Pharma Marketletter articles from July 2006

Pharma Marketletter archives from July 2006

Sanofi's Acomplia gets EU marketing clearance; hopes US appro not far behind.(Sanofi Aventis S.A.)(European Union)(United States)
July 3, 2006... French drug major Sanofi-Aventis has been granted marketing authorization for Acomplia (rimonabant 20mg/day) in all 25 member states of the European Union. The agent, which is the first in a new class of drugs called CB1 blockers, is indicated...

Merck KGAA discontinues sarizotan after drug misses Ph III efficacy endpoints in PADDY-1/2.(Kommanditgesellschaft Auf Aktien)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... German drugmaker Merck KGaA says it will discontinue the development of its drug candidate sarizotan after it failed to demonstrate efficacy in two Phase III clinical trials in advanced Parkinson's disease patients suffering from dyskinesia....

US could overhaul drug test/approval process.(Food and Drug Administration)
July 3, 2006... A biparisan proposal to overhaul the drug testing and approval process in the USA has been agreed by the US Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman, Senator Michael Enzi (Republican, Wyoming) and Senator Edward Kennedy...

Part D effect on US drug prices: up or down?(Part D prescription drug benefit)
July 3, 2006... The political battle over the US Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit has entered a new phase, with conflicting claims over whether the introduction of the program has caused drug prices to rise or fall. According to a report in the...

US Web sites offer diagnostic testing.(Forecasts and trends of Web services)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Four USA-based web sites are offering consumers the option of ordering diagnostic tests that they might otherwise order at clinics or hospitals, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The cost of a blood test for one operator is...

Affymetrix licenses key patents to Invitrogen.
July 3, 2006... US bioassay specialist Affymetrix has granted a non-exclusive, worldwide license to fellow USA-based Invitrogen Corp covering a number of patents that will allow it to manufacture and sell spotted nucleic acid microarrays for use in research....

Celera sells Cathepsin program to Schering.(Celera Genomics)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... USA-based drugmaker Celera Genomics, which is owned by Applera, says that Germany's Schering AG has acquired its cathepsin S inhibitor small-molecule drug program for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. The financial terms of the deal...

Ceragenix enters MRSA and bird flu R&D accord.(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)(research and development)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... The USA's Ceragenix Pharmaceuticals has entered into an R&D agreement with an internationally-recognized undisclosed research laboratory to develop formulations, in the form of nasal ointments, designed to prevent influenza infection and to...

ProStrakan to sell Cellegy drugs in CIS/Russia.(ProStrakan Group plc)(Commonwealth of Independent States )(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... UK-based speciality pharmaceuticals group ProStrakan has agreed to extend the geographic rights to two of its leading prescription products, Tostrex and Rectogesic, with its licensing partner, USA-based Cellegy Pharmaceuticals. In...

Combined Rituxan and MTX shows efficacy in RA Ph III trial.(Rituxan (Rituximab) combined with methotrexate )
July 3, 2006... US firm Genentech, which is majority-owned by Swiss major Roche, and Biogen Idec say that results from the REFLEX study demonstrate that Rituxan (Rituximab), combined with methotrexate reduces joint erosion and narrowing in rheumatoid arthritis...

Serono's Raptiva performs well in Ph III psoriasis study.
July 3, 2006... Swiss biotechnology group Serono says the data from a clinical study of Raptiva (efalizumab), the firm's psoriasis treatment, shows that the drug confers clinically-significant benefits in patients with moderate-to-severe refractory forms of...

CRx-102 shows efficacy in osteoarthritis study.(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... USA-based biopharmaceutical company CombinatoRx says that the results of a trial of CRx-102 in patients with osteoarthritis of the hand show that the compound conferred a statistically-significant improvement in pain relief and physical...

Newron's safinamide shows promise in PD.(Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale )(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Italy's Newron Pharmaceuticals SpA says that preliminary data from a trial of safinamide, its developmental product for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, shows that the drug has a statistically-significant positive impact on patient motor...

