Article Listing - Herceptin shows "unprecendented" stomach cancer efficacy
Royalty Pharma hikes offer for Elan to $13 a share, plus CVR of up to $2.50
10 June 2013
Ireland-based Elan Corp (NYSE: ELN) saw its shares to 5.3% to $13.35 by mid morning last Friday (June 7), when hostile bidder Royalty Pharma said that it was increasing its offer for the Irish company) to $13.00 per share in cash plus a contingent value right (CVR) worth up to $2.50 per share, up from the earlier May raised offer of $12.50, that Elan's board rejected as grossly inadequate, but considerably higher than the original $11 proposed in February (The Pharma Letters passim).
Gilead gains FDA priority review for hep C candidate sofosbuvir; new data on Boehringer's faldaprevir
10 June 2013
US biotech firm Gilead Sciences (Nasdaq: GILD) revealed on Friday (June 7) that the US Food and Drug Administration has granted priority review to the company's New Drug Application for sofosbuvir, a once-daily oral nucleotide analogue inhibitor for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
EU Pharma leaders call for right balance between health care budget and economic growth objectives
10 June 2013
The Executive Committee of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), representing RD based drugmakers, met in Paris, France, last week, for discussions focused on how the industry can best respond to the financial crisis in a spirit of partnership with European governments, while striking the right balance between the objectives of securing rapid patient access to innovative medicines, controlling public health expenditure and preserving a stable, predictable and attractive environment for research and manufacturing investments.
UK's NICE plans to recommend Abilify for children with bipolar disorder
10 June 2013
UK drugs watch dog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued new draft guidance proposing to recommend Abilify (aripiprazole), from Japanese drugmaker Otsuka Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4578) and Danish partner Lundbeck (LUND: DC), for treating moderate to severe manic episodes in adolescents aged 13 and older with bipolar I disorder.
Arena/Eisai's Belviq at last to launch in the USA
7 June 2013
USA-based Arena Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ARNA) says that its long-awaited weight loss drug Belviq (lorcaserin) will finally become available to US patients on June 11, on prescription via pharmacies. The US subsidiary of Japanese drug major Eisai (TYO: 4523) is responsible for the marketing and distribution of Belviq.
Valneva to sell French CMO operations to India's Biological E
7 June 2013
Biotech firm Valneva (Euronext: VLA), the company recently created through the merger of France's Vivalis and Austria's Intercell (The Pharma Letter May 14) (Valneva), says it has signed a binding term sheet to sell its Clinical Manufacturing Operations (CMO) in Nantes, France, to Biological E, an Indian biopharmaceutical company.
Shire's Elvanse shows significantly faster response in ADHD symptoms than Strattera
7 June 2013
Ireland-headquartered Shire (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPG) presented positive scientific data comparing the efficacy and safety of the attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatments lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX; Elan's Elvanse)) and atomoxetine (ATX; Eli Lilly's Strattera) at the 4th World Congress on ADHD, Milan, Italy.
Life Sciences IPOs have biggest month - May - in 13 years, reports Burrill
7 June 2013
A total of eight life sciences companies went public on US exchanges in May, the busiest month for initial public offerings in the sector since August 2000 when 16 issues debuted, global life sciences financial services firm Burrill & Co reported.
CytomX signs up to $635 million oncology deal with Pfizer
7 June 2013
US biotech firm CytomX Therapeutics, which is developing a new generation of targeted antibody therapeutics, has entered into a global strategic collaboration with global pharma behemoth Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) to develop and commercialize multiple Probody-Drug Conjugates (PDCs) that could provide the smaller company with as much as $635 million in upfront and milestone payments.
Endo Health to slash workforce, view options for HealthTronics and branded pharma unit
7 June 2013
USA-based Endo Health Solutions (Nasdaq: ENDP) has outlined the strategic, operational and organizational steps it is taking to refocus the company and drive shareholder value. These actions are the result of a comprehensive assessment of Endo's strengths and challenges, its cost structure and execution capabilities, and its most promising opportunities to drive future cash flow and earnings growth.
- InSite Vision joins Merck & Co and Pfizer in patent infringement law suit against
- Osteoporosis drug bazedoxifene stops growth of breast cancer cells, even in resistant tumors
- Highlights of EHA meeting: Novartis' Jakavi; Bristol-Myers and AbbVie's elotuzumab; Janssen's ibrutinib
- Additional indications in Japan for Roche's Avastin and Astellas' Prograf
- US Supreme Court says patent settlement can "sometimes" be illegal
