22 June 2012 Last updated at 12:21 ET Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Footage taken aboard the yacht shows the extent of the haul A gang leader and his son who used a luxury yacht to smuggle cocaine with a street value of 300m into the UK from Venezuela have been jailed. The pair, from the Netherlands, hid a tonne of cocaine in a deep compartment specially designed for smuggling. The haul - one of the UK's biggest drugs seizures - was located by border officers in Southampton last year. The men were jailed along with a third man, but the gang leader's other son was acquitted after a trial. Defendants referred to in court only as Klaas L, Robert L and Mohamed Z were convicted of being involved in the transportation of cocaine. Their co-accused, Arjan L, 35, was acquitted of the same charge. Klaas L, 61, owner of the yacht, was jailed for seven years; Mohamed Z, 45, for eight years; and Robert L, 33, who was also convicted of possession of a firearm, for five years following a trial in Rotterdam. Continue reading here: Drugs gang jailed over £300m plot … Continue reading →

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/lxq9wv/global_hepatitis_c) has announced the addition of the "Global Hepatitis C Drugs Market 2011-2015" report to their offering. TechNavio's analysts forecast the Global Hepatitis C Drugs market to grow at a CAGR of 28 percent over the period 2011-2015. One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the increasing prevalence of hepatitis C infection. The Global Hepatitis C Drugs market has also been witnessing the shift of treatments from multiple drug therapy to single drug therapy. However, the virus developing resistance to the drugs could pose a challenge to the growth of this market. Key vendors dominating this market space include GlaxoSmithKline plc, Merck & Co. Inc., Roche Holding Ltd., and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Commenting on the report, an analyst from TechNavio's Healthcare team said; Vendors are partnering with each other to share their competencies in order to develop more efficient drugs and penetrate the hitherto unexplored market. Hence, vendors are forming strategic alliances with each other to market their manufactured drugs in the unexplored regions and to thereby increase their market share in the Global Hepatitis C Drugs market. According to the report, novel and newly-introduced drugs such as telaprevir and boceprevir, … Continue reading →

ST. LOUIS A California woman who helped supply unapproved foreign chemotherapy drugs to U.S. Doctors was sentenced Friday to five years of probation and 200 hours of community service, prosecutors said. Sandra L. Behe, 44, of La Jolla, pleaded guilty March 1 to a felony charge of introducing adulterated prescription drugs into interstate commerce and admitted that she was involved in the shipment of chemotherapy drugs that were not stored or shipped properly. At the time, Behe worked for Ban Dune Marketing Inc. of La Jolla. Owner James R. Newcomb, 61, also of La Jolla, Calif., pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiring to distribute adulterated prescription drugs and admitted that the company distributed unapproved prescription medication from Jan. 1, 2008, to May 18, 2011. He is set for sentencing July 6. Dr. Abid Nisar, 60, who has offices in Florissant, East St. Louis and Granite City, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of introducing misbranded prescription drugs into interstate commerce. Nisar admitted buying $352,504 worth of drugs from Newcomb and Behe. Nisar was sentenced last month to two years of probation, 200 hours of community service and a $25,000 fine. He also agreed to pay back more than … Continue reading →

ELEVEN new drugs that treat a range of diseases from cystic fibrosis to infertility will receive taxpayer subsidies, cutting the price of medicines for 45,000 patients. Among them is Bronchitol, a drug discovered and trialled in Australia. The portable inhaler hydrates and helps to expel mucous - reducing the odds of bacterial infection on the lungs, which is a constant affliction of many people with cystic fibrosis. It would otherwise cost patients up to $7247 a year, but now, like all 11 of the approved drugs, the price will be capped at $5.80 per script for concession card holders and $35.40 for other patients. Advertisement: Story continues below Health Minister Tanya Plibersek lauded the decision to subsidise the drugs under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. ''This will ensure more patients have greater access to the medicines and treatment they need at subsidised prices,'' she said. The listing of Bronchitol, also known as Mannitol, is expected to give up to 325 young people relief from the symptoms of the chronic genetic illness - prolonged hacking coughing fits, infections and reduced lung capacity. Sian Ellett, 23, a masters student in creative writing at Melbourne University, said the drug had a profound impact in … Continue reading →