Welcome to our blog dedicated to Life Sciences. We report on EU and national regulatory, compliance, intellectual property and transactional developments in the sector. We focus on (bio)pharmaceuticals and medical technologies, and also cover food and beverages, cosmetics and other healthcare products.
Tech Collaborations – Harnessing potential whilst balancing risk
28 June 2019 - Posted by: Megan McMellon
On 18 June, Google and Sanofi announced a new collaboration aimed at accelerating healthcare innovation. The collaboration has three key objectives: to better understand patients and diseases; to increase Sanofi’s operational efficiency; and to improve the experience of Sanofi’s patients and customers. Google and Sanofi will develop an Innovation Lab to test and explore both › Read More
French cannabis committee unveils recommendations for medical cannabis pilot programme in France
27 June 2019 - Posted by: Eveline Van Keymeulen
Yesterday, the French specialised committee on cannabis (CSST), which was established in mid-2018, held its last meeting and presented its final recommendations for the implementation of a medical cannabis pilot programme to the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety (ANSM). Last week, on 19 June 2019, the CSST had already published the › Read More
The cannabis market: helping investors navigate the UK regulatory regime
25 June 2019 - Posted by: Matthew Townsend
Last year the global legal cannabis market was estimated to be worth USD12 billion but it is tipped to rise to over USD166 billion by 2025. Liberalisation of the legal framework for cannabis is a significant driver for this growth. Since 1 November 2018, the UK has joined the ranks of over 30 countries legalising › Read More
20 June 2019 - Posted by: Roberta Errico
For the second time, the Italian Ministry of Defence has launched an open tender for an urgent need of cannabis for therapeutic purposes by the Florence Pharmaceutical Chemical Plant. The estimated reference price of the tender is EUR 1,520,000 (net of VAT) for 400 kg, which represents an average of EUR 3.8 per gram. This › Read More
Belgium amends procedure for notification of implants and certain invasive medical devices
18 June 2019 - Posted by: Kaat Van Delm
On 1 June 2019, a new Royal Decree (dated 7 April 2019) altering the notification procedure for implants and certain invasive medical devices for long-term use entered into force. Previously, the Belgian Sickness and Invalidity Institute (RIZIV/INAMI) needed to be notified if implants and certain invasive medical devices were used long-term, while distributors of medical › Read More