United Kingdom: Food and Drugs Law

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 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.

The UK's long-awaited restrictions on advertising less healthy food and drink finally took effect in January 2025, but a parliamentary committee now argues they don't go far enough. Should advertising law expand to cover brand advertising, outdoor placements, and sports sponsorship, or should it also consider allowing responsible marketing of clinically proven weight-loss treatments?

The UK High Court has approved a groundbreaking dynamic blocking mechanism that allows pharmaceutical companies to block websites selling counterfeit medicines without requiring repeated court applications. This novel approach enables rights holders to self-certify breaches and directly instruct Internet Service Providers to block qualifying websites, marking a significant evolution in combating online pharmaceutical counterfeiting. The decision extends website blocking orders beyond traditional copyright e

The Advocate General has delivered a decisive opinion on whether a substance classified as an excipient in a marketing authorisation can be considered an active ingredient for Supplementary Protection Certificate eligibility purposes. This non-binding opinion addresses Halozyme's attempts to obtain SPC protection for a combination involving a substance designated as an excipient, with potentially far-reaching implications for pharmaceutical patent strategy and the relationship between regulatory classificat

Restaurant M&A transactions present unique commercial and legal challenges that differ significantly from other sectors. From complex property portfolios and food safety compliance to supply chain resilience...

The combined review process, which enables a single coordinated application for both MHRA regulatory and Research Ethics Committee (the "REC") approval...

On 28 April 2026, the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Amendment regulations 2025 came into force, marking the most significant change to the legal regulation of clinical trials in the UK...