A new gene therapy, which uses implants of stem cells to target drug addiction, has been shown to curb cravings for cocaine and protect against substance overdoses that would usually be lethal.

The stem cells used have been genetically engineered to release a powerful enzyme that removes the drug from the patient’s bloodstream.

According to research published in the British Medical Journal pharma is outperforming academia when it comes to reporting the findings of clinical trials.

While compliance with the European Commission’s requirement to report such findings is notably poor, from Oxford University’s Evidence-Based Medicine’s DataLab found that only 49.4% of clinical trials reported results. In contrast, trials with commercial sponsors or those that were carried out by pharma companies, were more likely to post results.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a multipronged strategy to address antimicrobial resistance.

The new measures unveiled by the FDA are designed to drive development of antibiotics and alternative therapies, promote antibiotic stewardship in animal health, advance antibiotic resistance surveillance, and enhance regulatory science.

A new collaboration between Diamond Light Source and US-based scientific equipment company Thermo Fisher is set to make the UK a global leader in providing large-scale industrial access to cryo-electron microscopy, the latest ultra-powerful imaging technology.

The new facility, known as the Electron Bio-Imaging Centre, has been established with £15.6m funding from the Wellcome Trust and government research councils.