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News » January 2006
Pharmaceutical, healthcare, medical and
NHS news
Altana Pharma sales hit 2.4bn
euros
Posted: 27/01/2006
Altana has reported record results with
Altana Pharma achieving a 12 per cent growth in sales to 2.4 billion euros for
2005. The company as a whole had a 10 per cent increase in sales hitting 3.3
billion euros.
AstraZeneca pays $1m milestone
Posted:
27/01/2006
AstraZeneca has selected a clinical candidate for development
from the US firm Array BioPharma leading to $1 million milestone payout. It is
the second candidate to be taken by AstraZeneca to be included in its small
molecule anti-cancer programme after ARRY-142886 (AZD6244) was selected for
co-development in December 2003.
Eli Lilly
reports better than expected results
Posted: 27/01/2006
Eli Lilly
has reported a net income of $700 million for the fourth quarter, compared with
a net loss of $2.4 million last year. The 2004 fourth quarter loss was due to
the tax expense on the repatriation of overseas earnings as well as
restructuring charges, and for the 2005 as a whole net income was $1.98
billion, compared with 2004 net income of $1.81 billion.
Abbott Laboratories and UK firm
collaboration hits $1bn sales
Posted: 27/01/2006
The
collaboration between Abbott Laboratories and UK firm Cambridge Antibody
Technology (CAT) has resulted in $1.4 billion worth of sales. The success of
the rheumatoid arthritis treatment Humira means it is the first product from
the UK biotechnology industry to achieve blockbuster status with sales over the
billion mark.
UK
pledges millions to fight TB in India
Posted: 27/01/2006
The
government is to contribute ?41.7 million to help fight tuberculosis (TB) in
India, chancellor Gordon Brown told the Commons yesterday. Mr Brown's statement
to MPs was made ahead of today's launch of the ?3.14 billion Global Plan to
Stop Tuberculosis at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Merck KGaA gets US rights for
liposome vaccine
Posted: 27/01/2006
Merck KGaA has acquired the
full rights to BLP25 Liposome Vaccine (L-BLP25) in the US from Biomira. The
firm will commence Phase III clinical trial in the treatment of non-small cell
lung cancer (NSCLC) later this year.
Bayer denies Trasylol link to
kidney failure
Posted: 27/01/2006
Bayer's Trasylol (aprotinin)
has been linked to kidney failure in a new study. The drug, which is used to
reduce blood loss during operations, was found to increase the chances of
kidney failure by 2.6 times in a New England Journal of Medicine study by Dr
Dennis Mangano of the Ischemia Research and Education Foundation.
NICE guidance on
implantable defibrillators
Posted: 26/01/2006
The National
Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has given its advice on
implantable-cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), doubling the number of people
eligible to have them. The potentially life saving devices are used with people
at risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) as a result of cardiac arrhythmias
(irregular heart rhythms).
Pfizer sues Dainippon
Sumitomo Pharma
Posted: 26/01/2006
Pfizer is to take the
Japanese firm Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma (DSP) and its parent company Sumitomo
Chemical to court in England over the production of Amlodin (amlodipine
besylate), the hypertension and angina pectoris treatment.
Abbott Laboratories sales up
13.5%
Posted: 26/01/2006
Abbott Laboratories has reported its
worldwide sales for 2005 were up 13.5 per cent to $22.3 billion. The company
also reported earnings of $3.4 billion, but warned that a pact with Boehringer
Ingelheim will hit its 2006 sales growth, which are now predicted to be in
single figures.
Financial turnaround begins for
overspending NHS trusts
Posted: 26/01/2006
The health secretary
Patricia Hewitt has named the 18 worst overspending NHS organisations. In a
report published yesterday, Ms Hewitt confirmed that teams of financial
specialists will be sent to the worst trusts to facilitate a financial
turnaround.
Organon
collaborates with UK research firm
Posted: 26/01/2006
Organon,
the healthcare business of Akzo Nobel, is to go into a collaborative research
agreement with UK firm Sareum Holdings. The aim of the agreement is to develop
new therapies for autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Bristol-Myers Squibb sales fall as
profits rise
Posted: 26/01/2006
Bristol-Myers Squibb has reported
a fourth quarter fall in sales of three per cent. Sales were down to $5 billion
as the company's second biggest seller Pravachol, which lowers cholesterol, was
hit by increased competition.
Baxter Healthcare gets European
clearance for Kiovig
Posted: 26/01/2006
The European Medicines
Agency (EMEA) has issued marketing authorization for Baxter Healthcare's
Kiovig. Kiovig, the intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), can now be used for
replacement therapy in primary immunodeficiency disorders (PID), myeloma or
chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and a number of other cases including for
children with congenital AIDS and recurrent infections.
Drug research boom in
China
Posted: 25/01/2006
China is becoming one of the most
important countries in the world for clinical pharmaceutical research,
according to a new market report. The Kline & Company report found that the
world's leading drug makers are already including China in their research plans
and the Chinese authorities are making systemic improvements to push on future
growth in the number and scope of clinical drug trials.
ABPI warns
over-regulation could hit UK competitiveness
Posted:
25/01/2006
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI)
has warned that increased regulation could mean the UK loses investment. The
warning comes as the Japanese firm Eisai is to invest ?75 million to establish
its European base in the UK, but the ABPI points out capital investment by
pharmaceutical companies in the UK has been declining since a peak of nearly
?1,000 million in 2001.