NicOx continues enrollment in Ph II hypertension study.
July 3, 2006... French biopharmaceutical company NicOx SA says it is continuing to enroll patients in a Phase IIa assessment of NCX 1000 (a derivative of ursodeoxycholic acid), its developmental treatment for portal hypertension. The company added that its...

Plethora in-licenses endometriosis and dysmenorrhea drugs.(endometriosis drug )(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... UK specialty drugmaker Plethora Solutions says that it has in-licensed two clinical stage pain treatments from fellow UK-based drugmaker Metris Therapeutics. The two compounds, M5003, under development as a dysmenorrhea therapy, and the...

Menopausal women do not get enough guidance on treatment options.(GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare)
July 3, 2006... Few women are consulting their doctors before opting to use herbal therapies and soy products to treat their menopausal symptoms, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine, USA, have found. The trend is of particular note...

Seattle Gen gets milestone from CuraGen.(treatment of metastatic melanoma)
July 3, 2006... US firm Seattle Genetics says that it has achieved a milestone under its antibody-drug conjugate collaboration agreement with CuraGen Corp, triggering an undisclosed payment. The milestone was achieved upon CuraGen's initiation of a Phase I...

Inyx unit to make anti-anxiolytic for UK firm.(Ashton Pharmaceuticals)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... New York, USA-headquartered Inyx, a specialty company focused on niche drug delivery technologies and products, says that its wholly-owned UK subsidiary, Ashton Pharmaceuticals, has been selected by an unnamed British drugmaker to manufacture a...

Galapagos expands chemistry service via Indian firms.(Indus Biosciences)(Galapagos NV)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Mechelen, Belgium-based Galapagos NV, a genomics-based drug discovery company, says that its service division, BioFocus DPI, has signed collaborations with Indus Biosciences, a subsidiary of CiVentiChem in Hyderabad, and ProCitius, a division...

Gene Logic withdraws financial guidance.(financial report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Maryland, USA-based Gene Logic says that revenue for its Genomics Division will be significantly lower than previously anticipated for both the second quarter and for the full year 2006. The lower-than-expected revenue will also adversely...

J&J wins bidding war for PfizerOs consumer unit, with $16.6 billion offer.
July 3, 2006... Contenders for Pfizer's consumer health care division, which the global pharmaceuticals behemoth put up for sale earlier this year (Marketletter February 13), have reportedly been numerous, but the eventual winner, announced June 26, was US...

GE Healthcare bids for Biacore.(Amersham group)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... GE Healthcare, the subsidiary of General Electric which in 2004 acquired the UK's Amersham group, has made a 3.22 billion Swedish kronor ($435.7 million) cash offer for Swedish medical instruments firm Biacore. The bid price is at a premium 35%...

New EU action program to accelerate research for alternatives to animal tests.(European Assocation for Bio-Industries)
July 3, 2006... The fight against animal testing became more focused late last month, with the European Commission and leading pharmaceutical and chemical industry organizations and companies agreeing to a five-year plan to reduce the use of animals in...

Pierre Fabre forms alliance with Millenia.(mammalian cell line technology)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Pierre Fabre, France's second-largest independent pharmaceutical company, and Millenia Hope Biopharma, the Canadian subsidiary of Millenia Hope, say they have "finalized an important partnership." The Pierre Fabre Group, a world leader in...

EMEA accepts MAA for La Jolla's Riquent.(Riquent (abetimus sodium))(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... La Jolla Pharmaceutical says that its Marketing Authorization Application for Riquent (abetimus sodium), its drug candidate for lupus renal disease, has been accepted for review by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) for potential approval in...

Pfizer ends indiplon accord with Neurocrine.(insomnia drug)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Following delays in the approval of indiplon, world drug giant Pfizer returned the rights to the insomnia pill to its originator, Neurocrine. On the day of the news, June 22, shares in San Diego, USA-based Neurocine plunged 29% to close at...

Novartis/MorphoSys expand R&D accord.(research and development)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... German synthetic antibody specialist MorphoSys AG has expanded its existing collaboration with Swiss drug major Novartis. Financial terms were undisclosed. The original accord provided for a three-year term with an option for Novartis to...

