Article Listing - Pharmaceutical
GlaxoSmithKline’s Avandia still available in UK, despite MHRA call for its suspension
7 September 2010
Despite an expert panel of the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) calling for its use to be suspended a couple of months ago, GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK: L) diabetes drug Avandia (rosiglitazone) is still available on the National Health Service, a BBC television program has revealed. The continued debate about the drug - along with criticism from the British Medical - Journal, caused GSK’s shares to fall 1.5% yesterday to £12.49, even before the program was aired.
Silence Thera receives takeover approach from unnamed drug firm
7 September 2010
UK-based drug developer Silence Therapeutics (AIM: SLN) saw its share price skyrocket 76% to 12.75 pence by close of London trading yesterday, after the firm revealed that it has received a takeover approach from an unnamed company.
European and international experts prepare for the evaluation of future nano-medicines
7 September 2010
The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) hosted the first international scientific workshop on nano-medicines on September 2-3. Some 200 European and international participants from 27 countries including Australia, Canada, India, Japan and the USA discussed benefits and challenges arising from the application of nanotechnologies to medicines. Participants included representatives from patients' organizations, health care professionals' organisations, academia, regulatory authorities and pharmaceutical industry.
Bausch & Lomb moves to acquire Miochol-E from Novartis as required by US competition authority
7 September 2010
In order to comply with US anti-trust requirements imposed by the Federal Trade Commission to complete its purchase of eye-care specialist Alcon (ACL), Swiss drug major Novartis (NOVN.VX, NVS) was told it had to make certain divestments (The Pharma Letter August 17), one of which was to sell its ophthalmic drug Miochol-E to Bausch & Lomb (NYSE: BOL), a competitor in the eye-care sector.
Pharma should make “the private public” to boost research, industry execs conclude
7 September 2010
Last week, executives from companies including AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and Roche met in Vienna, Austria, in a closed meeting to discuss the future of the pharmaceutical industry. Fears of layoffs at drugmakers are once again dominating the news - notably last week with Roche’s announcement of its “operational excellence” initiative (The Pharma Letter September 6), but could there be a less painful way to save money?
Israel relaxes restrictions on medical marijuana; scientists develop new HIV/AIDS treatment
7 September 2010
Israel’s Ministry of Health has authorized doctors from five of the country’s different hospitals to prescribe medical marijuana to patients suffering from cancer and chronic pain, reports the local Haaretz.com. According to a Ministry official quoted by the newspaper, in future, department managers in the Kupot Holim, the Israeli health maintenance organizations, will be able to prescribe medical marijuana to patients.
Swiss firm Helsinn opens new $16.7 million R&D center in Ireland
7 September 2010
Independent Swiss pharmaceutical group Helsinn last week officially opened its new “center of excellence” for R&D, in Mulhuddar, Co Dublin, Ireland, which involved an investment of 13 million euros ($16.7 million), and was supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.
Tough road ahead for some generics after USA’s Federal Circuit Patent Use Code decisions
7 September 2010
A recent report issued by Morgan Stanley, titled Pharmaceuticals - Potential Selective Upside for Industry post Prandin Ruling, predicts “increasing probability for the innovative pharmaceutical industry to successfully delay US generic approval of select innovative drugs” following a pair of rulings in Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO.N) versus Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories, handed down earlier this year by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit concerning Patent Use Codes (PUCs; The Pharma Letter July 12) and the Danish drugmaker’s product Prandin (repaglinide) tablets.
Weighted average drug price cuts of 20% for over 4,000 drugs enforced in Greece as of today
6 September 2010
The government in Greece last week released a new official list of drugs including more than 4,000 that have had their prices reduced in line with the new international reference-pricing system being introduced in the country (The Pharma Letters passim), reports the Greek newspaper Ta Nea, a translated version of which - and analysis - was posted on the web site of consultancy IHS Global Insight.
Pfizer returns worldwide rights to Celldex Thera’s rindopepimut brain tumor vaccine candidate
6 September 2010
Massachusetts, USA-based Celldex Therapeutics (Nasdaq: CLDX) saw its stock plummet 36% to $3.05 in pre-market trading on Friday, as it revealed that global drugs behemoth Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) had returned worldwide development and commercialization rights to the cancer vaccine rindopepimut (CDX-110), effective November 1, 2010.
- Pfizer returns worldwide rights to Celldex Thera’s rindopepimut brain tumor vaccine candidate
- India’s Natco challenges Celgene’s Revlimid patent in USA; new CFO named
- Roche plans job cuts, announcing Operational Excellence initiative
- US FDA makes label change on Pfizer’s Tygacil to reflect increased mortality risk
- Weighted average drug price cuts of 20% for over 4,000 drugs enforced in Greece as of today
