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WHO: Coronavirus – “Threat to the World”
May 30, 2013 8:51 am | Videos | Comments
The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling the coronovirus or the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus a threat to the world as the virus has many unknown factors and has killed approximately 55 percent of those infected. Cases have been reported in the Middle East and have spread to parts of Europe.
Elan Holders OK Buyback, Vote Down Three Deals
June 17, 2013 8:43 am | News | Comments
Shareholders of Irish drugmaker Elan Corp. PLC have potentially ended a...
Elan Holders OK Buyback, Vote Down Three Deals
June 17, 2013 8:43 am | News | Comments
Shareholders of Irish drugmaker Elan Corp. PLC have potentially ended a...
First Step to Fight TB: Fix Drug Shortage
June 6, 2013 8:51 am | Videos | Comments
The United States, India and other nations around the world are facing a shortage of...
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Bristol-Myers Squibb and Simcere Enter Partnership to Co-Develop and Co-Commercialize Orencia(R) SC (abatacept) in China
June 14, 2013 8:25 am | News | CommentsBristol-Myers Squibb Company and Simcere Pharmaceutical Group, a leading pharmaceutical company in China, today announced that the companies have expanded their strategic relationship formed in 2010. The companies have agreed to collaborate in China on the development and commercialization of the subcutaneous (SC) formulation of Bristol-Myers Squibb's biologic medicine, Orencia, for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Apricus impotence drug approved in 10 countries
June 10, 2013 12:45 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsApricus Biosciences Inc. said Monday that its impotence drug Vitaros has been approved in 10 European countries. The company said Vitaros is now approved in the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, and the U.K., among other countries, for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Apricus sought...
Bayer Completes Offer for Conceptus Shares
June 5, 2013 7:54 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsBayer AG has acquired a majority stake in birth control maker Conceptus Inc. and expects its $1.1 billion purchase of the California company to be completed soon. Bayer said Wednesday that more than 96 percent of the company's outstanding shares were validly tendered and not withdrawn during an offer period that expired Tuesday.
Aegerion Gets EU Vote on Cholesterol Disorder Drug
May 31, 2013 10:10 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsAegerion Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Friday that a European Union advisory panel recommended its drug Lojuxta be approved as a treatment for a rare inherited disease that causes extremely high levels of bad cholesterol. Regulators are expected to make a decision on the drug during the third...
EMA Recommends Restricting Trobalt to Last-Line Therapy in Partial Epilepsy
May 31, 2013 8:29 am | News | CommentsThe EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended restricting the use of the anti-epileptic medicine Trobalt (retigabine) only to those patients for whom other anti-epileptic medicines have proved inadequate or have not been tolerated.
EMA Recommends Approval of Pomalidomide for the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma
May 31, 2013 8:20 am | News | CommentsThe European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended marketing authorization for Pomalidomide Celgene (pomalidomide) to treat patients with multiple myeloma. Multiple myeloma is a rare and incurable cancer of the bone marrow that primarily affects older adults. In Europe, approximately 27,800 new cases are diagnosed each year.
GlaxoSmithKline Buys Vaccine Developer Okairos
May 29, 2013 4:10 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsBritish drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline PLC said Wednesday that it will buy Okairos AG for about $323 million, gaining the Swiss vaccine developer's products. GlaxoSmithKline said Okairos is studying vaccine technology that could be used in shots that can both prevent and cure infections or diseases....
Chinese Fake Drugs Threaten Fight Against Malaria
May 29, 2013 8:30 am | Videos | CommentsCounterfeit drugs shipped from China are threatening to undermine years of progress in tackling malaria in Africa. A Wall Street Journal investigation followed the route of drugs from China to Angola. The packaging of the counterfeit drugs is virtually indistinguishable from the real products.
Sinovac Beijing Obtains China GMP Certificate Under the New GMP Guidelines
May 24, 2013 8:26 am | News | CommentsSinovac Biotech Ltd. a provider of biopharmaceutical products in China, announced that Sinovac Beijing, the main operating subsidiary company of Sinovac, obtained the Certificate of Good Manufacturing Practices for Pharmaceutical Products (GMP Certificate) from the China State and Food Administration (CFDA) for its proprietary vaccines, its Haidian district bulk production plants, and its Changping filing and packaging facility.
Amag Slumps on Ferahame Recall in Switzerland
May 23, 2013 8:43 am | News | CommentsAmag said its partner Takeda Pharmaceutical is taking a batch of the drug off the market in Switzerland. Amag said four patients experienced severe allergic reactions to the drug, and one of those patients died. That batch was sold only in Switzerland, and the recall doesn't affect any other countries.
French Drugmaker on Trial, Suspected in Deaths
May 21, 2013 2:51 pm | News | CommentsThe makers of a diabetes and weight loss drug suspected in the deaths of hundreds of people went on trial Tuesday, facing charges they misled the public about the product's safety. But after years of delays in one of France's biggest recent health scandals, the proceedings could still be pushed back further.
