Pharma Business Week articles from February 2003

Pharma Business Week archives from February 2003

New drug application for Pegasys filed in Japan.
February 3, 2003... 2003 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a member of the Roche Group, announced that it has filed a new drug application (NDA) for Pegasys monotherapy (peginterferon alfa-2a), to treat chronic hepatitis C in...

Results published: Gene expression in biological models of tumor reversion.
February 3, 2003... 2003 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Lynx Therapeutics, Inc., (LYNX) and Molecular Engines Laboratories, S.A., (MEL) of Paris, France, announced the publication of a comprehensive study led by scientists at MEL on tumor reversion and the...

FDA accepts Istalol NDA.
February 3, 2003... 2003 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ista Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (Ista) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the filing by Senju Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., of a New Drug Application (NDA) for a unique...

Clinical, regulatory update provided on anticancer compound.
February 3, 2003... 2003 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genta Incorporated (GNTA) presented a clinical and regulatory update on its lead oncology product, Genasense (oblimersen sodium). Genasense is being evaluated in collaboration with Aventis (AVE) in...

Candidate for PAD didn't meet clinical expectations; vaccine update provided.
February 3, 2003... 2003 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- GenVec, Inc., (GNVC), a biopharmaceutical company developing gene-based medicines, announced top line findings from a phase II study with its product candidate for the treatment of poor blood flow in...

Former WebMD executive producer joins NewsRx.
February 3, 2003... 2003 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A former WebMD executive producer and medical editor has joined Atlanta-based NewsRx, along with three board-certified editors. Dominique Walton Brooks, MD, with WebMD until 2001, will serve as...

Drug discovery alliance announced.
February 3, 2003... 2003 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Evotec OAI AG (EVT) and Oxagen Limited announced that they have entered into an alliance to identify chemical compounds interacting with one of Oxagen's lead drug targets. In the search for new...

Parexel enters collaboration to co-market clinical trials services.
February 3, 2003... 2003 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Parexel International Corp. (PRXL), a biopharmaceutical outsourcing company, and Quest Diagnostics, Inc., (DGX), a provider of diagnostic testing, information, and services, announced a collaboration in...

FDA approves 20 new biotech products, 15 new indications.
February 3, 2003... 2003 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved 35 new biotechnology-based drugs and vaccines as well as new indications for previously approved products in 2002, up slightly from 2001, according...

Orphan Medical reiterates record 2002 revenue guidance, provides positive outlook.
February 3, 2003... 2003 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- In a presentation at the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, Orphan Medical, Inc., (ORPH) announced that revenue for the year ended December 31, 2002, would be near the high end of its guidance of...

SBIR grant to be used for development of drug toxicity predictor.
February 3, 2003... 2003 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genomatica, Inc. announced it has received a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Grant from the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop in silico...

Report: Pharmacogenomics market expected to nearly triple by 2008.
February 3, 2003... 2003 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Front Line Strategic Consulting, Inc., a management consulting and market research company for the life-sciences industries, announced a new strategic market report, "Pharmacogenomics: A Strategic...

Federal Appeals Court affirms infringement.
February 3, 2003... 2003 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Amgen (AMGN) announced that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the District Court's decision that TKT and Aventis infringe two of Amgen's patents relating to erythropoietin. ...

H. Joseph Reiser named president and CEO.
February 3, 2003... 2003 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Locus Discovery, Inc., a privately held pharmaceutical company focused on developing novel, small molecule therapeutics, announced that H. Joseph Reiser, PhD, has been appointed president and CEO and...

Global pharmaceutical company licenses IHCIS database.
February 3, 2003... 2003 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- IHCIS, a provider of healthcare information solutions, announced that GlaxoSmithKline has licensed the IHCIS Managed Care Benchmark Database to support a wide range of internal research efforts. ...

Acquisition of Meridian Medical Technologies completed.
February 3, 2003... 2003 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- King Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (KG) reported that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Meridian Medical Technologies, Inc., (MTEC). Pursuant to the terms of the acquisition,...

Xyrem oral solution recommended for orphan designation in Europe.
February 3, 2003... 2003 FEB 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Orphan Medical (ORPH) announced that the Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) has recommended orphan designation in Europe for Xyrem (sodium oxybate) oral solution for the treatment of...

Preclinical data published on how Panzem inhibits cell growth.
February 10, 2003... 2003 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- EntreMed, Inc., (ENMD) has published preclinical data on how its small molecule drug candidate Panzem inhibits the growth of tumor cells and blood vessel cells associated with disease. EntreMed...

FDA advisory panel gives positive review of Fabrazyme.
February 10, 2003... 2003 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genzyme General (GENZ), a division of Genzyme Corp., announced that it was encouraged by the outcome of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee meeting held to review its...

