Health Care Systems in OECD & Emerging Countries

• An action plan to revive the Greek pharma industry has reportedly been formed on the sidelines of the eHealth Forum 2014. The new strategy would require focus on increasing R&D expenditure above 10% of pharmaceutical companies’ turnover, making Greece a hub for clinical research as well as raising the number of medicinal patent applications and granted patents. From The Pharma Letter (UK)

Research & Development Milestones & Product Approvals

• Researchers have reportedly discovered the timing and mechanism by which a protein known as ALIX, could get involved in the final stages of the HIV virus replication – also known as HIV budding. A better insight into this new regulatory mechanism could lead to better therapeutic intervention of HIV/AIDS. From Medical News Today (UK)
• The European Commission is reported to have approved and granted a marketing authorisation for J&J’s Hepatitis C drug, Olysio. The drug is a NS3/4A protease inhibitor, which can be used in combination with Gilead’s Hepatitis C drug Solvadi. Olysio will be available across a number of EU countries, depending on reimbursement, in the second half of 2014. From Pharma Times