Pharma Marketletter articles from February 2006

Pharma Marketletter archives from February 2006

Pfizer's Sutent gets FDA approval for gastrointestinal and kidney cancer.(Food and Drug Administration)
February 6, 2006... The US Food and Drug Administration has approved global drugs giant Pfizer's Sutent (sunitinib), a new targeted anticancer treatment for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), a rare stomach cancer, and advanced kidney cancer....

EC OKs Pfizer's Exubera for diabetes.(European Commission )(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... In another piece of good news for pharmaceutical behemoth Pfizer, the European Commission has approved its inhaled insulin product Exubera for the treatment of type 1 and 2 diabetes. The drug, which has been co-developed with US firm Nektar...

Public citizen slams FDA's drug label rules and Bush Admin for trying to override law.(Food and Drug Administration)(George W. Bush)
February 6, 2006... According to the US consumer activist group Public Citizen, the Food and Drug Administration, although it has improved a drug labeling regulation through revisions announced last month (Marketletter January 30), "continues to ignore the fact...

Lilly swings to 4th-qtr 2005 profit.(Eli Lilly and Co.)
February 6, 2006... US drug major Eli Lilly has reported fourth-quarter 2005 net income of $700.6 million, beating Wall Street expectations. Earnings per share reached $0.64 versus no earnings in the comparable period of the previous year, which was impacted by...

Abbott:13.4% 4th-qtr 2005 EPS growth, as expected.(Abbott Laboratories Inc.)(earnings per share)
February 6, 2006... USA-based pharmaceutical giant Abbott Laboratories has posted fourth-quarter 2005 diluted earnings per share of $0.76, up 13.4% on the like, year-ago period, which falls within its previously-stated guidance of $0.75-$0.77, in line with the...

Amgen's fourth-qtr income up 29%, and full year 2005 earnings per share rise 33%.
February 6, 2006... USA-based biotechnology firm Amgen says it saw adjusted earning per share of around $0.75 during the fourth quarter of 2005, an increase of around 29% on the comparable period in 2004. The company also reported full-year 2005 earning per share...

Celera' sees 2nd-qtr 2006 net losses $17.3 M.(Celera Genomics Group)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Maryland, USA-headquartered Celera Genomics, a member of the Applera group, has reported second quarter 2006 net losses of $17.3 million for the three-month period ended December 31, 2005, which, the firm notes, is a reduction on the $19.4...

Celgene's profits nosedive 82%.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... US firm Celgene says its 2005 fourth-quarter income fell 82% to $3.9 million, compared with $22.2 million in the year-earlier period. The company attributes the slump to its increased expenditure associated with gaining regulatory approval for...

Tip-off on Bush State of the Union speech.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... At The Health and Human Capital Management Congress, Roy Ramthun, special assistant to US President George W Bush, provided insight into a major portion of the President's State of the Union address next week. He outlined various areas of...

BTG licenses Asterand analgesics.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... UK-based Asterand (formerly Pharmagene) and BTG, a medical innovations company, have entered into an exclusive licence agreement, whereby the latter acquires the rights to a series of compounds discovered and developed by Asterand to treat...

Intercytex to float on UK's AIM.(Alternative Investment Market)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Intercytex Group, a UK-based emerging health care company, says it has applied for admission to trading on Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange. The company plans to raise L15.0 million ($26.8 million), conditional on the...

Biomira makes $16.1M placing.(Rodman and Renshaw Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Canada's Biomira says that it has arranged a financing totaling approximately $16.1 million with Rodman & Renshaw of New York, USA, acting as exclusive placement agent. In respect of this financing, Biomira intends to file shortly in Canada a...

S-Ps Avelox outperforms Levaquin in CAP study.(Schering-Plough Corp.)(community-acquired pneumonia)(Clinical Infectious Diseases)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... A study published in the current issue Clinical Infectious Diseases shows that more elderly patients treated with Avelox (moxifloxacin HCl), for community-acquired pneumonia, recovered at days three to five of a seven to 14 day course when...

