From new data-sharing initiatives to US drug tariffs, April brought a range of major news to the pharmaceutical landscape
Words by Jade Williams
3 April: Novo Nordisk reshuffles leadership
Novo Nordisk announces a major executive reshuffle, following the departure of EVP Camilla Sylvest. Ludovic Helfgott, Thilde Hummel Bøgebjerg and Tania Sabroe will take on new, expanded leadership roles as the company strengthens its focus on rare diseases and meets the demand for GLP-1 therapies.
8 April: UK funds new NHS data hub
The UK government, in partnership with the Wellcome Trust, launches a £600m Health Data Research Service to improve researchers’ access to NHS data. The new service aims to accelerate drug discovery and improve patient care by providing a single point of access to UK health data.
10 April: New tech slashes LNP test time
Marama Labs, a Dublin-based scientific instrumentation company, launches CloudSpec – a new device using Scatter-Free Absorption technology to dramatically reduce lipid nanoparticle analysis time from hours to seconds.
14 April: Major UK trial reforms signed in
The UK government signs into law its most significant clinical trial reforms in 20 years, introducing streamlined regulations to improve patient safety, speed up approvals and strengthen the UK’s position as a leader in clinical research.
17 April: US pharma tariffs spark supply fears
Impending US drug tariffs threaten to disrupt generic supply chains and force cost-cutting across the industry, experts warn, even if branded drug prices remain largely unaffected in the short term.
23 April: Boehringer strikes €500m cancer deal
Boehringer Ingelheim partners with Tessellate Bio in a €500m deal to develop oral precision therapies targeting ALT-positive cancers, advancing synthetic lethality as a novel approach in hard-to-treat tumours.
24 April: Ireland launches paediatric genomics study
Ireland launches its first national clinical genomics study in paediatric oncology, aiming to integrate genomic profiling and data science into routine care to enable real-time, precision treatments for childhood cancers.
29 April: ViiV tops patient trust rankings
ViiV Healthcare tops the 2024/25 PatientView rankings for the 11th year running, as patient groups call for deeper, long-term partnerships and greater transparency from the industry.
