

The bank's rate council made the decision at its monthly policy meeting on Thursday.

Lower rates can help growth, but the ECB has little room left to cut.

Analysts think it may try other steps such as offering cheap loans to banks on the condition they loan that money to companies.

The eurozone economy grew only 0.1 per cent in the third quarter.

Inflation, at only 0.8 per cent, remains below the ECB's goal of just under 2 per cent and makes it harder for troubled countries such as Greece to reduce their debt levels.


08.17 | 0 komentar | Read More

UK's first koala gets Aussie name

DESPITE being thought to be the first koala born in the UK, Edinburgh Zoo's recent arrival has been a decidedly Down Under name.

The joey was born at the zoo last May but keepers waited until he had fully emerged from mother Alinga's pouch before they started to handle him.

After being found to be male, the joey was named Yooranah - the Aboriginal word meaning "loving".

Senior keeper Donald Gow said it was exciting to see the joey grow.

"This is the first time that a koala joey has been born in the UK so it is amazing to see him develop from being pink and hairless into a fully-formed, if tiny, koala," he said.

"At the moment he seems to be all ears! He is also starting to develop his own personality - he can be quite feisty like his mother Alinga and father Goonaroo."

Yooranah is an indigenous Australian word meaning "loving".


08.17 | 0 komentar | Read More
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