Europe: Food, Drugs, Healthcare, Life Sciences

A plain-English guide for parents in England and Wales. This is general information, not legal advice on any individual case.

The UK Government has introduced sweeping reforms to the regulatory framework governing medicines and medical devices through amendments to the Health Bill currently progressing through Parliament. These proposed changes would grant the Secretary of State new powers to establish a licensing regime for medical devices and enable faster regulatory updates in response to scientific and technological advances.

When a person is diagnosed with dementia, questions often arise about their ability to make a valid will. This article explores the legal test for testamentary capacity, how capacity is assessed in dementia cases, and what options exist when someone lacks the mental capacity to execute a will themselves.

The UK Government has introduced sweeping reforms to the regulatory framework governing medicines and medical devices through amendments to the Health Bill currently progressing through Parliament. These proposed changes would grant the Secretary of State new powers to establish a licensing regime for medical devices and enable faster regulatory updates in response to scientific and technological advances.

A UK court has ruled on the validity of Novartis's supplementary protection certificate for Entresto, examining whether the SPC product should be defined as the specific co-complex formulation or the broader...

Police in England have today announced the trial of what is believed to be the world’s first roadside breathalyser designed specifically to detect nitrous oxide, more commonly known as “laughing gas”. For anyone concerned about drug driving investigations, this represents a significant development and could mark a turning point in how these cases are investigated and prosecuted.

The UK Government has introduced sweeping reforms to the regulatory framework governing medicines and medical devices through amendments to the Health Bill currently progressing through Parliament. These proposed changes would grant the Secretary of State new powers to establish a licensing regime for medical devices and enable faster regulatory updates in response to scientific and technological advances.

For venture-backed biotech companies, intellectual property strategy must be designed from the outset with the end goal in mind. This article explores how aligning IP decisions with future acquirer expectations, understanding exit scenarios, and building defensible patent portfolios can dramatically increase both the probability and value of successful exits in the life sciences sector.

The UK Patents Court has upheld Novartis' patent and SPC protecting Entresto, its blockbuster heart failure treatment combining valsartan and sacubitril, rejecting all validity challenges from generic manufacturer Accord Healthcare. The judgment provides crucial guidance on plausibility requirements where experimental data have been generated but not fully disclosed in the patent specification, clarifying when qualitative disclosure of positive results suffices without detailed numerical data.