Avodart now available by prescription.
February 10, 2003... 2003 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- GlaxoSmithKline's new medicine, Avodart (dutasteride 0.5 mg) for symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in men with an enlarged prostate is now available for prescription in the U.S. ...

Schering-Plough announces E.U. approval of Caelyx.
February 10, 2003... 2003 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Schering-Plough Corp. (SGP) announced that the European Commission of the European Union (E.U.) has granted centralized marketing authorization to Caelyx (pegylated liposomal doxorubicin hydrochloride)...

Millennium initiates phase II clinical trial with Velcade.
February 10, 2003... 2003 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (MLNM) announced the initiation of a phase II clinical trial of Velcade in patients with stage IIIb (locally advanced) or stage IV (metastatic) non-small cell lung...

Clinical testing of allergy drug R112 begins.
February 10, 2003... 2003 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (RIGL) has initiated clinical testing in the United States for the company's first product, a drug to treat allergic rhinitis. The experimental compound, R112, is the...

Investors updated on company progress.
February 10, 2003... 2003 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- InterMune, Inc., (ITMN) announced that it expects total 2002 revenue to be at the upper end of its previously estimated range of $105-$110 million driven primarily by the continued strong growth of...

Preferred partner selected for clinical compound manufacturing.
February 10, 2003... 2003 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Evotec OAI AG (EVT), a partner for integrated high-value-added drug discovery to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, announced that Evotec OAI AG, selected Evotec OAI as their preferred...

E.U. grant will be used to develop drugs for S. aureus infections.
February 10, 2003... 2003 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- 4SC AG, a cheminformatics-based drug discovery company, announced that the European Union has supported a research consortium established to identify and develop potent new drugs to combat...

Eli Lilly Canada enters collaborative research initiative in proteomics.
February 10, 2003... 2003 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- MDS Proteomics, Inc., (MDSP), a subsidiary of MDS, Inc., (MDZ) and Eli Lilly Canada, Inc., have signed an initial pilot study agreement to explore the use of MDSP's proprietary technology called...

Milestone reached with clinical advancement of compound.
February 10, 2003... 2003 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Evotec OAI AG (EVT) announced that it has achieved a clinical milestone in its drug discovery chemistry services agreement with Vertex Pharmaceuticals. An undisclosed milestone payment has been...

Discount Drugs of Canada opens door to affordable prescriptions.
February 10, 2003... 2003 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Amid rising costs nationwide for both brand name and generic drugs, Discount Drugs of Canada has found a way to reverse the trend and save money for the American consumer. The new Delray...

Praxis Pharmaceuticals updates shareholders on financing and clinical trials.
February 10, 2003... 2003 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Praxis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (PRXX) said in a letter to its shareholders that Pharmaxis Pty, Ltd., has recently secured a A$9.35 million equity financing. Pharmaxis is a research and development...

Spectrum announces filing of first ANDA to market generic drugs.
February 10, 2003... 2003 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (SPPI) announced the filing of its first abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The filing was made by the...

FDA panel backs Aldurazyme.
February 10, 2003... 2003 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Inc., (BMRN) and Genzyme General (GENZ) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee voted unanimously...

Ultra interferon developer wins $1.38 million from National Cancer Institute.
February 10, 2003... 2003 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- PBL Therapeutics announced that it has been awarded $1.38 million from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to enable the company to continue commercialization of one of its technology platforms. ...

Durect enters agreement to formulate certain long-acting opioid drugs.
February 10, 2003... 2003 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pain Therapeutics, Inc., (PTIE) and Durect Corp. (DRRX) announced they have signed an exclusive licensing agreement to formulate certain long-acting opioid drugs. Opioid drugs are widely used to...

Pain portfolio expanded to include new GPCR targets.
February 10, 2003... 2003 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Acadia Pharmaceuticals announced the discovery of the first small molecule chemistries that activate two important G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) targets, the NPFF and the MrG receptors. Small...

Broad patent issued for Membrane Active Chelator compounds.
February 10, 2003... 2003 FEB 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- D-Pharm, Ltd., announced that it has been granted a U.S. Patent, No. 6,458,837, from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, titled "Lipophilic Diesters of Chelating Agents." The new patent provides...

Positive results reported from rHu-KGF study; AMG 412 trial closed.
February 17, 2003... 2003 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Amgen (AMGN) announced that rHu-KGF decreased the duration and incidence of severe oral mucositis in a phase 3 study of patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation treatment for hematologic...

OvaRex phase III clinical trial initiated.
February 17, 2003... 2003 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AltaRex Corp. confirmed that Unither Pharmaceuticals, a wholly owned subsidiary of United Therapeutics, has initiated an OvaRex (oregovomab) phase III pivotal trial program to treat advanced ovarian...