NICE recommends statins to save
10,000 lives
Posted: 25/01/2006
The National Institute for Health
and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recommended statins for adult patients with
cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is thought the drug, which prevents
atherosclerosis, the furring-up and narrowing of arteries, could now be
prescribed to 3.4 million people in the UK, from the 1.8 million who currently
take them.
Amgen to
invest over $1bn in Ireland and UK
Posted: 25/01/2006
Amgen is to
invest more than $1 billion in a site in Cork and will build a new development
site in Uxbridge. The company expects to employ over 1,100 people at the
facilities in Cork by the end of the decade and they will start to be
operational in 2009.
Sanofi-Aventis to defend
patents
Posted: 25/01/2006
Sanofi-Aventis has moved against
rumours that the US Food and Drink Administration (FDA) had allowed a generic
version of one its drugs to be marketed. It was suggested the FDA had given
authorisation to the Canadian firm Apotex to produce a version of the blood
thinner Plavix (Clopidogrel).
UK GPs
suffer most abuse
Posted: 25/01/2006
Doctors in the UK are more
likely to suffer verbal or physical attacks than their European counterparts,
new figures show. A poll by GP Magazine found that over nine in ten GPs have
been shouted or sworn at.
Servier Laboratories heart
drug gets licence
Posted: 25/01/2006
Servier's long-acting
angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor Coversyl (perindopril) has been
granted a new licence for treating patients with stable coronary artery disease
(CAD). The licence from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
(MHRA) follows a trial that showed perindopril, which is currently used for
hypertension, reduced the combined risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial
infarction (MI) and cardiac arrest by 20 per cent.
Bristol-Myers Squibb puts aside $185m
for lawsuit
Posted: 24/01/2006
Bristol-Myers Squibb has put aside
a reserve of $185 million in anticipation of a lawsuit. The case, being heard
in a New Jersey court, relates to the failed experimental compound omapatrilat
(Vanlev). The company explained in a statement: "Beginning in the spring of
2000, the plaintiffs brought lawsuits against the company and certain company
executives alleging violations of federal securities laws and regulations."
Ivax Pharmaceuticals and
Teva $7.4bn merger cleared
Posted: 24/01/2006
The planned merger
between Ivax and Teva has received clearance from US authorities. The US
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has given the necessary orders so the two firms
can close the deal. Under the order Ivax must end agreements to distribute
certain generic drugs and the two firms will have to sell the rights and assets
needed to manufacture and market 15 generic drugs, which have total annual
sales of around $15 million.
Sanofi-Aventis
faces antibiotic investigation
Posted: 24/01/2006
The US Food and
Drink Administration (FDA) is to investigate claims that Sanofi-Aventis'
antibiotic Ketek (telithromycin) causes liver damage. The FDA has urged doctors
to watch patients taking the antibiotic after the journal Annals of Internal
Medicine reported liver damage in three cases. One patient died, one needed a
transplant and the third recovered.
Patients face uncertainty after
cancer blunder
Posted: 24/01/2006
Up to 22 women with breast
cancer were wrongly given the all clear by a radiologist in Greater Manchester.
The radiologist, who worked at North Manchester General hospital and Trafford
General, has not been named but has been suspended.
UK report questions therapeutic
vaccine market
Posted: 24/01/2006
An independent report into the
pharmaceutical industry has highlighted problems and possible successes in the
therapeutic vaccine market. The Datamonitor report shows that in recent years
the only three therapeutic vaccines to hit the market have resulted in low
sales and failed to gain US approval.
Allergan extends offer on
Inamed
Posted: 24/01/2006
Allergan has put back its deadline on
its $3.2 billion offer to buy the breast implant maker Inamed to get anti-trust
clearance. The initial offer was to end on January 24th but it will now expire
on February 5th.
Pfizer buys licence for UK
Astex enzyme
Posted: 24/01/2006
UK biotechnology firm Astex
Therapeutics has granted Pfizer a licence for its enzyme technology. The
non-exclusive worldwide agreement sees Pfizer paying an undisclosed upfront sum
for the licence to use Astex's Cytochromes P450 (CYP450) enzymes.
ABPI to promote UK code of
practice
Posted: 23/01/2006
The Association of the British
Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) is to promote its newly drafted code of conduct.
The aim is to make patient groups and doctors aware of the code's existence,
after research uncovered that they were largely unaware of it or ill-informed
about how it functioned.
WHO calls for
halt in single-drug artemisinin malaria treatment
Posted:
23/01/2006
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has asked pharmaceutical
companies to end the marketing and sale of 'single-drug' artemisinin malaria
medicines. The call comes over fears that malaria parasites may develop
resistance to the drug.
NICE releases draft guidelines on
Alzheimer's treatments
Posted: 23/01/2006
The National Institute
for Health Clinical Excellence (NICE) has released its initial recommendations
on drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease. The body's appraisal committee is
recommending that donepezil, galantamine and rivastigmine should be considered
as treatments of people with the disease.
GlaxoSmithKline weight loss drug
could be sold over the counter
Posted:
23/01/2006
GlaxoSmithKline's weight loss drug Xenical (orlistat) could
soon be available without prescription in the US. The US Food and Drink
Administration (FDA) is to decide today whether the drug in a low dose form
should be available, meaning it would be the first ever non-prescription weight
loss drug approved in the US.