Oral version of Arpida's Iclaprim shows good bioavailability in trial.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Swiss anti-infectives group Arpida says it has successfully completed a Phase I trial of an oral formulation of its broad-spectrum antibiotic iclaprim. The drug is intended for the treatment of serious infections such as hospital-acquired...

Animas merger with J&J subsidiary receives approval.(Johnson & Johnson)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... USA based Animas, a specialist developer of products for the treatment of diabetes, says that the Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period has expired with respect to the previously announced merger agreement between the firm, Johnson & Johnson and the...

Targeted Genetics focuses on development of anti-TNF drug.(anti-tumor necrosis factor)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Seattle, USA-based Targeted Genetics says it intends to restructure its operations in an attempt to reduce expenses and realign resources behind its lead product candidate, tgAAC94. The drug, which is the firm's anti-tumor necrosis factor, is...

US FDA fast-tracks BioMarin's Phenoptin.(United States Food and Drug Administration)(BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... The USA's BioMarin Pharmaceutical says that the Food and Drug Administration has granted it fast-track designation for Phenoptin (sapropterin dihydrochloride) for the treatment of phenylketonuria. The investigational oral small-molecule...

Nabi's NicVax to enter Ph II concept study.(Nabi Biopharmaceuticals)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... USA-based Nabi Biopharmaceuticals has completed a Phase II dose-ranging study for its investigational vaccine for nicotine addiction, NicVAX, which was designed to assess its tolerability and antibody response at higher doses than those used in...

Medicare problems could continue in Feb.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... February in the USA could be the scene of the same problems afflicting older people who attempt to renew prescriptions. It appears that many pharmacies that had difficulties coping with patient details that were not registered on January 1,...

Pharma "conflict of interest" for hospitals.(Journal of the American Medical Association's campaign)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... The Journal of the American Medical Association has published a call for academic medical centers in the USA to distance themselves from drug companies, by turning down gifts, speaking fees for conferences and open-ended research grants. David...

Pharma/biotech mergers and acquisitions during 2005.(Industry Overview)
February 6, 2006... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Company Partner Deal value($) Completed ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abraxis...

Schering-Plough's turnaround continues with 4th-qtr earnings at $104M.
February 6, 2006... US drug major Schering-Plough is continuing to come out of its difficulties created by loss of patent protection on some of its formerly-leading drugs, and has posted net earnings of $104.0 million, or $0.07 a share, for the fourth quarter of...

Italy's Menarini buys Pliva unit in Germany?(Pliva Pharmaceutical Co.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Privately-held Italian pharmaceutical firm Menarini has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the AWD plant in Dresden, Germany, owned by Pliva, subject to closing conditions. Menarini, which already has a strong presence in...

Sanofi-Aventis sales slow on competition.
February 6, 2006... France-headquartered Sanofi-Aventis, Europe's leading drugmaker, has reported a slow-down in sales for the fourth quarter of 2005 as a result of generic competition for for four of its products in the USA. The figures were in line with SG...

Altana's results in line with expectations.(Altana Industrie-Aktien und Anlagen AG)
February 6, 2006... German pharmaceuticals group Altana AG has posted a 10% increase in 2005 full-year sales of 3.3 billion euros ($4.05 billion) and achieved operating sales growth of 8%. The figures were in line with consensus forecasts. Details of earnings,...

Novartis' Exelon gets positive opinion from the EU's CMPH, hopeful of 2006 approval.(Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use)
February 6, 2006... Swiss drug major Novartis has received a positive opinion from Europe's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use recommending that, later this year, the European Commission granst Marketing Authorization for Exelon (rivastigmine...

CMHP issues positive opinion to S-P/Centocor's Remicade edging; closer to approval in the EU.(Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use)(Schering-Plough Corp.)
February 6, 2006... US drugmakers Centocor and Schering-Plough say that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has issued a positive opinion recommending an expanded indication for Remicade (infliximab), to include the...