Novartis submits Xolair for Japanese clearance.(Japanese health authorities)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Swiss drug major Novartis has submitted an application to the Japanese health authorities for the approval of Xolair (omalizumab), its novel asthma therapy targeting the root cause of allergic disease. The Basle-headquartered group believes...

Supergen sells US Nipent rights to Mayne.(drug Nipent (pentostatin for injection))(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Australia's Mayne Pharma and USA-based drugmaker SuperGen have signed a definitive agreement for the former to acquire the North American rights to the latter's hairy cell leukemia drug Nipent (pentostatin for injection), for a total maximum...

BioXell completes IPO on SWX Swiss Exchange.
July 3, 2006... Shares in BioXell SpA, an Italian biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for urology, inflammation and related disorders, successfully completed its initial public offering on the SWX Swiss Exchange. Trading of shares in...

SR Pharma's 2005 loss up 20% after Atugen buy.(International Financial Report)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... London, UK-headquartered drugmaker SR Pharma says that, for full-year 2005, its pretax losses deepened 20% on the previous year, to L3.6 million ($6.5 million). However, the firm stressed that this was in line with its expectations after its...

Biosignal gets $1.2M from Japan's Restoration.(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Australia's Biosignal has accepted an investment of A$1.6 million ($1.2 million) from the Japan-based Restoration Group. The firm, which deveops antibiofilm compounds, says that the cash injection will be made at a share price of $0.15 per...

Mixed 10-year prospects for five therapeutic sectors in Japan.(Banyu Pharmaceutical)
July 3, 2006... The Japanese market for anti-allergic drugs will witness an 8% fall from 157.1 billion yen ($1.37 billion) in 2005 to 144.0 billion yen in 2014, according to a survey entitled: Data-book on Prescription Drugs No 3 2006, compiled by Fuji Keizai,...

Thai unions threat over drug list change.(social security scheme)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Labor groups in Thailand have vowed to stage a rally against the government if it pushes ahead with a plan to offer the same medicine for social security subscribers and 30-baht ($0.78) health care recipients, reports the Bangkok Post. To date,...

Genmab's AMG714 demonstrates efficacy in RA study.(treatment of patients with active rheumatoid arthritis)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Danish biotechnology group Genmab AS says that Phase II trials of the fully-human antibody AMG 714, which it is developing under an agreement with USA-based Amgen, show that the product has efficacy in the treatment of patients with active...

Enbrel and MTX therapy shows promise in RA trial.(Radiographic Patient Outcomes )(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... USA-based drug major Wyeth says that data from trials of Enbrel (etanercept), used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis as an addition to standard methotrexate therapy, showed that the drug conferred a therapeutic advantage, when compared...

Humira in AS discussed at EULAR congress.(European Medicines Agency)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... US health care major Abbott Laboratories says that data from a Phase III trial of Humira (adalimumab), its tumor necrosis factor targeting therapeutic in ankolysing spondylitis, demonstrated that the drug rapidly reduces the symptoms and pain...

Enoxaparin results in cost savings compared with UFH in VTE.
July 3, 2006... French pharmaceutical major Sanofi-Aventis says that actuarial analysis of data from a trial comparing prophylaxis with enoxaparin, a key component of the firm's antithrombotic agent Lovenox, and unfractionated heparin in the treatment of...

ISTA Pharma completes $40M placing.(under the Securities Act of 1933)(International Society for Technology in Arthroplasty)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... ISTA Pharmaceuticals of the USA says that it has completed a previously-announced private placement of $40.0 million in aggregate principal amount of senior subordinated convertible notes to several institutional accredited investors. The net...

FDA approves Ranbaxy's generic simvastatin 80mg.(Food and Drug Administration)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... USA-based Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals, a wholly-owned subsidiary of India's Ranbaxy Laboratories, says that it has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to manufacture and market simvastatin tablets USP, 80mg with 180-day...

DNA sequencing for cancer research breakthrough.(resistant to drug treatments)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... USA-based Life Sciences Corp, a majority-owned subsidiary of CuraGen, in collaboration with scientists at the Dana Farber Cancer Center and Broad Institute, have reported a new method for the detection of cancer gene mutations present at...

