Новости за 23.04.2024

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis received his Austrian counterpart, Alexander Schallenberg, at the Federal Palace in Bern on Tuesday. The programme for the official visit included security policy issues and neutrality. Speaking to the media, Cassis described cooperation between the two countries as solid and dynamic. In addition to a one-to-one meeting, a visit to the army's new cyber command centre was also planned, the foreign ministry announced beforehand. The two neutral countries are participating... Читать дальше...

A signal that allows zebrafish to regenerate muscle cells has been discovered by researchers in Fribourg, western Switzerland, which could hold promising medical potential. In contrast to zebrafish, which can regenerate various organs and muscles, humans can only regenerate minor muscle injuries, as deep injuries can affect the musculoskeletal system. Biologists at the University of Fribourg, led by Anna Jazwinska Müller, investigated the regeneration of muscles at the base of the tail fin of zebrafish... Читать дальше...

Change is afoot in the upper echelons of Novartis, with Giovanni Caforio set to be elected as the next chair of its board of directors at the 2025 Annual General Meeting. He will replace current chair Jörg Reinhardt, who will not stand for re-election in 2025 after a 12-year term of office and will retire as planned. New chair designate Caforio has spent a large part of his professional career at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS). He was CEO from May 2015 to November 2023 and served as executive chair from May 2017 to March 2024. Читать дальше...

The Swiss foreign ministry has said it will “thoroughly analyse” an independent report on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip before taking any decision on the future funding of the organisation. An independent review of the neutrality of the UN agency helping Palestinian refugees was released on Monday. Switzerland has not yet transferred its CHF20 million ($22 million) contribution to UNRWA earmarked for 2024, the foreign ministry confirmed to the Keystone-SDA news agency on Tuesday. Читать дальше...

Former Swiss government minister Joseph Deiss says future membership of the European Union is the only way for Switzerland to achieve its European goals. Switzerland must negotiate hard with Brussels, but at the moment it is basically going from one makeshift solution to the next, he declared in an interview published in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) on Tuesday. The former government minister remains a strong advocate of Switzerland joining the EU. “Accession is the only way to reach the goal with Europe,” Deiss said. Читать дальше...

"Save Sunday schools", was a demand parishes were making decades ago. However, now, even churches no longer want Sunday schools. "Sunday schools are no longer that of grandparents time," says a video from the Reformed parish of Bözberg-Möhntal in canton Aargau. "It's fun!" They paint, do crafts and sing. Bible stories are told and presented in a way that is suitable for children. Still, such church organised programmes have become very rare. In canton Aargau, traditional Sunday schools are still offered in four churches... Читать дальше...

The National Association of Swiss Castles registered a new record of more than 1.3 million visitors at its 28 castles in 2023. The organisation will be ten years old this year and has welcomed two new members: Valère and Tourbillon in Sion, canton Valais, and Rapperswil Castle in St Gallen. As a result, Swiss Castles, which is based at Wildegg Castle in canton Aargau, now has 30 affiliated members, the organisation announced on Monday. + The king – and queen – of the castle These will all be open to the public from May... Читать дальше...

The interior ministers of the five German-speaking countries – Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Switzerland – have met in Basel for talks on migration and the fight against organised crime. Six months ago, Germany reintroduced checks at the border with Switzerland – against the wishes of the Swiss government. And this will not change in the near future, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser made clear on Monday: “As long as Germany suffers as much from migration pressure as it does... Читать дальше...

Switzerland's pharmaceutical sector supplies drugs worldwide, but not all countries receive them with the same price tag. Here's why. The process of determining the value of a new drug is long, partly confidential, and many factors play an important role. Governments, health insurers and other payers all have their say in finalising the list price the manufacturer announces.

As the global debate intensifies over whether multi-million-dollar drugs are worth the money, big pharma needs to improve transparency over the pricing and therapeutic value of potentially life-saving new medicines, says law and medicine expert Kerstin Noëlle Vokinger. SWI swissinfo.ch: It seems no one is happy with drug prices. Pharma companies argue efforts to rein in prices will thwart innovation, while patients and health authorities are trying to deal with more drugs at higher prices. What’s at the heart of the problem? Читать дальше...

Switzerland's pharmaceutical sector supplies drugs worldwide, but not all countries receive them with the same price tag. Here's why. The process of determining the value of a new drug is long, partly confidential, and many factors play an important role. Governments, health insurers and other payers all have their say in finalising the list price the manufacturer announces.

As the global debate intensifies over whether multi-million-dollar drugs are worth the money, big pharma needs to improve transparency over the pricing and therapeutic value of potentially life-saving new medicines, says law and medicine expert Kerstin Noëlle Vokinger. SWI swissinfo.ch: It seems no one is happy with drug prices. Pharma companies argue efforts to rein in prices will thwart innovation, while patients and health authorities are trying to deal with more drugs at higher prices. What’s at the heart of the problem? Читать дальше...

Zolgensma, a one-off treatment for infants born with a rare and often fatal genetic disease, came to the market five years ago at an eye-watering $2.1 million. But its Swiss manufacturer Novartis is now under growing pressure as annual sales decline and new markets prove tough to crack. When Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan presented the company’s 2023 annual results in January, Zolgensma didn’t even get a mention. Launched with great fanfare in 2019, it was the first gene therapy to treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) ... Читать дальше...