Spanish industry body Farmaindustria tightens grip on drug promotions.(Farmaindustria)
February 6, 2006... Spanish drugmakers association Farmaindustria's Codigo Deontologico de Buenas Practicas Para la Promocion de los Medicamentos, which regulates prescription-drugs promotions in the country, has made significant progress in 2005, the federation...

French health care spending still above forecast but it is slowing, latest figures show.
February 6, 2006... Reimbursable French health spending in the general medical practice area, excluding hospital spending, slowed down in 2005, increasing 4.3% after a rise of 4.7% in 2004. The slowdown was especially marked in the area of general medical...

USA's IOM reviews drug safety.(Institute of Medicine of the National Academies)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... The US Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (IOM) met last month for its Committee on the Assessment of the US Drug Safety System. Two of the three sessions, which were open to the public, were used to provide committee members with...

USA: NY web site on drug prices on hold.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Funding may be the reason why the Governor George Pataki of New York State in the USA is considering repealing a five-month old law that required the state to create a web site that would list prices of the 150 most commonly prescribed drugs at...

More funding needed for US medical research.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Americans (58%) say greater funding for medical and health research is essential to the country's future health and economic prosperity, according to a new national poll by Research!America. More than half (51%) think a greater national...

CHMP gives nod to Sandoz' Omnitrope.(Committee on Medicinal Products for Human Use)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Sandoz, the generic drugs unit of Swiss drug major Novartis, has received a positive opinion on its recombinant human growth hormone Omnitrope, a generic version of Pfizer's Genotropin, from the European Medicines Agency's Committee on...

Alexion reports strong Ph III eculizumab data.(Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... The USA's Alexion Pharmaceuticals has reported positive results from a pivotal Phase III placebo-controlled, 87-patient, randomized efficacy trial using eculizumab in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria patients. The firm says that all...

Progenika launches IBD DNA chip worldwide.(Progenika Biopharma SA)(inflammatory bowel disease)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Spanish biotechnology firm Progenika Biopharma SA has launched its Inflammatory Bowel Disease DNA Chip, a blood diagnostic that helps doctors predict the evolution and prognosis of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients. The firm says...

US FDA accepts NRP104 NDA for ADHD.(United States Food and Drug Administration)(New River Pharmaceuticals)(new drug application)(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Radford, Virginia, USA-based New River Pharmaceuticals says that the Food and Drug Administration has accepted its New Drug Application for NRP104, seeking approval to manufacture and market the investigational compound for the treatment of...

Abbott/Orion's Simdax moves towards EU appro.(Abbott Laboratories Inc)(Orion Pharma A/S)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... US health care major Abbott Laboratories says it has progressed the European approval procedure for the acute decompensated heart failure drug Simdax (levosimendan), by initiating talks with the Swedish Medical Products Agency, the...

Biomira grants Merck KGaA US BLP25 rights.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Darmstadt, Germany-headquartered drugmaker Merck KGaA has signed a binding letter of intent with Canada's Biomira to amend their licensing agreement for BLP25 Liposome Vaccine , currently in development for the treatment of non-small cell lung...

Health insurers hold keys to controlling soaring US health care spending.(DiamondCluster)(Industry Overview)
February 6, 2006... Health insurers, more than any other party in America's $1,800.0 billion health care system, have the greatest ability to control and perhaps even reduce runaway spending, says a new report, "Centering on the Consumer: The Health Insurer's Key...

Generics market takes off in France.
February 6, 2006... Sales of generics in France in 2005 rose 30% over the previous year, with some 450 million packs of generic drugs being sold. The total value of sales was about 1.4 billion euros ($1.35 billion). Heavily promoted by the government to reduce the...

Swiss draft rules for complementary meds.(Swissmedic)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... The Swiss drugs and medicines regulator, Swissmedic, has outlined new regulations envisaged to bring a range of complementary drugs and medicines, including homeopathic drugs and traditional Chinese medicines, into line with the country's 2002...

Ireland pharma trade.(Central Statistical Office )(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Ireland's Central Statistical Office reports that the country imported medical and pharmaceutical products worth 1.60 billion euros ($1.96 billion) in the first 10 months of 2005 versus 1.66 billion euros in the like, 2004 period.

