Article Listing - Strong technology and sound strategy cement MorphoSys' future success
Bristol-Myers' data on Yervoy and nivolumab causes a stir
17 May 2013
Release of abstracts of presentations to be made at the forthcoming49th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting by US drug major Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY), notably extended follow-up from a Phase nivolumab study, results from Phase I nivolumab and Yervoy (ipilimumab; which was approved as a treatment for melanoma in 2011) combination study, and five-year survival data from four Phase II Yervoy studies, caused a great deal of excitement in the investment community.
Bayer to strengthen consumer business with Steigerwald acquisition
17 May 2013
Germany's Bayer (BAYN: DE) has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of Steigerwald Arzneimittelwerk GmbH, based in Darmstadt, a privately held pharmaceutical company specializing in pharmacy-only herbal medicines. Financial terms of the accord were not disclosed.
RuiYi and Genor BioPharma collaborate on development in China of RYI-008
17 May 2013
USA and China-based RuiYi says it has entered into an exclusive license and collaborative development agreement with Genor BioPharma for the development of RYI-008 in China. RYI-008 is a novel anti-Interleukin-6 monoclonal antibody with a unique pharmacologic profile that has the potential to define a new paradigm in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancer.
Merck KGaA ups commitment to MS Ventures to 100 million euros
16 May 2013
Germany's Merck KGaA says that it will increase its commitment to its strategic corporate venture capital fund MS Ventures to 100 million euros ($130 million). MS Ventures was originally established in March 2009 with a 40 million euros commitment to invest in emerging biotechnology companies.
Vifor gets certain rights to Helsinn's netupitant-palonosetron
16 May 2013
Privately-held Helsinn Healthcare and fellow Switzerland-based Vifor Pharma, part of the Galenica group (SIX: GALN), have entered into an exclusive license and distribution agreement for netupitant-palonosetron fixed dose combination (NEPA), a Helsinn product currently in the development stage for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV).
Improved voluntary harmonization procedure delivers significant benefits for multinational clinical trials in Europe
16 May 2013
The new Voluntary Harmonization Procedure (VHP), a voluntary procedure agreed by the Clinical Trials Facilitation Group (CTFG), a working group of the EU Heads of Medicines Agencies, provides a major breakthrough in getting a harmonized regulatory decision on a clinical trial to be performed in more than one European Union member state.
Australia's revised code to benefit ASX-listed life science companies
16 May 2013
Australia's Minister for Technology, Gordon Rich-Phillips, this week joined forces with the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and Australia's biotechnology industry association, AusBiotech, to launch a revised edition of the industry code of best practice that will support capital formation by ASX-listed life science companies.
Merck Serono Ph III trial of L-BLP25 fails endpoint in NSCLC
16 May 2013
Merck Serono, a division of Germany's Merck KGaA (MRK: DE), announced detailed results from the randomized Phase III START trial of its investigational MUC1 antigen-specific cancer immunotherapy L-BLP25 (formerly referred to as Stimuvax) in patients with unresectable, locally advanced Stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), showing the drug failed to meet its primary endpoint.
US FDA approves Janssen's Simponi to treat ulcerative colitis
16 May 2013
The US Food and Drug Administration late yesterday (May 15) approved a new use for Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) subsidiary Janssen Ortho Biotech's Simponi (golimumab) injection, to treat adults with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis.
Strong initial data on Genentech's obinutuzumab in most common blood cancer
16 May 2013
Genentech, the biotech subsidiary of Swiss drug major Roche Group (ROG: SIX), has announced positive first results from CLL11, a Phase III study of the investigational drug obinutuzumab (GA101), which is being conducted in collaboration with the German CLL Study Group (GCLLSG).
- Drug prices to plunge as Indian government announces plans to regulate rates of 652 medicines
- Elan makes "transformational" acquisitions and a divestment
- HIV vaccines: small biotech and government-funded organizations will step in where Big Pharma has fallen short, says analyst
- CIS countries prepare for the introduction of drug reimbursement schemes
- Greek research-based drugmaker group AIFD challenges generics assumptions in Draft Patent Law
