Article Listing - Roche To Produce Drugs And Vitamins In Shanghai
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).
Osteoporosis drug bazedoxifene stops growth of breast cancer cells, even in resistant tumors
17 June 2013
Bazedoxifene, a drug approved in some countries to treat osteoporosis, has now been shown to stop the growth of breast cancer cells, even in cancers that have become resistant to current targeted therapies, according to a Duke Cancer Institute study reported by EurekAlert.
Canadian govt move to plain language for drug labeling
17 June 2013
Canadian Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq has announced the launch of the Plain Language Labeling Initiative, which aims to improve the safe use of drugs by making drug labels and safety information easier to read and understand.
Eli Lilly exercises rights to diabetes drug candidate TT-401 from Transition Therapeutics
17 June 2013
Canada's Transition Therapeutics (TSX: TTH) announced this morning (June 17) that US drug major Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) has exercised its option to assume all development and commercialization rights to type 2 diabetes drug candidate TT-401, under their original deal signed in 2010 (The Pharma Letter March 4, 2010). In conjunction with this assumption of rights, Transition will receive a $7 million milestone payment.
Additional indications in Japan for Roche's Avastin and Astellas' Prograf
17 June 2013
Swiss drug major Roche (ROG: SIX) says that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has approved the firm's blockbuster cancer drug Avastin (bevacizumab) for the treatment of malignant glioma, including newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM) in combination with radiotherapy and temozolomide chemotherapy, and as monotherapy for treatment of recurrent GBM and certain other types of high grade glioma following prior therapy.
- Aspen Pharma offers to buy GlaxoSmithKline's thrombosis brands and manufacturing site
- FDA probes two deaths possibly linked to Lilly's antipsychotic Zyprexa Relprevv
- Athera and Boehringer Ingelheim enter option agreement on a novel therapy for atherosclerosis
- US Supreme Court says patent settlement can "sometimes" be illegal
- Actavis and Kissei file law suits against Sandoz and Hetero over Rapaflo patent