Swiss could "export patients".(health care reforms)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... The Swiss Federal Ministry of the Interior has launched a public consultation into a package of health care reforms that could include sending patients abroad for treatment. Other measures being considered are changes to drug prescription...

Toyama grants domestic T-3811 rights to Dong-A.(Toyama Chemical Company Ltd.)(Dong-A Pharmaceutical Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Japanese drugmaker Toyama Chemical has signed a license agreement with the Republic of Korea's Dong-A Pharmaceutical granting the latter exclusive domestic rights to develop, manufacture and market its novel quinolone antibacterial garenoxacin...

NanoCarrer's NC-6004 IND accepted by MHRA.(investigational new drug application)(Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... NanoCarrer, a Japanese bio-venture firm based in Kashiwa, Chiba, says that an Investigational New Drug application for its anticancer drug Nanoplatin (NC-6004) has been accepted by the UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency,...

Strong survival benefit for AstraZeneca's Casodex.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca says that new data demonstrate that the addition of 150mg Casodex (bicalutamide) to radiotherapy reduces the risk of death by 35% in men with locally-advanced prostate cancer compared to radiotherapy alone...

Some US drugmakers plan to stop Rx discounts because of Medicare program.
February 6, 2006... According to US press reports, several of America's biggest pharmaceutical companies say they will no longer provide free or discounted medicines to low-income elderly and disabled patients because now they should be covered by the new Medicare...

US drug development "taking off again".(Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Following years of declining R&D productivity, during which fewer new drugs received marketing approval in the USA, pharmaceutical companies are poised to reverse the trend, according to the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development. ...

Merck & Co beats forecasts; profit up 2%.
February 6, 2006... Troubled US drug major Merck & Co, which has suffered product revenue loss and litigation costs since its withdrawal of the COX-2 inhibitor Vioxx (rofecoxib) last September due to increased risk of heart attack and stroke with the drug, came up...

Wyeth moves into profit but disapoints.(Wyeth Pharmaceuticals)
February 6, 2006... US health care major Wyeth has reported a swing to a $731.7 million profit, or $0.54 per share, for the fourth quarter of 2005, compared with a loss of $1.76 billion, or $1.32 a share in the like, 2004 period. Excluding restructuring charges,...

Pfizer's Lyrica gets CHMP nod as GAD drug.(Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use)(generalized anxiety disorder)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... World-leading drug major Pfizer says it has received a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use regarding its anxiety disorder drug Lyrica (pregabalin). The EMEA will consider the...

Ionsys gains EU marketing go-ahead.(ALZA Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... USA-based drug-delivery specialist Alza, an affiliate of Johnson & Johnson, says that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization across all 25 member states for the use of Ionsys (fentanyl hydrochloride Iontophoretic...

Bonviva injection set for EU approval.(GlaxoSmithKline PLC)(F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Swiss major Roche and UK-based giant GlaxoSmithKline say that a new four-times a year intravenous injection of the osteoperosis medication Bonviva (ibandronic acid), has received a positive recommendation for approval from the European...

Japan's MHLW to evaluate performance goals in figures.(Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has recently established actual performance goals by major policies for fiscal 2006 in order to learn to what extent their achievements will be progressed in figures. The following goals have...

EMEA opens the doors for "biosimilars" with Omnitrope.(European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products)(Sandoz Pharmaceuticals Corp.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... As reported last week in the Monitor section of the Marketletter, Datamonitor has predicted that the first bio-engineered generic drugs, or "biosimilars," would possibly hit the European market this year, but this looks set to happen sooner...

Headlines 25 years ago this week....
February 6, 2006... Sweden's RUFI calls for full future representation of foreign drugmakers on a trade council, noting that they are now responsible for over 50% of the country's pharmaceutical sales within many research-intensive therapeutic areas. French...

Biopure launches Hemopure in S Africa.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... US oxygen therapeutics specialist Biopure has made the first sale of its room-temperature-stable oxygen therapeutic Hemopure (bovine hemoglobin glutamer-250) in South Africa, where it is approved for the treatment of adult surgical patients who...

