20 May 2013
10 May 2013
US GPCR ligand drug developer Trevena and Forest Laboratories (NYSE: FRX) have entered into a collaborative licensing option agreement for the development of TRV027, an AT1R biased-ligand that recently completed Phase IIa clinical trials. Trevena expects to commence a 500-patient multicenter Phase IIb clinical trial in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) by year end.
10 May 2013
USA-based Unigene Laboratories (PINK: UGNE) has entered into an equity transfer and exclusive license agreement with Nordic Bioscience, involving three proprietary metabolic peptide analogs for type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis developed as part of a joint development vehicle (JDV) established by both companies in October 2011.
10 May 2013
Japanese drug major Eisai's (TYO: 4523) antiepileptic drug (AED) Fycompa (perampanel), shows a clear therapeutic benefit in difficult-to-treat patients with partial epilepsy, according to the investigators of two new analyses on early clinical experience of perampanel, presented on May 9 at the joint meeting of the German and Austrian Societies for Epileptology and the Swiss League Against Epilepsy in Interlaken, Switzerland. Perampanel was approved for use in the Europe Union in July 2012 and is now prescribed in several European countries, including Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
9 May 2013
Total spending on US medicines fell 3.5 percent on a real per capita basis in 2012 and the use of health care services overall declined for the second consecutive year, according to a new study released today by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics.
9 May 2013
A new record low price for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines will help ensure millions of girls in developing countries can be protected against cervical cancer, thanks to the GAVI Alliance. The poorest countries will now have access to a sustainable supply of HPV vaccines for as low as $4.50 per dose. The same vaccines can cost more than $100 in developed countries and the previous lowest public sector price was $13 per dose.
9 May 2013
US specialty pharma company Cornerstone Therapeutics (Nasdaq: CRTX) has entered into an agreement with Digestive Care (DCI) to acquire exclusive US rights to market Pertzye (pancrelipase) for the treatment of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) due to cystic fibrosis (CF). Financial terms of the accord were not disclosed.
9 May 2013
Italian drugmaker Recordati (RC: MI) has reported an 11.4% rise to 244.6 million euros ($391.8 million) in consolidated revenue for the first quarter of 2013, with international sales growing 16.1%.
9 May 2013
US Senator Chuck Grassley (Republican, Iowa) is looking into how hospitals are using a discount prescription drug program, known as 340B. Certain hospitals appear to be making sizeable profits from the program at the expense of Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurance, he noted. Sen Grassley asked the federal agency in the charge of the program, the Health Resources and Services Administration, about its oversight of the program.
9 May 2013
Canada's Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq this week announced that Canada's Food and Drug Regulations have been amended to extend the requirements for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) used in medicines. These amendments will come into force in the fall of this year.
9 May 2013
Among a batch of Japanese drug majors presenting fiscal year 2013 (ended April 2013) financial results, Takeda Pharmaceuticals (TYO: 4502) reported 3.2% growth in revenues to 1,557.27 billion yen ($15.89 billion); operating profit decreased 53.8% to 122.51 billion yen; current profit fell 58.1% to 113.17 billion yen; and net income increased 5.7% to 131.24 billion yen, or 2,166.25 per share.