Novo A/S acquires Xellia Pharmaceuticals for $700 million
May 21, 2013 8:03 am | News | CommentsXellia Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical group focusing on the development, manufacturing and global commercialization of anti-infective therapies, announced today that Novo A/S, the holding company of the Novo Group, has purchased all shares of the group for approximately US$ 700 million from 3i and other current shareholders.
Measles Surges in UK Years after Vaccine Scare
May 20, 2013 8:30 am | by MARIA CHENG,AP Medical Writer | News | CommentsMore than a decade ago, British parents refused to give measles shots to at least a million children because of a vaccine scare that raised the specter of autism. Now, health officials are scrambling to catch up and stop a growing epidemic of the contagious disease.
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.
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.
Ranbaxy Agrees to $500M Penalty
May 13, 2013 3:25 pm | by ERIC TUCKER,Associated Press | News | CommentsA subsidiary of India's largest pharmaceutical company has agreed to pay $500 million in fines and civil penalties for selling adulterated drugs and lying about tests of the medications to federal regulators, the U.S. Justice Department said Monday.
Drugmakers, Health Groups Bring Poor Girls Vaccine
May 9, 2013 7:58 am | by LINDA A. JOHNSON,AP Business Writer | News | CommentsTwo multinational drugmakers are teaming up with top global health groups to protect millions of girls in the world's poorest countries from deadly cervical cancer. Starting with pilot programs in eight Asian and African nations, the ambitious project ultimately is intended to inoculate more than 30 million girls in more than 40 countries by 2020.
Huahai and Oncobiologics Create Broad Biosimilars Partnership
May 8, 2013 9:34 am | News | CommentsOncobiologics, Inc. announced today that Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd and Oncobiologics have signed an alliance agreement for the development, manufacture and commercialization of biosimilar monoclonal antibody products. The scope of the agreement includes exclusive commercialization by Huahai of four biosimilars developed by Oncobiologics and manufactured in China at a Huahai biologics facility for the China market
Astellas and Drais Partner to Develop Third Astellas Compound Through Tacurion
May 7, 2013 8:04 am | News | CommentsAstellas Pharma and Drais Pharmaceuticals today announced that they have entered into a third partnership in the past year to develop and commercialize an Astellas compound. Astellas will license ASP7035, of which a phase I study has been completed and is a phase IIa-ready, vasopressin V2 receptor selective agonist for the treatment of nocturia, to Tacurion Pharma, Inc., a virtual company that will be operated by the Drais executive team.
Covidien Provides Sales Targets for Pharma Spinoff
May 6, 2013 8:32 am | News | CommentsCovidien PLC on Friday provided further details on its business following the planned spinoff of Mallinckrodt, its pharmaceuticals unit. The Irish company expects to complete the spinoff after the close of trading on June 28. It said revenue from its remaining businesses, which sell medical devices and supplies, will grow by 4 or 5 percent in the current fiscal year.
Oxford BioMedica Announces Lentiviral Vector Collaboration
May 1, 2013 9:43 am | News | CommentsOxford BioMedica, the leading gene-based biopharmaceutical company, announces that it has signed an agreement with Novartis to manufacture clinical grade material utilising Oxford BioMedica’s LentiVector® gene delivery technology. Oxford BioMedica will also provide certain process development services and expects to receive between £2.5 million and £4 million from Novartis over the next 12 months.
Bayer to Pay $1.1B for California Firm Conceptus
April 29, 2013 7:59 am | News | CommentsBayer AG says it has agreed to buy California-based Conceptus for around $1.1 billion to expand the kinds of birth control it offers. Bayer said Monday it would launch a public offer to pay $31.00 per share for all the stock in Conceptus, Inc., which is based in Mountain View.
European Regulators Reject Pfizer Arthritis Drug
April 25, 2013 5:00 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsPfizer Inc. said Thursday that the European Union's committee of medical experts has rejected the company's drug Xeljanz for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The European Medicines Agency committee recommended against approving the drug because its benefits did not sufficiently outweigh its...
Measles Epidemic Raging in Swansea England
April 25, 2013 3:12 pm | Videos | CommentsWith a current measles epidemic raging in Swansea England, health officials in England have launched a campaign to immunize a million children, aged 10-16, as they warn further measles outbreaks could occur anywhere. The total number of measles cases in Swansea is 942.
H7N9 Spreads Outside China
April 25, 2013 2:47 pm | Videos | CommentsHealth authorities in Taiwan discovered its first case of H7N9 bird flu on Wednesday in a 53-year-old Taiwanese man who traveled back from a visit to China. Nearly 108 cases of them at least 22 of those people infected died as a result of the disease.