FDA approves Pfizer's Exubera inhaled insulin.(Food and Drug Administration)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first ever inhaled insulin, providing a potential alternative for many of the more than five million US citizens who take insulin injections, and follows European clearance (see page 18) ...

Norgine sees 10% sales rise for 2005.(Norgine Europe B.V.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Norgine, a UK-based specialty pharmaceutical company, has announced sales of 171.0 million ($206.7 million) for 2005, an increase of 10% over 2004. This is the 19th consecutive year of double-digit growth for the company. The sales...

Teva's generic desmopressin cleared in USA.(Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Israel's Teva Pharmaceutical Industries says that the US Food and Drug Administration has granted final approval for the company's Abbreviated New Drug Application for desmopressin acetate tablets, 0.1mg and 0.2mg. Teva's desmopressin is...

Medarex gets milestone from ImClone.(ImClone Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... New Jersey, USA-based Medarex says that it has received a milestone payment from its licensing partner, ImClone Systems, following the acceptance of an Investigational New Drug application for a fully-human IgG1 antibody for the treatment of...

Merck & Co pays Rigel a milestone.(Rigel Pharmaceuticals Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Rigel Pharmaceuticals has announced that it has received a milestone payment from fellow USA-based Merck & Co, as part of their collaboration to investigate ubiquitin ligases, a new class of drug targets, to find treatments for cancer and,...

Pharmion signs $25M HDAC license accord with MethlyGene.(histone deacetylase inhibitors)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... US drugmakers MethylGene and Pharmion Corp have entered a license and collaboration agreement for the R&D and commercialization of the former's histone deacetylase inhibitors in the USA, Europe, the Middle East and certain other markets. The...

Cangene's HepaGam gets US approval.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Canadian biotechnology group Cangene says that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved its HepaGam B for treatment following acute exposure to hepatitis B virus. The product is a purified antibody or hyperimmune that is specific...

Inspire's denufusol to enter Ph III in USA.(Inspire Pharmaceuticals Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... The USA's Inspire Pharmaceuticals plans to initiate a Phase III program to advance its drug candidate denufosol tetrasodium for the treatment of cystic fibrosis, following yjr successful completion of an end-of-Phase II meeting with the Food...

Trophos' TRO19622 progresses through Ph I.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Trophos, a French biopharmaceutical company specializing in drugs for neurodegenerative diseases, says it has successfully completed a Phase I clinical trials of its lead compound TRO19622, a candidate neuroprotectant. The firm says that...

SuperGen to buy Montigen for $18 M.(Montigen Pharmaceuticals)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... USA-based drugmaker SuperGen says it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire fellow US company Montigen Pharmaceuticals. The latter's assets include its R&D team, its proprietary drug discovery platform and optimization system,...

Crucell sees losses fall and revenues rise.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Dutch biotechnology company Crucell says its revenue for the year ended December 31, 2005, was 37.6 million euros ($44.5 million), a 66% increase on the 22.6 million euros recorded in 2004. The firm's net loss in 2005 dropped to 15.5 million...

Gilead reports $2B revenue in 2005, up 53%.(Gilead Sciences Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Los Angeles, USA-based Gilead Sciences says that its full-year revenues for 2005 were $2.03 billion, up 53% on the previous year. The firm recorded key fourth-quarter growth in sales of several of its leading products, including: $384.8...

Novo Nordisk sees a 16% climb in profits.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk has announced an operating profit of 8.0 billion Danish kroner ($1.31 billion), a 16% increase compared with 2004. The firm says that a 62% increase in sales of its insulin analogues range, the 16% jump in...

Elan sees heavy 2005 losses of 317M euros.(Elan Corporation PLC)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Irish drugmaker Elan has announced net losses for 2005 of 317.0 million euros ($383.6 million), a marginal reduction from the 325.5 million loss in 2004. The firm's revenue grew to 405.2 million euros from 397.1 million euros the previous year....

