Watchdog accuses Actavis of hiking price of lifesaving drug by 12,000%

Pharmaceutical company Actavis is facing accusations from the competition watchdog that it hiked the price of life-saving hydrocortisone tablets by over 12,000%, sending the annual cost to the NHS spiralling from £522,000 before 2008 to £70m by 2015.

The Competition and Markets Authority said the price rises took place after the patent lapsed on the drug. About 943,000 packets of the tablets – prescribed to people whose adrenal glands do not produce enough steroid hormones, such as those suffering from Addison’s disease – were distributed over the last year.

As the CMA set out its reasons why the company had broken competition law, the regulator’s senior responsible officer, Andrew Groves, said: “This is a lifesaving drug relied on by thousands of patients, which the NHS has no choice but to continue purchasing.

“We allege that the company has taken advantage of this situation and the removal of the drug from price regulation, leaving the NHS – and ultimately the taxpayer – footing the bill for the substantial price rises,” said Groves.

The watchdog is continuing other investigations into the pharmaceutical sector. The latest allegations come after last week’s £84.2m fine on Pfizer for increasing the cost of an anti-epilepsy drug. The drugs distributor Flynn Pharma was fined £5.2m for charging excessive and unfair prices in the UK for an epilepsy treatment.

Groves said the current findings against Actavis were provisional and that it was too early to conclude there had been a breach of competition law. “The CMA will carefully consider any representations of the parties under investigation before determining whether the law has been infringed,” said Groves.

Actavis – formerly Auden Mckenzie – is facing accusations about the prices of two forms of the hydrocortisone tablets. The CMA said the increase in price to the NHS for 10mg packs rose from 70p in April 2008 to £88 by March 2016 – a 12,000% rise. For 20mg sizes the price rise was 9,500% – increasing to £102.74 per pack by March 2016, compared with £1.07 when the treatment was still branded.

Once medicine and treatments are no longer branded – known as generic medicine – they are no longer subject to price regulation, a move that is usually expected to reduce the cost rather than inflate it.

Actavis did not immediately comment.

Watchdog accuses Actavis of hiking price of lifesaving drug by 12,000%

7 Mental and Physical Benefits of Hiking

Hiking offers many benefits beyond just getting you out of the house for a change of scenery. It provides both mental and physical benefits, some of which you get just from being out in nature, but others are specific to hiking itself. If you’ve been looking for good excuses to hit a local trail, below are seven mental and physical benefits of this outdoor activity. Just remember to take proper safety precautions on your hike so that you don’t get injured or lost.

1. It Increases Fitness Levels

It’s a well-known fact that hiking can increase one’s fitness. Ideally, you should hike for at least an hour because you’ll quickly burn over 500 calories. If you walk on a high level of incline, then you could lose weight, but you will need to hike regularly to experience weight loss. If possible, try to hike 1-3 times per week and do it for over an hour.

2. It Improves Muscle Tone

Hiking regularly can improve your muscle tone. Your entire body receives a workout when you use trekking poles to go over rough terrain and when you walk uphill, your lower body receives an amazing workout. If you’re carrying a backpack, then your entire upper body will be worked out too. If you hike regularly, eventually your quads, hamstrings, and glutes will become much more defined.

3. It Increases Creativity

There is research that shows spending time outdoors includes creative problem-solving skills and attention spans. In fact, it increases as much as 50 percent. This has a little something to do with unplugging from technology. If you want to increase your creativity, then get out and hike as often as you can.

4. It Lowers Blood Pressure

Hiking regularly reduces blood pressure, as well as cholesterol. As a result, your risk of getting heart disease goes down. Not only that but your risk of diabetes and stroke also goes down. One of the best ways to remove blood sugars and improve your tolerance to glucose is by hiking downhill. The next time you go hiking, try to hike uphill and downhill, so you get the best of both worlds.

5. It Controls And Prevents Diabetes

Hiking regularly can help you control diabetes, and it can help you prevent it if you don’t have it. As previously mentioned, hiking downhill, and hiking in general can lower your blood sugar levels. Working out transports glucose from your bloodstream and then uses it for energy, and hiking is a form of working out. This is why it can prevent and control diabetes.

6. It Curbs Depression And Increases Happiness

This makes our list because there is research that shows hiking can help those who suffer from severe happiness. In fact, there is research that shows people who are depressed feel less hopeless and depressed when they hike. Depressed people tend to have a sedentary lifestyle, so by hiking, they may be inspired to live a more active lifestyle. If you suffer from depression and you want to feel better and increase your happiness, as well as increase the chances of you becoming more active, then give hiking a try.

7. It Can Heal

Some research has suggested that hiking may go as far as helping those with cancer. The International Journal of Sports Medicine published a study in the past, and the study measured oxidative stress rates of men with prostate cancer and women who had breast cancer before hiking and after hiking. The study revealed that long hiking trips might improve one’s anti-oxidative capacity, which helps fight off illness. Another study showed that women who survived breast cancer and who exercised regularly (many who did hiking) believed the physical activity played an important role in their recovery.

Hiking boosts creativity improves muscle tone and increases fitness levels. It also reduces blood pressure, cholesterol and it can prevent diabetes. Hiking can curb depression, improves one’s mood, and it may help you heal. This is why you should start hiking on a regular basis.

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7 Mental and Physical Benefits of Hiking