GPs cash incentives
plan
Posted: 23/01/2006
Doctors may be offered financial bonuses
for signing fewer people off as eligible for incapacity benefit, according to
work and pensions secretary John Hutton. Mr Hutton said the government wanted
to shake up the current welfare policy, so that "people don't just end up on
benefit when there are other options".
Novartis and
Astellas skin creams to get cancer warning
Posted: 23/01/2006
The
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered that Novartis' eczema
treatment Elidel should carry cancer warnings. The product along with Astellas
Pharma's Protopic will carry the strongest type of warning in the US.
Novartis
reports flat profits but high sales
Posted: 20/01/2006
Novartis
has reported its fourth quarter earnings with profits flat due to one-off
payments. Posting its results net income for the fourth quarter stood at $1,352
million, $2 million less than the same period last year.
Pfizer
profits fall
Posted: 20/01/2006
Pfizer has reported a fall in
profits but predictions that the fall would be greater were held off by cost
cutting. Revenue for the last quarter of 2005 was nine per cent lower than a
year ago, falling to $13.6 billion, while profits fell three per cent to $2.7
billion.
Wales follows rest of UK
with independent prescribing
Posted: 20/01/2006
Pharmacists and
nurses are to be allowed to prescribe certain drugs in Wales, following similar
plans that are to be introduced in England and Scotland. Pharmacists will be
able to prescribe licensed medicines with the exception of controlled drugs,
allowing patients to obtain treatment earlier and those with chronic diseases
such as diabetes and coronary heart disease to be supported in managing their
conditions
Takeda pays $2m milestone to UK firm
Alizyme
Posted: 20/01/2006
Takeda has made a $2 million milestone
payment to the Cambridge-based firm Alizyme. The payment comes as Takeda starts
Phase II trials of the obesity treatment cetilistat in Japan.
Amgen gets approval for $2.2bn Abgenix
deal
Posted: 20/01/2006
Amgen has received US anti-trust approval
for its plan to buy Abgenix. The US Federal Trade Commission gave the go-ahead
to the $2.2 billion deal that will give Amgen full control of the cancer
treatment panitumumab, which the two companies were developing in
collaboration. Amgen first announced its plans to buy Abgenix in December.
Shire Pharmaceuticals
settles legal generic dispute
Posted: 20/01/2006
Shire
Pharmaceuticals is to settle a legal dispute over generic versions of the
firm's attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drug Adderall XR (mixed
amphetamine salts). The US litigation had involved the possible patent
infringement by the firm Impax Laboratories, its Abbreviated New Drug
Application and attempt to market generic versions of Adderall XR.
Testicular cancer survivors
'have increased heart risk'
Posted: 20/01/2006
Men who have
survived testicular cancer have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular
disease, a new study suggests. Dutch researchers, writing in the Journal of
Clinical Oncology, have called for these patients to undergo cardiac monitoring
as part of their follow-up care.
Schering brings back
Bonefos
Posted: 19/01/2006
Schering has reacquired the rights to
the bisphosphonate Bonefos (sodium clodronate) in the UK and Ireland. Pharma
Times reports that the company bought back the rights to the drug that was
licensed to Boehringer Ingelheim.
AstraZeneca to appeal on
patent judgement
Posted: 19/01/2006
AstraZeneca has announced it
is to appeal the judgement made in a US court over patents. The decision made
in a Missouri district court centres on the validity, enforceability and
infringement of two of the US patents associated with the hypertension
treatment Toprol-XL (metoprolol succinate).
Pfizer wins patent
challenge
Posted: 19/01/2006
Pfizer's US patent for amlodipine
besylate, the active ingredient in Norvasc has been held up by a Chicago court.
The judge ruled that a generic version made by the Canadian firm Apotex
infringed Pfizer's patent and prohibited the launching of the generic drug
until September 2007.
Boehringer
Ingelheim and Evotec expand collaboration
Posted:
19/01/2006
Boehringer Ingelheim and Evotec are to double the size of
their existing drug discovery collaboration. The two companies first came
together in September 2004 and their initial agreement on developing treatments
acting on G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) has also been extended until the
end of 2008
Novartis triples malaria
treatment production
Posted: 19/01/2006
Novartis is in line to
produce over 100 million treatment courses of Coartem this year, more than
tripling the amount manufactured in 2005. The company will also be providing
the drug at cost price for public sector use in developing countries where the
disease is endemic.
Organon and Ligand end
Avinza agreement
Posted: 19/01/2006
Akzo Nobel's human healthcare
business, Organon, and Ligand Pharmaceuticals have agreed to end their
co-promotion agreement for Avinza. Rights to Avinza, the oral morphine sulfate
extended-release capsules for patients with chronic moderate-to-severe pain,
will now be returned to Ligand.
New heart-risk technology
developed
Posted: 19/01/2006
A breakthrough in heart risk
detection computer technology has allowed scientists in the US to better
identify heart disease. Researchers claim a potential "time bomb" of "plaque"
build up in the heart is present in many patients, yet goes undetected.
Lundbeck launches Serdolect in
Europe
Posted: 18/01/2006
Lundbeck has launched its schizophrenia
treatment Serdolect (sertindole) in Europe. After receiving marketing approval
from the European Commission in December the drug will now first be available
in Estonia.
