25 May 2013
15 May 2013
US and European hematological oncologists surveyed by health care advisory firm Decision Resources indicate that overall survival is the factor that most influences their prescribing decisions for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, and that increased overall survival is associated with the highest level of unmet need.
15 May 2013
The US Food and Drug Administration late yesterday (May 14) approved Swiss drug major Roche (ROG: SIX) subsidiary Genentech's cobas EGFR Mutation Test, a companion diagnostic for their cancer drug Tarceva (erlotinib). This is the first FDA-approved companion diagnostic that detects epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutations, which are present in approximately 10% of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC), the regulatory agency noted.
15 May 2013
Japanese drug major Astellas Pharma (TYO: 4503) has announced plans to reshape its research framework by introducing new initiatives to further enhance the ability to generate innovative drugs.
15 May 2013
US drugmaker AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) and privately-held Alvine Pharmaceuticals, a leader in celiac disease therapeutics development, have entered into a global collaboration to develop a novel oral treatment for patients with celiac disease, currently in Phase II development.
14 May 2013
The Australian government today (May 14) presented its Budget for 2013-2014, saying that it delivers A$43 billion ($43 billion) in savings to return the budget to surplus and fund key nation-building reforms.
14 May 2013
Denmark and USA-based contract manufacturers CMC Biologics has entered into an agreement with China's RuiYi to develop a cell line for RYI-008, a novel anti-inteleukin-6 monoclonal antibody. CMC Biologics' proprietary CHEF1 high-productivity expression plasmid will be utilized for the cell line development to optimize cell growth, and consistent, high-level protein expression in a rapid time frame. Specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
14 May 2013
French biotech firm Vivalis (Euronext: VLS) previously-announced acquisition of Intercell (ICEL.VI) in a deal valuing the Austrian vaccine maker at around 133 million euros ($174 million), and creating an enlarged entity in the European biotechnology sector under the name of Valneva, with stock market listings in Paris and Vienna (The Pharma Letter December 18, 2012) has reached the final step for closing the deal, which is described as a merger of equals, by filing of the relevant documents with the companies' register at the Commercial Court of Lyon, the French firm says.
14 May 2013
Dr Reddy's Laboratories (NYSE: RDY), India's second largest drugmaker, has announced its audited consolidated financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended March 31, 2013, showing that consolidated revenues for the year were 116.3 billion rupees ($2.13 billion), recording year-on-year growth of 20%. Excluding the beneficial impact of olanzapine (Eli Lilly's antipsychotic drug Zyprexa) exclusivity in fiscal 2012, sales registered year-on-year growth of 26%.
14 May 2013
Governments that opt for prescription drug bulk-purchasing agreements can save taxpayers money but at the risk of reducing patient health by limiting access to optimal medicines, concludes a new report from the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
14 May 2013
As negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) restart in Lima, Peru, tomorrow (May 15), countries must prioritize fixing critical flaws in the agreement that could leave millions of people in developing countries with limited access to affordable generic medicines, international medical humanitarian organization Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said today.