ALT-711 reduces left ventricular mass in DIAMOND trial patients.
February 17, 2003... 2003 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alteon, Inc., (ALT) announced positive results from a preliminary analysis of the phase IIa DIAMOND clinical trial evaluating the activity of ALT-711 in diastolic heart failure (DHF) patients. The...

New, once-daily formulation of Patanol treats ocular allergies.
February 17, 2003... 2003 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alcon, Inc., (ACL) will present the results from two clinical trials involving a new, investigational once-daily formulation of the company's flagship brand Patanol at the annual meeting of the Western...

Additional Remodulin efficacy, safety data published.
February 17, 2003... 2003 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- United Therapeutics Corporation (UTHR) announced that the article "Efficacy and Safety of Treprostinil: An Epoprostenol Analog for Primary Pulmonary Hypertension" has been published in the current...

Biopharmaceutical company names new senior vice-president of research.
February 17, 2003... 2003 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MYGN) has named Jerry Lanchbury, PhD, as senior vice-president of research and development. Dr. Lanchbury reports to Mark Skolnick, PhD, the company's executive vice...

Biopharmaceutical firm names new chief operating officer.
February 17, 2003... 2003 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Novuspharma SpA (Nuovo Mercato: NOV.MI), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of improved therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, announced the appointment of Richard G. Forrest as...

Company promotes senior price analyst to associate U.S. director of pricing.
February 17, 2003... 2003 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Novo Nordisk has promoted Dolores Pascual to associate director of pricing in the Managed Care, Trade, and Government (MCT&G) department at the company's United States headquarters. Pascual was...

Pharmaceutical company names new scientific advisory board member.
February 17, 2003... 2003 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NeoGenesis Pharmaceuticals announced the appointment of Dr. Arthur Patchett to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Dr. Patchett is a retired vice-president of medicinal chemistry, Merck Research...

Agreement finalizes plans to market Loratadine products.
February 17, 2003... 2003 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Andrx Corporation (ADRX) and Perrigo Company (PRGO) announced that they have entered into a multiyear agreement whereby Andrx will manufacture and supply Perrigo with loratadine/pseudoephedrine 5/120...

Research collaboration centers on ubiquitin ligases.
February 17, 2003... 2003 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- AxCell Biosciences, a subsidiary of Cytogen Corporation (CYTO), announced the signing of a research collaboration with Celgene Corporation (CELG), who focuses on specific ubiquitin ligases and their...

Company says sale of subsidiary will help advance its lead compound programs.
February 17, 2003... 2003 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- MitoKor Inc. announced that it has sold its Australian subsidiary, Mimotopes Pty. Ltd., to Fisher Scientific International Inc. (NYSE:FSH) as part of its plans for accelerating the preclinical and...

Procter & Gamble signed to eTag Expert Access agreement.
February 17, 2003... 2003 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Aclara BioSciences (ACLA) announced that it has entered into an eTag Expert Access Agreement with Ohio-based Procter & Gamble (P&G) under which P&G Pharmaceuticals will gain access to Aclara's...

Pharma company provides 2003 outlook for its continued growth.
February 17, 2003... 2003 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- At its analyst meeting in New York, Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE:WPI) recently provided estimates for its 2003 financial performance. The company expects to see continued growth in its brand...

Alliance will deliver IT solution for applying genetics to drug discovery.
February 17, 2003... 2003 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- deCODE genetics (NASDAQ:DCGN) and IBM announced a strategic alliance to deliver a set of integrated applications, technologies, and services for analyzing, managing, and storing genetic, genealogical,...

Report says pharmaceutical companies neglect Internet as a tool.
February 17, 2003... 2003 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- IMS Health data reveal that only 1% of all pharmaceutical marketing promotions involve the Internet. Pharmaceutical companies that neglect the Internet as a vital tool in reaching key customer...

Report points to opportunities for pharmacists to help diabetes patients.
February 17, 2003... 2003 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Wilson Health Information released results from its 2002 WilsonRx Diabetes Treatment Report showing that more than 25% of diabetes patients are not successful in controlling their condition, resulting...

Initial feedback provided on Eligard launch.
February 17, 2003... 2003 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Atrix Laboratories, Inc., (ATRX) offered an update on sales of Eligard (leuprolide acetate suspension for injection) 7.5 mg and 22.5 mg products developed by Atrix and marketed by Sanofi-Synthelabo,...

FDA grants approval for NDA for 1200 mg Mucinex tablet.
February 17, 2003... 2003 FEB 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Adams Laboratories, Inc., a provider of specialty pharmaceuticals for respiratory care, announced it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its new drug application...

Isoaspartate analyzed in recombinant mAb and its charge isoforms.
February 24, 2003... 2003 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists with ImmunoGeneral Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, performed determination of isoaspartate in a recombinant monoclonal antibody and its charge isoforms using cation exchange high performance...