Allergan gets clearance to buy
Inamed
Posted: 18/01/2006
Allergan has received approval from
antitrust authorities in Germany and Spain for its acquisition of Inamed.
Germany and Spain were the only approvals needed outside the US for the deal to
go through and Allergen is now waiting on the US Federal Trade Commission to
give its clearance.
Aspirin cuts
stroke risk in women, heart attacks in men
Posted:
18/01/2006
Aspirin reduces cardiovascular risks differently in men and
women, lowering the risk of heart attack more in men and the risk of stroke
more in women, a new study has revealed. Although the effect of aspirin on
cardiovascular events is widely acknowledged, the research from scientists at
Duke University Medical Centre in the US, suggests that the major reasons for
the risk reduction differed in both sexes.
Biogenerics to hit Europe
Posted:
18/01/2006
Biogenerics are set to become the next big battleground
between the branded pharma and generics industries, according to a market
analyst. A Datamonitor report has found that generic drug makers may soon be
moving into the area of biological therapeutics, threatening the sector that
had combined global sales in 2004 of $20 billion.
Forest Laboratories reports
25 per cent profit drop
Posted: 18/01/2006
Forest Laboratories
reported a 25 per cent drop in quarterly earning yesterday. The fall comes as
competition from cheaper generic antidepressants hit sales along with
disappointing revenue from other drugs.
Novartis launches Prexige in
Europe
Posted: 18/01/2006
Novartis has launched its painkiller
Prexige (lumiracoxib) in Europe, despite receiving a licence two years ago. The
launch was delayed over safety fears after similar COX-2 inhibitor drugs such
as Merck's Vioxx (rofecoxib) and Pfizer's Bextra (valdecoxib) were found to
increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
UCB
Pharmaceuticals sells bioproducts division for 120m euros
Posted:
18/01/2006
UCB Pharmaceuticals is to sell its bioproducts manufacturing
division to Swiss firm Lonza for 120 million euros. The division, based in
Braine-l'Alleud near Brussels, has been active in chemical peptide
manufacturing for over 20 years.
Roche to discontinue Konakion
Neonatal
Posted: 17/01/2006
The Medicines and Healthcare products
Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has announced that Roche is to discontinue Konakion
Neonatal. Konakion Neonatal is primarily used to protect babies at birth with
vitamin K deficiency and will be discontinued on March 31st this year.
Boehringer Ingelheim goes into
collaboration with Novosom
Posted: 17/01/2006
Boehringer
Ingelheim is to enter into agreement with the German biotechnology firm
Novosom. The collaboration is over the development of treatments for liver and
pulmonary disorders using Novosom's own Smarticles for in vivo short
interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery.
Novartis
venture fund to expand role
Posted: 17/01/2006
Novartis has
announced its venture fund is to expand its role in supporting pharmaceutical
start-ups. In 2005 the fund, which is a major investor in health care companies
around Basel as well as internationally, for the first time achieved a positive
ratio of 'exits' - the successful divestitures of businesses that it has
supported to new investments.
GlaxoSmithKline pays
$5m milestone to Human Genome Sciences
Posted:
17/01/2006
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has made a $5 million milestone payment
to its collaborator Human Genome Sciences. The payment comes as GSK is to file
an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to begin Phase I clinical trials
of diabetes treatment GSK716155 (formerly known as Albugon).
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in $40m Indian
deal
Posted: 17/01/2006
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals has struck an
outsourcing deal with Indian firm GVK Biosciences. The deal is believed to be
worth around $40 million, although exact financial details have not been
released, and will see GVK Bio providing a range of services in synthetic
chemistry research.
Viagra linked to eye
damage
Posted: 17/01/2006
Impotency drugs such as Viagra may be
linked to eye damage, according to new research. The article published in the
British Journal of Ophthalmology suggests that Viagra and Cialis may be
associated with an increased risk of optic nerve damage in men with a history
of heart attacks.
£0.5m raid on illegal
Tamiflu
Posted: 17/01/2006
Officers from the Medicines and
Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) carried out a raid last week
finding £500,000 worth of illegally imported Tamiflu. The raid in London
uncovered 5,000 packets of the drug, which were being sold on the internet.
RPS responds to TV uncovering of
counterfeit medicines
Posted: 16/01/2006
The Royal Pharmaceutical
Society (RPS) has called for a government inquiry after a TV programme revealed
how counterfeit medicines can be put into circulation. ITV's Tonight with
Trevor MacDonald went undercover to discover that a Medicines and Healthcare
Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) wholesaler's licence could be obtained using
fake details.
Abbott Laboratories to open
centre in Ireland
Posted: 16/01/2006
Abbott Ireland, a subsidiary
of Abbott Laboratories, is to create 600 new jobs with a new site in Galway.
The Sunday Business Post reports the company is seeking planning permission for
a 16,369 square metre site on the Parkmore East Industrial Estate, Galway.
EU
adds 80m euros bird flu fund
Posted: 16/01/2006
The European
Commission is to pledge ?80 million to fight the spread of the avian flu virus
in developing countries. The cash will be put forward at this week's
international pledging conference held in Beijing, where the UN hopes to raise
$1.5 billion.
