News in brief

Smaller EU pharmaceutical (and bulk chemical) companies are failing to use e-commerce, while larger firms are benefiting from the technology, a new European Commission report claims (see website). Of companies employing fewer than 50 people, 19% did not even use e-mail and 31% did not use the internet for marketing, it found.

The European Commission has approved the acquisition of full control of the Finnish pharmaceutical distributor Tamro Oyj by German pharmacist Phoenix International Beteiligungs GmbH. The decision followed a cursory examination of potential competition problems. The Commission swiftly decided there were none and fast tracked the decision, after being notified about the deal on 29 August.

UNICEF has welcomed Canada's push to enact legislation allowing makers of generic medicines to export cheaper versions of patented HIV/AIDS drugs to poor countries. The UN agency says Canada is the first developed country to take advantage of the recent WTO deal over generic medicine exports.

The EU Council of Ministers for competitiveness has called on the European Commission to stage a public consultation about the EU's wide range of pricing and reimbursement systems for pharmaceutical products. It wants Brussels officials to explore 'the scope of more competitive and dynamic market mechanisms' aimed at speeding the delivery of medicines to patients.