City Hospitals-Free Medicine-Generic Drugs-India

India to give free generic drugs to hundreds of millions

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India has put in place a $5.4 billion policy to provide free medicine to its people, a decision that could change the lives of hundreds of millions, but a ban on branded drugs stands to cut Big Pharma out of the windfall. From city hospitals to tiny rural clinics, India's public doctors will soon be able to prescribe free generic drugs to all comers, vastly expanding access to medicine in a country where public spending on health was just $4.50 per person last year. The plan was quietly adopted last year but not publicized. ... read more..

source:http://yhoo.it/LR0VwN

Northeast England-Northern England-Drugmaker Sanofi-European Health-Generic Drugs

Sanofi to close northeast England plant

Chris Viehbacher, CEO of Sanofi, poses during a news conference to present Sanofi 2011 annual results in Paris

PARIS (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi said on Thursday it plans to close a plant in northern England as it contends with European health spending cuts and growing competition from generic drugs. The Fawdon plant near Newcastle, which makes drugs including top-selling blood-thinner Plavix for the British and European markets, is expected to close by 2015 with a loss of around 450 jobs, a company spokesman said. Sanofi is reorganising some of its research and development and manufacturing operations as it prepares for the arrival of generic rivals to Plavix in May. ... read more..

source:http://yhoo.it/weYQt8