Pfizer pays Sanofi-Aventis
$1.3bn for Exubera rights
Posted: 16/01/2006
Pfizer has come to
agreement with Sanofi-Aventis for worldwide rights to Exubera, the inhaled
human insulin medicine. Under the agreement Sanofi-Aventis will receive $1.3
billion for giving up its share of the worldwide rights previously held jointly
along with the insulin production facilities in Frankfurt.
Industrial pollutant linked to
cancer
Posted: 16/01/2006
Prolonged exposure to cadmium, a common
pollutant in industrial nations, can increase the risk of cancer, new research
warns. A study by Belgian scientists indicates that people exposed to cadmium
in the environment have an increased risk of cancer. The metal has a toxic
effect and a slow half-life, accumulating in the body over a lifetime.
Wyeth
Pharmaceuticals extends vaccine agreement
Posted:
16/01/2006
Wyeth is to extend its licensing agreement with the US
vaccine firm AlphaVax. Under an agreement originally signed in 1998 Wyeth
gained access to certain core alphavirus vector technologies controlled by
AlphaVax to develop vaccines.
Shire Pharmaceuticals sells US drug
formulation business
Posted: 16/01/2006
Shire Laboratories, the
US subsidiary of Shire Pharmaceuticals, is to sell its product formulation and
development business to the newly formed company Supernus Pharmaceuticals.
Supernus was founded by the former Shire Laboratories president and chief
executive Jack Khattar and aims to develop products for its own portfolio and
in partnership with other pharmaceutical companies.
Roche to help developing
countries fight Aids
Posted: 13/01/2006
Roche is to help
communities in the world's poorest countries produce Aids/HIV drugs locally.
The firm's Technology Transfer Initiative will see activities within
sub-Saharan Africa and the world's Least Developed Countries increased, as
technical expertise will be provided to local manufacturers of generic HIV
medicines.
Staff shortages 'putting
cancer patients at risk'
Posted: 13/01/2006
Staff shortages in
many radiotherapy departments are placing cancer patients at risk, according to
a study of British hospitals. Published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ),
the research claims that many UK hospitals are heavily overstretched, with long
waiting lists for patients in need of treatment.
Forest Laboratories
in $75m licence agreement
Posted: 13/01/2006
Forest Laboratories
has entered into a licensing agreement with Mylan Laboratories for the
commercialisation, development and distribution of the beta-blocker nebivolol.
The agreement that only covers the US and Canada will see Forest making upfront
payments of $75 million with royalty and milestone payments also being made.
FDA testing
streamlined
Posted: 13/01/2006
The US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has released new guidelines to make the earlier stages of
drug development more efficient. It is hoped the guidelines, published
yesterday, will allow pharmaceutical companies to launch fewer tests on drugs
with no benefit.
Scottish health minister against
scrapping prescription charges
Posted: 13/01/2006
Scotland's
health minister Andy Kerr has announced the executive will stand against a bill
going through the Scottish parliament to end prescription charges for all. His
announcement at the first cabinet meeting of the new year goes against the
parliament's health committee's support the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP)
bill.
Innovata pulls out of SkyePharma
merger
Posted: 13/01/2006
The merger between SkyePharma and
Innovata will now not go ahead, but SkyePharma insists it is still looking for
new offers. Innovata had made a preliminary takeover approach in November but
SkyePharma is now discussing cash offers from other companies over Innovata's
share exchange merger proposals.
Novartis and
GlaxoSmithKline tipped to move for Serono
Posted:
13/01/2006
Speculation that Novartis may now make a bid for Serono have
increased as the company ruled out a takeover of Berna Biotech. Novartis, which
first showed an interest in the vaccine maker Berna in December, announced it
would not be making a move to acquire the firm after completing an assessment
of the potential benefits and risks.
Kyowa Hakko signs agreement with Eli
Lilly
Posted: 12/01/2006
Japanese pharmaceutical company Kyowa
Hakko has signed a licensing agreement with Eli Lilly. The agreement is for the
anti-tumour compound mitotic kinesin Eg5 inhibitor and will see Lilly taking
the rights to exclusively develop and market the compound worldwide, except in
Japan.
MPs reveal cancer-care
'scandal'
Posted: 12/01/2006
An influential committee of MPs has
criticised the NHS for failing to provide cancer patients with vital
information and for treating prostate cancer as a lower priority than other
common cancers.
Merck gets FDA approval for
anti-vomiting drug
Posted: 12/01/2006
Merck, parent company of
MSD (Merck Sharp & Dohme), has been granted approval from the US Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) for further use of the drug Emend. Emend is used to
stop nausea and vomiting in patients receiving chemotherapy and the FDA
approval allows it to be used in combination with other such drugs, or
antiemetics.
Eli Lilly breaches research
contract
Posted: 12/01/2006
A US federal judge has ruled that Eli
Lilly breached the conditions of a contract with research partner Emisphere
Technologies. It was claimed in court that Lilly breached agreements by
carrying out its own development using Emisphere's compounds, which were under
the research agreement.
GlaxoSmithKline hit by drug
shortage
Posted: 12/01/2006
Manufacturing problems at
GlaxoSmithKline's Puerto Rico site are causing the firm to face drug shortages
in the US. It is reported there are shortages for several products including
the heart drug Coreg (Carvedilol) and the diabetes drug Avandamet.
Bayer makes acquisition
Posted:
12/01/2006
Bayer has bought the Munich-based biotech firm Icon Genetics.
The acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, was made by the Bayer subsidiary Bayer
Innovation GmbH (BIG).
Cephalon signs double
deal
Posted: 12/01/2006
Cephalon and Mylan Technologies have
signed two agreements to develop and commercialise pain and central nervous
system disorders products and to settle a patent infringement dispute.
Abbott Laboratories to make
$3.8 billion acquisition
Posted: 11/01/2006
Abbott Laboratories
is to buy the entire vascular business of Guidant from Boston Scientific. The
announcement follows Boston Scientific's move to buy Guidant and the deal to
buy the vascular business is contingent on Boston Scientific completing its
acquisition.
Leo Pharma gets FDA
psoriasis treatment approval
Posted: 11/01/2006
Leo Pharma and
Warner Chilcott have received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) for the psoriasis treatment Taclonex (Dovobet).
NHS restructuring plans
slammed
Posted: 11/01/2006
MPs have attacked government
"streamlining" plans to slim down the numbers of primary care trusts,
describing the move "ill-judged" and unlikely to improve the NHS as a whole.
The health select committee in a report highlighted the "high" risks in
fostering a patient-led NHS, adding it found little evidence that the costs
would outweigh the benefits.
Sanofi-Aventis
forms Canadian breast cancer collaboration
Posted:
11/01/2006
Sanofi-Aventis and the Canadian firm YM BioSciences have
entered into a collaboration to investigate new breast cancer treatments. The
agreement will focus on investigating the effect of combining tesmilifene and
docetaxel for the treatment of women with rapidly progressing metastatic breast
cancer.
Biogen MS study meets target
Posted:
11/01/2006
Biogen and Fumapharm have announced their Phase II study into
a new multiple sclerosis (MS) drug has reached its endpoint. The study was
designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of BG-12, an oral fumarate, in
patients with relapsing-remitting MS.
Ivax takeover
delayed
Posted: 11/01/2006
The planned takeover of Ivax by Teva
Pharmaceutical Industries has been delayed. It was expected that the merger
would take place on January 12th but it has now been put off as the US Federal
Trade Commission (FTC) continues its review of the consent order signed by both
companies.
Roche forms
inflammatory disease collaboration
Posted: 11/01/2006
Roche has
signed a research collaboration with the US biotech firm Amira Pharmaceuticals
aimed at finding treatments for inflammatory diseases.
Amgen in deal to
commercialise therapeutic biological products
Posted:
10/01/2006
Amgen has signed a deal with US firm Human Genome Sciences
under which it will acquire exclusive worldwide rights to develop and
commercialise therapeutic biological products. The products are for human use
based on a human gene discovered by Human Genome Sciences that may have
potential applications in autoimmune diseases, immune deficiencies or
suppression, and cancer, Human Genome Sciences said in a statement.
Novartis pulls out of race for Swiss
biotech firm
Posted: 10/01/2006
Novartis has decided against
making a takeover bid for Swiss vaccine maker Berna Biotech. In a statement,
the company said that it decided not to approach Berna Biotech after completing
"due diligence and an assessment of the potential benefits and risks of an
acquisition".
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals predicts
earnings to be below expectations
Posted: 10/01/2006
Effexor
maker Wyeth has said that its earnings for 2006 will be below the expectations
of the US financial markets. It said in a financial statement that it expected
earnings to be between $2.97 and $3.07 per share, excluding any restructuring
charges resulting from the company's review of its business.
Roche and GlaxoSmithKline get bone
strengthening injection approved
Posted: 10/01/2006
The US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an injected treatment for sufferers
of osteoporosis. Boniva, marketed by both GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Roche, is
the first bisphosphonate drug which can be administered quarterly to people
with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Clinical trails showed that it reduced new
fractures and increased bone density.
AstraZeneca could lose Betaloc
patent
Posted: 10/01/2006
AstraZeneca is in danger of losing one
of its most prized patents, Reuters has reported. Deutsche Bank analysts said
that the company was at serious risk of losing a challenge to its US patent on
Toprol XL, known as Betaloc in the UK, opening the flood gates for generic
manufacturers to make copycat versions.
Abbott
Laboratories finds drug combo works best for rheumatoid
arthritis
Posted: 10/01/2006
A combination drug therapy is
successful in treating early stage rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to
research published in Arthritis & Rheumatism. Researchers, sponsored by
Abbot Laboratories, found that patients given both disease-modifying
antirheumatic drugs (DMARD) and anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drugs
achieved remission more successfully than receiving either treatment alone.
Prostate cancer screening called
into doubt
Posted: 10/01/2006
Scientists have today called into
doubt the effectiveness of a leading prostate cancer test. The controversy
surrounds the PSA test, which measures prostate-specific antigen levels in the
blood. Researchers suggest that screening men with the test has little impact
on what numbers are likely to die from prostate cancer.
GlaxoSmithKline hopes SDL
deal will speed up EMEA approval
Posted:
09/01/2006
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has signed a deal to speed up
translations of its applications to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA). Its
contract with British-based SDL International, worth £300,000, will give
GSK access to SDL's Global Information Management (GIM) system. GIM is already
able to support the EMEA's XML product information standard (PIM), and will
help GSK speed up translate submissions into the EU's 20 languages.
