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India Announces Low-Cost Rotavirus Vaccine
May 15, 2013 8:13 am | by RAVI NESSMAN,Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Indian government announced Tuesday the development of a new low-cost vaccine proven effective against a diarrhea-causing virus that is one of the leading causes of childhood deaths across the developing world.The Indian manufacturer of the new rotavirus vaccine pledged to sell it for $1 a dose, a significant discount from the cost of the current vaccines on the market.
Merck Serono and Quintiles Announce Clinical Development Partnership
May 15, 2013 8:06 am | News | CommentsMerck Serono, a division of Merck, Darmstadt, Germany, and Quintiles, a provider of biopharmaceutical development and commercial outsourcing services, today announced a new, five-year clinical development agreement. This strategic collaboration is the first-of-its-kind between a biopharmaceutical company and a biopharmaceutical services provider.
Moody's Lowers Merck's Long-Term Debt Rating
May 14, 2013 6:11 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsMoody's Investors Service on Tuesday lowered the long-term debt ratings of drug maker Merck & Co. The rating agency put Merck on review for downgrade at the beginning of May following the company's plans to buy back about $7.5 billion worth of its shares over the next 12 months. Those...
Hospira's Former Chief Scientific Officer Returns
May 14, 2013 1:58 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsDrug and medical device maker Hospira Inc. said Tuesday that Dr. Sumant Ramachandra was coming back as senior vice president and chief scientific officer, just two months after he had left the company. Ramachandra, 44, had left Hospira in March to be president of research and development at...
Optical Inspection System
May 14, 2013 12:06 pm | Product Releases | CommentsVeriSym SE is a new high-performance optical inspection system designed to verify softgels continuously, in-line after a single encapsulator or off-line in a batch mode. It inspects up to 200,000 softgels per hour within its compact footprint.
AbbVie and Alvine to Collaborate on Investigational Oral Therapy for Celiac Disease
May 14, 2013 9:43 am | News | CommentsAbbVie and Alvine Pharmaceuticals, a leader in celiac disease therapeutics development, announced today that they have entered into a global collaboration to develop a novel oral treatment for patients with celiac disease, currently in Phase 2 development.
Two New Viruses Threaten Global Outbreaks
May 14, 2013 9:38 am | Videos | CommentsHealth officials are getting worried that two new viruses could spread around the world. One is a new strain of Bird Flu in China and the other has spread through the Middle East to France and Britain. The viruses are blamed for at least 50 deaths.
Sanofi Fined for 'Smear Campaign' Against Generic Plavix
May 14, 2013 9:29 am | by Matthew Dennis | News | CommentsFrance's antitrust authority on Tuesday fined Sanofi 40.6 million euros ($52.6 million) for a "smear campaign" designed to limit sales of generic versions of Plavix. The ruling on the drug, which last year generated global sales of nearly 2.1 billion euros ($2.7 billion), follows a complaint by Teva.
Astellas to Close Some US Units
May 14, 2013 9:24 am | by Matthew Dennis | News | CommentsAstellas announced Tuesday a restructuring of its R&D operations including the closure of its OSI Pharmaceuticals and Perseid Therapeutics units in the US. The company, which said the move is designed to "further enhance the ability to generate innovative drugs," also noted that activities at its Astellas Research Institute of America will be scaled back to focus on CNS therapies.
ADCETRIS Supplemental BLA Accepted for Filing by the FDA
May 14, 2013 9:19 am | News | CommentsSeattle Genetics, Inc. announced that the FDA has accepted for filing a supplement to the Biologics License Application supporting the use of ADCETRIS for retreatment and extended duration beyond 16 cycles of therapy in relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma and systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma.
Hospitals Could Lose $500M in Federal Funds
May 14, 2013 9:11 am | by KELLI KENNEDY, Associated Press | News | CommentsHospitals nationwide could lose half a billion dollars in federal funding for uninsured patients next year under the national health overhaul — a loss that will hit especially hard in states that decided against expanding Medicaid coverage. Cuts could jump to $4 billion in 2020, according to estimates released Monday by federal health officials.
Higher Prices for MS Drug Help Merck
May 14, 2013 5:46 am | by DAVID McHUGH, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsHigher prices for its multiple sclerosis drug Rebif helped German pharmaceutical and high-tech materials company Merck KGaA post a 54 percent rise in first-quarter profit. Merck also saw stronger sales of materials for liquid-crystal displays and raised its profit forecast.
Why You Shouldn't Treat Kids' Colds With Drugs
May 13, 2013 5:25 pm | by Wall Street Journal | Videos | CommentsMany parents are still using cold medications for their young children despite warnings against the practice. Anna Mathews and Emory University pediatric emergency medicine fellow Sarah Lazarus join Lunch Break with a look at the latest research.
Liquid Handling Pumps
May 13, 2013 4:05 pm | Product Releases | CommentsModel M6 and M50 liquid handling pumps are a new generation of pumps for precision handling of liquids and/or gases, producing a bidirectional pulseless flow with a range of over six orders of magnitude. A replacement for syringe pumps, the Cheminert pumps eliminate the need for refill cycles and syringe changes.
Hospital to Probe East German Medical Trials
May 13, 2013 3:44 pm | by FRANK JORDANS,Associated Press | News | CommentsBerlin's renowned Charite hospital said Monday it plans to investigate allegations that patients in communist East Germany were used as unwitting guinea pigs in medical trials for Western drug companies. Claims that the dictatorship allowed tests that would have been considered unethical or even illegal in the West were first made shortly after German reunification in 1990, but no wrongdoing was found at the time.