Roche's 2005 sales increase to 35B SwFr while net income drops 5% to 6.7B.(F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.)
February 6, 2006... Swiss drug major Roche says that its sales grew to 35.5 billion Swiss francs ($27.7 billion), an increase of 19% in local currencies in 2005, ahead of Lehman Brothers forecasts. The firm also reported net income of 6.7 billion Swiss francs, a...

Japan stock market week to Jan 30, 2006.
February 6, 2006... Tokyo saw a powerful comeback in the week ended January 30. The Nikkei 225 leapt 7.8%, recovering the 16,000 level following five days of consecutive advances, while the Topix index rose 7.3%. The market staged a natural rebound against the...

US FDA grants IND to PharmaMar's Zalypsis.(United States Food and Drug Administration)(Investigational New Drug application )(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Spanish drugmaker PharmaMar says that its Investigational New Drug application has been accepted by the US Food and Drug Administration, thus enalblng it to start clinical testing of Zalypsis (PM00104/50), its novel marine anti-tumor drug...

BTG licenses Asterand's painkiller portfolio.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... UK-based BTG has licensed a series of compounds discovered and developed by UK drugmaker Asterand to treat painful conditions such as migraine headache. BTG plans to advance the development of a molecule, known as BGC20-1531, into clinical...

EC OKs GSK's Hycamtin for relapsed SCLC.(European Commission)(GlaxoSmithKline PLC)(small cell lung cancer)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... UK drug major GlaxoSmithKline says that the European Commission has granted Marketing Authorization for Hycamtin (topotecan powder for concentrate for solution for infusion) for the treatment of patients with relapsed small cell lung cancer for...

BioMarin's Naglazyme approved in Europe.(BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... The USA's BioMarin Pharmaceutical says that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization for Naglazyme (galsulfase) as a treatment for mucopolysaccharidosis VI (MPS VI). As the first drug ever approved for the genetic...

Tamiflu approved for pediatric use in EU.(F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.)
February 6, 2006... Swiss drug major Roche's flagship antiviral Tamiflu (oseltamivir) has received approval from European regulators for the prevention of influenza in children aged one to 12 years. Tamiflu is already indicated for the treatment of the disease...

BioLineRx in-licenses two drug candidates.(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Israeli drugmaker BioLineRx has in-licensed two drug candidates, BL-2050, for the treatment of peripheral vascular disease, and BL-2060, a novel antibiotic. The development and commercialization deals were made with Ramot at Tel Aviv University...

Astellas licenses Ferring's Degarelix.(Astellas Pharma Inc)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Japanese pharmaceutical major Astellas has licensed the prostate cancer drug degarelix from Swiss drugmaker Ferring, granting it the rights to market the agent in the domestic market. Astellas will make undisclosed upfront payments, as well as...

Savient regains Nasdaq listing.(Savient Pharmaceuticals Inc.)(The Nasdaq Stock Market Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... New Jersey, USA-based Savient Pharmaceuticals, an emerging specialty pharmaceuticals company focused on developing, manufacturing and marketing novel therapeutic products for unmet medical needs, says that it has received written notification...

Genepharm registers Australia's biggest selling generic - simvastatin.( Genepharm Australasia )(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Melbourne, Australia-based generic medicines company Genepharm Australasia has had its brand of the cholesterol-lowerer simvastatin listed in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods as the final stage of the Therapeutic Goods...

Prana's MPACs "can enter the brain".(Prana Biotechnology Ltd.)(metal protein attenuating compounds)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... Australia's Prana Biotechnology reports that Aging Cell, a journal addressing fundamental issues in the biology of aging, has published a new paper in its February edition entitled, Radioiodinated Clioquinol as a Biomarker for b-amyloid: Zn2+...

Alnylam prices stock offer at $13 a share.(Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.)(Brief Article)
February 6, 2006... US firm Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, an RNAi therapeutics focused company, has announced the pricing of a public offering of 5,115,961 shares of its common stock at $13.00 per share. All of the shares are being offered by Alnylam pursuant to its...