Novartis likely to make Serono bid
'within ten days'
Posted: 09/01/2006
Swiss drug giant Novartis
still wants to buy up biotech firm Serono, according to a German newspaper.
Sources close to the latter company told the Sonntags Zeitung that Novartis
would first complete its due diligence assessment of the firm, and that a bid
could be made as early as in the next ten days.
GlaxoSmithKline, Merck and Bristol Myers
Squibb "the world's most ethical companies"
Posted:
09/01/2006
The world's most ethnical companies are all in the
pharmaceutical industry, according to a report.Covalence, a Swiss organisation
which rates the ethical behaviour of the world's top firms
GlaxoSmithKline
submits first pandemic flu vaccine to EMEA
Posted: 09/01/2006
The
European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has said that it has received a
pre-development application for a pandemic flu vaccine. GlaxoSmithKline
Biologicals sent the EMEA a "core dossier" proposal for the vaccine, which
allows pharmaceutical firms to suggest a "mock-up" version of a drug before a
pandemic occurs ? resubmitting to incorporate the flu strain once it has been
identified.
Painkiller side-effects
'could be genetic'
Posted: 09/01/2006
The variability in the way
people respond to painkilling drugs could be down to their genetic make-up, and
could therefore allow doctors to tailor drugs to prevent an increase in
cardiovascular risk, according to a new study.
Bristol-Myers
Squibb faces charges over patent infringement
Posted:
09/01/2006
The University of Michigan and the firm Repligen have jointly
filed a complaint against Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) for patent infringement.
The case centres on the patent entitled "Methods of Treating Autoimmune Disease
via CTLA4-Ig", which covers methods of using CTLA4-Ig to treat rheumatoid
arthritis.
Roche ups US Tamiflu
distribution
Posted: 06/01/2006
Roche is to increase its
distribution of the influenza treatment Tamiflu to areas of the US heavily
affected by the disease. The company had cut back on its shipping of the drug
to the US as concerns over avian influenza had led to large amounts of
stockpiling.
Newborn viruses could cause
cerebral palsy
Posted: 06/01/2006
Viral infection shortly before
and after birth could be linked to cerebral palsy, new research suggests. A
study carried out at the Adelaide Women's and Children's Hospital in Australia
found that exposure to certain viral infections during the perinatal period is
associated with cerebral palsy.
Takeda
sells vitamin stake to BASF
Posted: 06/01/2006
Takeda
Pharmaceutical has transferred all its shares in the joint venture BASF Takeda
Vitamin (BTV) to partner BASF Japan. The transfer, for an undisclosed sum,
follows the joint venture agreement that established the firm in January 2001
when the vitamin bulk business of both companies were transferred and combined
in BTV.
Bristol-Myers
Squibb signs agreement with Endocyte
Posted:
06/01/2006
Bristol-Myers Squibb has entered into a licensing agreement
with the US firm Endocyte. The agreement focuses on Endocyte's 'smart drugs'
that aim to target particular cancerous cells and work with Bristol-Myers
Squibb's chemotherapy agents. It follows the two companies' ongoing
collaborative research.
ABPI president in New
Year's honours
Posted: 06/01/2006
The president of the
Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), Vincent Lawton, has
been recognised in the New Year's honours. Professor Lawton, who is currently
managing director of Merck Sharpe & Dohme (UK), was awarded a CBE
(Commander of the British Empire) for his services to the pharmaceutical
industry.
Forest Laboratories
starts fibromyalgia trial
Posted: 06/01/2006
Forest Laboratories
and Cypress Bioscience are to commence late Phase III trials for the
fibromyalgia treatment Milnacipran after previous trials showed a limited
effectiveness. The new trial will start in the first three months of the year
with some modifications to the ongoing second Phase III study, including the
increase the number of patients involved from 800 to 1,200.
Bayer
goes into $385m collaboration with Nuvelo
Posted:
06/01/2006
Bayer is to enter into a collaboration with the US
pharmaceutical firm Nuvelo over the drug alfimeprase. The agreement will see
Nuvelo eligible for up to $385 million in milestone payments, including a $50
million up-front cash payment.
GlaxoSmithKline
and Merck rotavirus vaccines found to be effective
Posted:
05/01/2006
GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) Rotarix vaccine and Rotateq produced
by MSD's (Merck Sharp & Dohme) parent company Merck have been found to be
effective in treating children with the infection rotavirus, a major diarrhoeal
killer of young children in poor countries.
NSC calls for national artery
screening
Posted: 05/01/2006
Experts are calling for a nationwide
screening programme for abdominal aortic aneurysm ? which kills thousands each
year in the UK, according to a recent magazine report.
Roche extends collaboration with
Xencor
Posted: 05/01/2006
Roche is to extend its collaboration
with the biotherapeutics company Xencor. The original agreement, signed in
January 2005, focused on the development of antibodies that target cancer,
Xencor's XmAb Fc domains.
Pfizer lengthens agreement with
Sangamo
Posted: 05/01/2006
Pfizer is to enter into a second
agreement with Sangamo BioSciences to increase their existing research
collaboration. The companies will be working together in the field of enhanced
protein production and Sangamo will use its zinc finger DNA-binding protein
(ZFP) technology to develop additional cell lines.
