Germany

Steffen Wagner has taken over as Stada’s head of Germany, adding to his existing responsibilities in Europe, after Eelco Ockers stepped down from the role. Ockers’ departure comes as German generics giant Stada restructures its business to bring its branded and consumer health interests into closer alignment as part of a more streamlined model.

Nidda Healthcare, the investment vehicle controlled by Bain Capital and Cinven, has secured a “timely” squeeze-out of minority shareholders in Stada through settlement terms that include a one-time payment of €0.10 per outstanding share for the remaining shareholders.

Despite reporting lower revenues in the first half of the year, Formycon continues to see value in its biosimilar projects, with a new candidate to be launched in the second half of 2024.

David Ball moves from Bayer’s North America business to be Perrigo’s first chief brand and digital officer. He joins CEO who also moved to Perrigo from Bayer with decades of branded product experience.

With the latest ruling in Germany, there is speculation that the Medical Device Regulation’s confusing Article 11 on software or the device’s timing of gaining its class I category may be to blame for the invidious position Dermanostic has found itself in.

In this third article of a series on new drug reimbursement recommendations by the HTA body NICE, the Pink Sheet finds that fewer innovative medicines are reimbursed in England than in eight other European nations.

Germany's Expert Committee on Prescription recommends the Rx-to-OTC switch of an azelastine and fluticasone propionate combination nasal spray, the second time around. Low-cost smoking cessation drug cytisine, on the other hand, is denied - also the second time it has appeared before the committee.  

A round-up of the latest appointments in Europe's health and wellness industries: Perrigo makes management changes; European Commission president re-elected; EFSA appoints new members to scientific panels.

A round-up of the latest appointments in Europe's health and wellness industry: Pharma Deutschland (formerly BAH) makes two key hires; PAGB appoints vice-president; Neuraxpharm names new country head for Germany.

A new act in Germany does not go far enough to address the deeply unpopular “guardrail” link between Amnog benefit assessment ratings and price negotiations, which can deter companies from launching.

Responding to demand from women for consumer health products that meet their specific needs, P&G and Pro Medico both launch hop-based supplements for menopause symptoms. Meanwhile, Bayer adds a hair mask to its Priorin range for women with female pattern hair loss and Klosterfrau expands its Femafriends brand with an intimate health gel.

A round-up of the latest health and wellness industry moves: Reckitt hires chief supply officer from Beiersdorf; Weleda pharma management changes hands; Boiron names new CEO.

Consumer health manufacturer Uriach has agreed to acquire Germany's Pascoe Naturmedizin and through a separate transaction France's Laboratoires Ineldéa, following investment by private-equity firm ICG.

Proposals for substantial changes to oversight of medtech notified bodies are likely to be part of the European Commission’s targeted evaluation of the MDR and IVDR, EU medtech lawyer, Erik Vollebregt, tells Medtech Insight.

J&J says it has “exhausted all current viable avenues” to get its antidepressant nasal spray Spravato reimbursed on England’s National Health Service, after NICE decided against re-appraising the drug following numerous funding rejections.

How Germany, which has the EU’s largest medtech manufacturing base, is pressing for the MDR to feature on the mission letter for the new European Commission and could influence the pace of change.

MPs from across Germany’s political spectrum grilled a panel of national medtech stakeholders on the problems of the MDR and the EU regulatory system during an hour-long sitting of the Bundestag’s health committee on 5 June.

Investors reacted quite differently to Bayer’s first-quarter results and those of its licensing partner Regeneron. There are sound reasons for this. It seems unlikely that one will help the other.

Strong sales in Germany and Italy helped drive up PharmaSGP's consumer health product revenues by around a quarter in the opening three months of 2024.

Adult immunization programs can save “billions” for society, but their value is underestimated because of challenges around measuring broader value evidence and a lack of incentives for companies to collect this data, says the Office of Health Economics.