Strategies & Technologies Driving Drug Discovery to Market
Lilly CEO Going Under the Knife
May 6, 2013 5:00 pm | News | CommentsDrugmaker Eli Lilly & Co. said that President, CEO and Chairman John Lechleiter will undergo surgery for a dilated aorta. The company said the condition was discovered during unrelated testing and Lechleiter has not experienced any symptoms.
Merck Pushes Its Consumer Products
May 6, 2013 1:24 pm | News | CommentsMerck & Co., the third-largest drugmaker, has been hurt by new generic competition like many other drugmakers, particularly for its top-selling asthma drug, Singulair. To offset that, Merck has been playing up its consumer-product division with a new ad campaign focusing on active families.
Cell Therapy Cures Epilepsy
May 6, 2013 11:00 am | News | CommentsScientists have controlled seizures in epileptic mice with a one-time transplantation of medial ganglionic eminence cells, which inhibit signaling in overactive nerve circuits, into the hippocampus, a brain region associated with seizures, as well as with learning and memory.
Pfizer Makes Move Towards Online Sales
May 6, 2013 3:20 am | by Linda A. Johnson | News | CommentsMen who are bashful about needing help in the bedroom no longer have to go to the drugstore to buy that little blue pill. In a first for the drug industry, Pfizer Inc. announced that it will begin selling its popular erectile dysfunction pill Viagra directly to patients on its website.
FDA Approves Merck's Liptruzet
May 3, 2013 5:56 pm | News | CommentsMerck & Co. said that it received U.S. Food and Drug Administration marketing approval for the new combination cholesterol drug Liptruzet, which combines the company's drug Zetia with a generic version of the mega-blockbuster drug Lipitor.
Sustiva OK'd for Younger Patients
May 3, 2013 5:51 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsBristol-Myers Squibb Co. said that U.S. regulators expanded approval of its HIV drug Sustiva to children as young as three months old and as light as 7.7 pounds. The capsule-based drug was first approved in 1998 to treat HIV-infected children who are age three and older and weigh at least 22 pounds.
Positive Results Buoy Gilead
May 3, 2013 4:55 pm | News | CommentsGilead reported its first-quarter results and new trial data for two of its experimental hepatitis C drugs. Gilead said its net income climbed on lower costs and greater sales of its new HIV drugs Complera and Stribild. Sales of its heart drug Letairis and angina treatment Ranexa also improved.
Arena Withdraws Belviq Application
May 3, 2013 7:32 am | News | CommentsDrug developer Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that it is withdrawing its application for approval of the weight loss drug Belviq in Europe. The San Diego company also said that it is still waiting for a U.S. decision on the status of the drug.
Actavis Posts 1Q Loss
May 2, 2013 1:26 pm | News | CommentsGeneric drugmaker Actavis Inc. took a loss in the first quarter on costs related to acquisitions. Actavis combined with Watson Pharmaceuticals in October, and in January the company acquired Belgian drug developer Uteron Pharma to expand its women's health business.
Teva Q1 Profit Sinks 27%
May 2, 2013 10:14 am | News | CommentsTeva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.'s first-quarter earnings fell 27%, as generic competition, a weaker Japanese yen and other factors dragged down revenue for one of the world's largest generic drugmakers. The company's U.S. sales of Provigil plunged 92% in the quarter.
Sanofi Earnings Slashed In Q1
May 2, 2013 2:52 am | News | CommentsFrench drug maker Sanofi said its net profit was slashed in the first quarter from a year earlier as falling sales and patent losses on key drugs combined to hammer earnings. Sanofi's net profit was $1.3 billion in the January-March quarter, down 45% from a year earlier.
Costs Increases Hit Pharmacyclics
May 1, 2013 6:37 pm | News | CommentsPharmacyclics Inc. had a bigger loss in the first quarter as its costs increased. Pharmacyclics said costs increased with the timing of stock option grants, growth in its share price, and hiring employees. The company is developing the cancer drug ibrutinib with a unit of Johnson & Johnson.
Companion Diagnostics Keep Drug Development on Schedule
May 1, 2013 4:04 pm | by Sarah Ray, Research Analyst; Cutting Edge Information, Durham, N.C. | Articles | CommentsCompanion diagnostic tools allow companies to increase their chances of drug approval by targeting the right patients early. Developing the strategy, timing, and resources necessary for companion diagnostics success begins with understanding the mechanisms that successful companies use to build their programs.
Allergan Pushes Back Eye Drug Trial
May 1, 2013 3:08 pm | News | CommentsAllergan executives announced that are delaying late-stage testing of an experimental eye treatment by one to two years. Allergan was previously expected to launch a study of DARP-in, an experimental drug for macular degeneration, by late 2013.
Hospira Takes 1Q Loss
May 1, 2013 2:58 pm | News | CommentsHospira Inc. took a loss in the first quarter after it decided to take some of its older infusion pumps and devices off the market. Hospira will retire older products like its Symbiq infusion device, GemStar pumps, and some of its Plum and PCA pumps.