Procter
& Gamble (P&G) have filed a lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and
Roche
Posted: 05/01/2006
Procter & Gamble (P&G) with its
marketing partner Sanofi-Aventis have filed a lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline
(GSK) and Roche over advertisements for the osteoporosis treatment Boniva.
Allergan gains restraining
order over patent infringement
Posted: 05/01/2006
Allergan has
announced that it has been successful in gaining a temporary restraining order
against Pharma for selling a generic version of a drug. The companies have been
prevented from manufacturing or selling the generic version of Acular
(ketorolac tromethamine ophthalmic solution), which they sought US Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) approval for via an abbreviated new drug application.
Eli Lilly forms 5 year Indian
partnership
Posted: 05/01/2006
Eli Lilly has signed a five-year
collaboration contract with the India firm Jubilant Organosys. The agreement,
put into place with the Jubilant subsidiaries Jubilant Biosys and Jubilant
Chemsys, will focus on the development of new drugs in a range of areas.
Schering-Plough
meets consent decree deadline
Posted: 04/01/2006
Schering-Plough
has announced that it met a deadline set by the US Food and Drink
Administration (FDA) to prove its facilities meet necessary standards. The
company announced that the 212 significant steps and 30 validation actions
required by December 31st 2005 under the agency's consent decree were
completed.
AstraZeneca makes first payment to
Avanir
Posted: 04/01/2006
The US drug developer Avanir
Pharmaceuticals received its first $5 million payment from AstraZeneca as early
stage clinical trials on a new cholesterol drug have commenced. The payment
marks the first milestone met by Avanir in an agreement made between the two
companies in July last year to develop and commercialise Reverse Cholesterol
Transport (RCT) enhancing compounds for the treatment of cardiovascular
disease.
Alcoholics benefit from
alcohol-deterrent drugs
Posted: 04/01/2006
Alcohol-deterrent
drugs do work and could be used to help recovering alcoholics in the UK,
according to a new study. A German study of the relapse rate among alcoholics
found that those treated with alcohol deterrents (ADs) such as disulfiram and
calcium carbimide had significantly higher long-term abstinence rates.
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
collaborates with Trubion
Posted: 04/01/2006
Wyeth
Pharmaceuticals is to form a strategic alliance with Trubion Pharmaceuticals.
The aim of the collaboration is to develop and commercialise new
biopharmaceutical products to treat inflammatory disease and cancer using
Trubion's Small Modular Immunopharmaceutical (SMIP) technology.
Shire Pharmaceuticals
receives good FDA feedback for ADHD treatment
Posted:
04/01/2006
Shire Pharmaceuticals has received an approvable letter from
the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment Daytrana. The letter contained proposed
labelling, as well as requests for data clarification, post-marketing
surveillance, and post-marketing studies for the transdermal patch Daytrana
(methylphenidate transdermal system).
Novartis
Pharmaceuticals and Idenix submit Hepatitis B treatment to FDA
Posted:
04/01/2006
Novartis Pharmaceuticals and Idenix Pharmaceuticals have
jointly submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) for the chronic hepatitis B treatment telbivudine.
Novartis, through its affiliate Novartis Pharma AG, is expected to make further
applications in the European Union and key Asian markets in the first quarter
of this year.
Bayer buys
GlaxoSmithKline's Pritor business
Posted: 04/01/2006
Bayer is to
buy GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) European business for Boehringer Ingelheim's blood
pressure treatment Telmisartan (Pritor and PritorPlus). The sum paid to GSK has
not been disclosed but Bayer has stated the business had an annual turnover of
around 65 million euros in 2005.
Bristol-Myers Squibb gets
thumbs up for Orencia
Posted: 03/01/2006
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
has announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved
Orencia (abatacept).
GlaxoSmithKline announces
board changes
Posted: 03/01/2006
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has
announced that from the beginning of this year there will be two new
non-executive directors on its board. Dr Ralph Horwitz, dean of the School of
Medicine at Western Reserve University, Ohio, and Tom de Swaan currently Chief
Financial Officer and member of the management board of ABN AMRO, will be
joining the board.
AstraZeneca submits Seroquel for FDA
approval
Posted: 03/01/2006
AstraZeneca filed an application to
the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to gain approval of its drug
Seroquel, which will make the drug a world first. Seroquel is currently
approved for the treatment of acute manic episodes associated with bipolar I
disorder and the treatment of schizophrenia, but the company is now seeking
approval for its use for treating patients with depressive episodes associated
with bipolar disorder.
Pfizer's Viagra helps to save lives
of newborns
Posted: 03/01/2006
The drug Viagra has been used to
help ill newborn babies suffering from pulmonary hypertension, which leads to
"blue baby" syndrome. Scotland on Sunday reports that consultants at Glasgow's
Yorkhill Children's Hospital used the drug on a small number of babies
suffering from the condition that affects the flow of blood to the lungs.
Patient
choice comes into force
Posted: 03/01/2006
This week heralds a
"revolution" in the NHS, as patients are able to choose where they obtain
healthcare and treatment. As from January 1, NHS patients have been offered the
choice between four centres for treatment, a move hailed as revolutionary by
health minister Patricia Hewitt.
Merck KGaA drops Pegasus
project
Posted: 03/01/2006
Merck KGaA has announced it has
dropped its plan to make acquisitions in its chemical division. The plan, known
as Pegasus, was dropped because a major acquisition was thought to be too
expensive.
Archive: 12/05
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