Migraine combo-therapy evaluated.(designed to target multiple mechanisms of migraine )(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Pozen and GlaxoSmithKline's investigational, combination migraine product has demonstrated effective treatment of migraine-associated neck pain/discomfort and sinus pain/pressure, according to new data presented at the annual meeting of the...

Nastech in licensing deal worth up to $89M with Amylin.(nasal delivery technology)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Nastech Pharmaceutical has signed an agreement with fellow US firm Amylin Pharmaceuticals to develop a nasal spray formulation of exenatide. Preclinical studies of the formulation have been completed in preparation for initiating studies to...

Positive Ph II data for Vanda's VEC-162.(Vanda Pharmaceuticals )(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Results from a Phase II study have demonstrated the positie effects of VEC-162 in a model of transient insomnia on the traditional measures of sleep onset and maintenance. VEC-162, an investigational agent under clinical development by Vanda...

Croatia's Pliva accepts $2.2 billion takeover offer from Barr Labs.(Barr Laboratories Inc.)
July 3, 2006... Having rejected a hostile takeover offer from acquisitive Icelandic drugmaker Actavis (Marketletter March 27), leading Croatian generic pharmaceutical firm Pliva has accepted a higher, $2.2 billion, bid from US company Barr Laboratories....

Kyowa Hakko to build new facility.(Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Company Ltd is planning to build a new facility)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Mid-sized Japanese pharmaceutical producer Kyowa Hakko Kogyo is planning to build a new facility to make investigational antibody drugs in its major manufacturing site at Fuji Plant in Shizuoka Prefecture, in response to an increasing demand...

Merck & Co stands by Vioxx article, after corrected analysis shows no delay in CV risk.
July 3, 2006... US drug major Merck & Co says that it stands behind the original results of the APPROVe study, even though a corrected statistical analysis of the data published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that Vioxx (rofecoxib) raised the...

Genentech's Avastin misses Ph III endpoint.(Avastin (bevacizumab))(combination with gemcitabine chemotherapy )(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... US biotechnology giant Genentech and Swiss drug major Roche say that their anticancer drug Avastin (bevacizumab) failed to improve survival of advanced pancreatic cancer patients. The agent, which was being evaluated in combination with...

Tibotec's darunavir approved in USA.(inhibitor Fuzeon (enfuvirtide))(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Belgium-based Tibotec, a Johnson & Johnson company, has welcomed the US approval of TMC114 (darunavir), its new boosted protease inhibitor, which it says provides a potent novel treatment combination with Swiss drug major Roche's fusion...

New report claims savings from parallel drug imports, but more could be made.
July 3, 2006... A new report released in Brussels, Belgium, claims to show significant savings for governments and patients from parallel trade in medicines. It says that the total direct savings resulting from the competition of parallel imports in only four...

AS and rapid RS study unveiled at EULAR 2006.
July 3, 2006... The results of a Harris Interactive survey of rheumatologists, which was sponsored by US drug major Schering-Plough, have revealed that 85% of those questioned recognized rapidly progressing rheumatoid arthritis as a distinct form of the...

TACI-Ig shows promise in Ph Ib RA study.(treatment lowered serum rheumatoid factor)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Seattle, USA-based biopharmaceutical firm ZymoGenetics and Swiss counterpart Serono say that the results of a study of TACI-Ig, developed to target autoimmune diseases, show that treatment lowered serum rheumatoid factor levels in rheumatoid...

B-MS discusses two-year Orencia trial data.(rheumatoid arthritis drug )(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... In a presentation to the European League Against Rheumatism annual conference in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, US drug major Bristol-Myers Squibb reviwed the ongoing development of its rheumatoid arthritis drug Orencia (abatacept). The data...

Cordis' new stent approved for use in Europe.(European Community mark of approval)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... The USA's Cordis Corp, a world-leader in the drug-eluting stent market, says that its Cypher Select Plus has become the first third-generation drug-eluting stent to receive the European Community mark of approval. The company, which is...