SPME-GC procedure developed for monitoring peppermint flavor in tablets.
February 24, 2003... 2003 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Scientists with Merck Frosst Canada & Co. have developed a way of monitoring the peppermint flavor loss in a taste-masked tablet formulation by using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas...

New screening method described for major human cytochrome P450 enzymes.
February 24, 2003... 2003 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Research scientists with Solvay Pharmaceutical Inc., USA, have developed a "high-throughput inhibition screening [technique] of the major human cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes (CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19,...

NeoPharm to resume clinical trials with LEP.
February 24, 2003... 2003 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- NeoPharm, Inc., (NEOL) announced that it has reached an agreement with Pharmacia & Upjohn Co. that will allow NeoPharm to resume human clinical trials for LEP (Liposomal Paclitaxel) using NeoPharm's...

LI-COR Biosciences enters agreement to promote IRDye800.
February 24, 2003... 2003 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- LI-COR Biosciences and BD Biosciences Pharmingen announced they have entered into a relationship to promote the LI-COR Odyssey Infrared Imaging System in combination with BD Pharmingen antibodies...

Protection project launched to counter bioterrorism.
February 24, 2003... 2003 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Oxford University, with the generous support of IBM and other partners, has launched a project to develop new drugs that for the first time would combat the smallpox virus after infection. The...

Pharmaceuticals company names Schachle vice president, marketing, sales.
February 24, 2003... 2003 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (ISPH) announced the appointment of Joseph K. Schachle to the position of vice president, marketing, and sales. Schachle will be responsible for the development of a...

Pharmacopeia enters new research collaboration on inflammation.
February 24, 2003... 2003 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pharmacopeia, Inc., (PCOP) has entered into a research collaboration focused on inflammation with Celgene Corp. The companies will work together to identify promising small molecule lead compounds...

Companies to work together to identify new lead compounds against targets.
February 24, 2003... 2003 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Pharmacopeia, Inc., (PCOP) announced the signing of a new collaboration agreement with Novartis, AG, effective January 9, 2003. Under the terms of this new agreement, the companies will...

Drug discovery alliance to develop broad spectrum anti-infectives.
February 24, 2003... 2003 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genome Therapeutics (GENE) and MerLion Pharmaceuticals have launched a drug discovery program aimed at identifying natural products with potential utility as anti-infective drugs. The...

Joint research program established to develop, validate gene markers.
February 24, 2003... 2003 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Iconix Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced a collaboration with Schering-Plough Research Institute (SPRI) to develop and validate gene markers of drug-induced organ toxicity. Under terms of the...

Company successfully incorporates highly sensitive protein in FDTAB oral film.
February 24, 2003... 2003 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Kosmos Pharma announced successful completion of feasibility work on a film-based product containing a highly sensitive protein for an undisclosed partner. The product is a thin-film that...

New technique described.
February 24, 2003... 2003 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers with AstraZeneca have developed a new method for the rapid determination drugs that they think is quicker and simpler than liquid chromatography. K. Wiberg and colleagues described...

FDA grants 180 day market exclusivity for gabapentin.
February 24, 2003... 2003 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Alpharma, Inc., announced that Purepac Pharmaceutical Co., a subsidiary of Alpharma, has received confirmation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it has secured eligibility for 180...

$80M state-of-the-art drug-development center opens.
February 24, 2003... 2003 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Cardinal Health, Inc., (CAH) opened an $80 million, state-of-the-art center that delivers a full range of advanced pharmaceutical services - including drug development, analytical science, formulation...

Pharma company reports revenue increases for the 2002 fourth quarter and full year.
February 24, 2003... 2003 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Wyeth (WYE) reported net revenue and earnings results for the 2002 fourth quarter and full year: Worldwide net revenue increased 4% for both the 2002 fourth quarter and full year. Excluding the...

Pharmaceutical company provides fourth-quarter and year-end 2002 preview.
February 24, 2003... 2003 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- King Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (KG) announced that the company expects diluted earnings per share, excluding special items, to grow to $0.39-0.41 for the fourth quarter ending December 31, 2002, at the...

Total revenues of $1.3B reported by biopharmaceutical company.
February 24, 2003... 2003 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Chiron Corporation (CHIR) reported pro-forma income from continuing operations of $248 million, or $1.29 per share, for the year ended December 31, 2002, compared to $187 million, or $0.96 per share,...

Canadian online pharmacy calls for Americans to boycott Glaxo.
February 24, 2003... 2003 FEB 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A Canadian online pharmacy is calling for a boycott of GlaxoSmithKline's over-the-counter products to protest the drug giant's decision to stop supplying medicines to companies who resell them to...