Article Listing - Almirall gains rights for IBS drug linaclotide in Mexico
AOP Orphan spins off stake in Activartis as Elan shareholders vote down acquisition
18 June 2013
In the wake of yesterday's shareholders vote against Irish drugmaker Elan Corp's (NYSE: ELN) planned $340 million acquisition of Austrian firm AOP Orphan (The Pharma Letter June 18), the latter announced the spinoff of its 80 % stake in Activartis GmbH, a Vienna-based biotech company with a strong platform for immune-based cancer vaccines, to a group of private investors.
US FDA accepts Ruconest filing from Santarus and Pharming
18 June 2013
US drugmaker Santarus (Nasdaq: SNTS) and Netherlands-based Pharming Group (NYSE Euronext: PHARM) say that the US Food and Drug Administration has accepted for filing the Biologics License Application for the investigational drug Ruconest (recombinant human C1 esterase inhibitor) 50IU/kg. Ruconest is approved in Europe for the treatment of acute angioedema attacks in patients with HAE.
Australia's pharma industry applauds R&D regulatory reform
18 June 2013
R&D-based pharma trade group Medicines Australia today (June 18) welcomed the coalition government's announcements that it will reduce red tape, protect medical research funding and provide policy certainty in medical research.
New long term biotech research cooperation deal signed by Brazil and UK
18 June 2013
The British Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) have signed a Letter of Understanding to implement a new cooperation program to extend the long-term collaboration between the parties. Steve Visscher, deputy chief executive, signed for the BBSRC while CNPq was represented by its president, Glaucius Oliva.
US Supreme Court says patent settlement can "sometimes" be illegal
18 June 2013
In a long awaited ruling in the USA, the US Supreme Court yesterday (June 17) ruled in the patent settlement litigation - or "pay-for-delay" case, in the case of Federal Trade Commission v Actavis Inc, voting by five to three that the FTC has the right to challenge such deals by brand-name drugmakers with generics companies, which are said to delay the advent of cheaper copy medicines coming to market, a situation long refuted by the originator companies, which claim that these accords actually speed the arrivals of generics.
Johnson & Johnson in deal to buy Aragon Pharma for up to $1 billion
18 June 2013
US health care giant Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Aragon Pharmaceuticals, a privately-held, pharmaceutical discovery and development company focused on drugs to treat hormonally-driven cancers, which is expected to enhance J&J's prostate cancer drug-development business.
Teva to expand respiratory business with up to $165 million acquisition of MicroDose Therapeutx
18 June 2013
Israel-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE: TEVA) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire MicroDose Therapeutx, a privately-held pharmaceutical and drug delivery company focused on inhalation technologies and products for lung diseases and infections with the potential to dramatically improve efficacy and patient compliance.
Perrigo acquires ophthalmic portfolio from Fera Pharma for initial $93 million
18 June 2013
Generic drugmaker Perrigo (NYSE: PRGO) says it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire and has completed the acquisition of an ophthalmic sterile ointment and solution Abbreviated New Drug Application product portfolio from fellow USA-based privately held Fera Pharmaceuticals.
Royalty Pharma hostile bid lapses as Elan shareholders vote for share repurchase but not Theravance, AOP or ELND005 deals
17 June 2013
At the company's Extraordinary General Meeting held earlier today (June 17), shareholders of Ireland-based drugmaker Elan Corp (NYSE:ELN) approved the planned $200 million share repurchase program. However, they did not approve the $1 billion royalty deal with Theravance, the $340 million AOP Orphan acquisition or the ELND005 transaction (The Pharma Letters passim). Importantly, under the conditions of Royalty Pharma's increased hostile takeover terms, as shareholders voted to approve even one of the transactions, the US private equity firm's $6.7 billion offer has now lapsed (been withdrawn), unless it succeeds in a legal challenge.
InSite Vision joins Merck & Co and Pfizer in patent infringement law suit against
17 June 2013
InSite Vision (OTC BB: INSV) that it will US pharma giants join Merck & CO (NYSE: MRK) and Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) in filing a patent infringement law suit against generic drugmaker Mylan (Nasdaq: MYL).
- Takeda debuts three new diabetes drugs, Nesina, Kazano and Oseni, in USA
- Aspen Pharma offers to buy GlaxoSmithKline's thrombosis brands and manufacturing site
- Athera and Boehringer Ingelheim enter option agreement on a novel therapy for atherosclerosis
- It's official: "obesity is a disease," says AMA
- Mixed results for AstraZeneca/B-MS' Onglyza; Newron's safinamide does well in PD