Celera enters cancer R&D accord with Medarex.(research and development)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Celera Genomics and fellow USA-based Medarex, an antibody specialist, have agreed to a strategic collaboration to discover and develop fully-human antibodies for the treatment of multiple cancer indications. The accord will utilize targets...

Generex signs Oral-Lyn production contract.
July 3, 2006... Canada's Generex Biotechnology Corp has entered into contractual arrangements with USA-based Cardinal Health, a leading provider of products and services supporting the health care industry, to manufacture clinical trial batches of Generex'...

Strong Ph II data for Celtic cocaine addiction vacc.(Celtic Pharma)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... US drugmaker Celtic Pharma say that preliminary results from two Phase II studies of TA-CD, its novel immunotherapy vaccine for the treatment of cocaine addiction, were presented and reviewed at a meeting of National Institute on Drug Abuse...

Specialty Labs licenses Celera's cirrhosis markers.(Specialty Laboratories)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Celera Genomics and fellow USA-based Specialty Laboratories, a firm that provides test to hospitals, have signed an agreement granting the latter a non-exclusive license to the former's risk markers for cirrhosis. The license allows...

Celebrex causes less ulcers than naproxen, says study.
July 3, 2006... New data, presented at the annual European League Against Rheumatism meeting in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, show that 7% of patients taking a cardio-protective low-dose aspirin in combination with 200mg of Pfizer's Celebrex (celecoxib), for the...

Counterfeit drugs in less developed countries; IPN discussion.(International Policy Network)
July 3, 2006... Counterfeit medicines in developing countries and how to deal with them was the topic of an occasional discussion by the London, UK-based think-tank, the International Policy Network. The speaker was Paul Newton from the University of Oxford, a...

Asterand collaborates with Rubicon on cancer diagnostics.(Deoxyribonucleic Acid markers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Asterand, a UK human tissue research services company, says that it has signed a partnership with USA-based Rubicon Genomics to discover novel biomarkers for cancer diagnosis. Under the non-exclusive agreement, Asterand will supply tissue...

Ligand earns milestone from Wyeth.(Ligand Pharmaceuticals)(osteoporosis therapy)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Ligand Pharmaceuticals says that it has earned a milestone payment of an undisclosed amount as a result of Wyeth's confirmation of submission on June 23 of a New Drug Application to the US Food and Drug Administration for bazedoxifene, which is...

Hollis-Eden updates on Neumune.(Acute Radiation Syndrome)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... San Diego, USA-based Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals says that it has been informed by the Department of Health and Human Services, in a letter dated June 23, that the firm "is within the competitive range for discussion and further evaluation"...

PuriCore completes IPO.(London Stock Exchange)(Initial public offerings)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... PuriCore plc, a UK-based developer of a novel, safe, pathogen killing technology that mimics the human body's natural anti-microbial, hypochlorous acid, has announced the successful completion of its flotation on the London Stock Exchange. This...

US FDA enforcement action decline claimed.
July 3, 2006... The US Food and Drug Administration has failed to maintain its standards for enforcement under the present Republican Party administration of President George W Bush, according to a report compiled by Democrat Party Representative Henry Waxman...

New rules for US clinical trials and bioresearch.(Human Subject Protection and Bioresearch Monitoring )(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... The US Food and Drug Administration has announced a series of new policy and regulatory developments to strenghten the agency's oversight and protection of patients in clinical trials, as well as to ensure the integrity of resulting data. The...

CMS warns of Medicare Rx fraud.(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued an alert to potential US Medicare Part D prescription drug beneficiaries about attempted frauds carried out by telephone canvassers (Marketletter June 26). The scams, known as...

Czech e-Rxing meets opposition, disinterest.
July 3, 2006... The introduction of electronic prescriptions has met with opposition and indifference in the Czech Republic. The new European Union member state has become the latest European country to introduce e-prescriptions following an amendment to...

UK's NICE calls for beta blocker phase out.(united kingdom-The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence)
July 3, 2006... The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), which gives guidance for the use of medicines and therapies in the National Health Service for England and Wales, has said that beta blockers should no longer be used routinely...

Court will not review S-P antitrust charges.(charges for antitrust violations)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Schering-Plough was spared from charges of antitrust violations after the Supreme Court refused to reinstate an old case alleging that the US drug major paid generic competitors to stay off the market, according to Reuters. The Federal...

Pfizer rejects UK site, cites bureaucracy.
July 3, 2006... US drug giant Pfizer has chosen Germany over Surrey, UK, as the location for its European headquarters. The world's largest drugmaker said it was put off by England's complex planning regulations, according to a government report written by...

MedImmune prices $1B convertible notes.(working capital and used for general corporate purposes)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... USA-based MedImmune has announced the pricing of $500.0 million principal amount of convertible senior notes due 2011 and $500.0 million due 2013, through offerings to qualified institutional buyers. To cover over-allotments, the Gaithersberg,...

EqiTX seeks control of CRC-VT vaccine project.(owned vehicle called ImmunoTX Pty Ltd)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Publically-held Australian biotechnology firm EQiTX has decided to restructure its synthetic vaccine project into a fully-owned vehicle called ImmunoTX Pty Ltd. EQiTX currently holds 42% of the equity in the company, which was formed in January...

AstraZeneca acquires remaining 87% of CAT.(Cambridge Antibody Technology)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca has acquired or received valid acceptances of its offer on 37,261,730 shares in UK-based Cambridge Antibody Technology, representing approximately 86.7% of the firm to which the offer relates. About two...

Sosei to cut back jobs and reduce pipeline.(sustainable discovery engine)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Following a strategic review of its operation, Sosei has implemented initial reductions in workforce headcount and says it will focus expenditure on a smaller number of core pipeline products. In his annual statement, the chairman of the Tokyo,...

Indian Pharma firms begin the 2006 fiscal year on a healthy footing.(Indian pharmaceutical companies)(financial report)(Financial report)
July 3, 2006... The majority of Indian pharmaceutical companies have begun the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2007, on a high note with the industry overall seeing 21.8% cumulative growth in April 2006. On a moving annual turnover (MAT) basis, the sector...

Eli Lilly to close three European facilities.
July 3, 2006... US drug major Eli Lilly says that, having completed a thorough strategic review of its operations, it is planning to close three of its European facilities. The closures will include R&D sites in Hamburg, Germany, and Mont-Saint-Guibert, in...

Pricing of new AIDS drug applauded by FPC.(Fair Pricing Coalition)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... The San Francisco, USA-based Fair Pricing Coalition, an ad hoc coalition of hundreds of community AIDS organizations, medical facilities and concerned individuals, has applauded the pricing of Tibotec Therapeutics' new protease inhibitor for...

One in three Europeans believe biotech will improve quality of life.(survey report on biotechnology)
July 3, 2006... 52% of people polled in the latest Eurobarometer survey on biotechnology indicated a belief that this science will improve their quality of life. Eurobarometer's "Europeans and biotechnology in 2005" shows that most are in favor of medical...

European Union incentives for orphan drug R&D "successful".(European Medicines Agency)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Incentives for R&D on orphan drugs in the European Union have proven successful, with 22 new drugs having reached the market in five years, reports EurActive." "More than 450 applications for orphan designation have been submitted between...

US pediatric antidepressant Rxs fall 10% since black-box warings.(National Institute of Mental Health)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... The number of pediatric patients in the USA prescribed an antidepressant decreased 9.8% after the Food and Drug Administration issued black-box warnings on such products in October 2004 (Marketletters passim), according to a study presented by...

Headlines 25 years ago this week....(proprietary medicines was backed by Members of Parliament)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... No early voting expected on EC drugs report: the amendments in the von Wogau report introduce mutual recognition of marketing authorizations and the harmonization of clinical testing of drugs. Cure for common cold could be several steps...

Eskitis installs Evotec's Opera.(high-content screening platform)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... Hamburg, Germany-based Evotec Technologies GmbH says that the Eskitis Institute of Australia's Griffith University, has installed the Opera system as its high-content screening platform. With almost 40 installations to date, Evotec's Opera...

Data at the AAPSNB validates Nastech's intranasal platform.(American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists National Biotechnology Conference)(Brief article)
July 3, 2006... The USA's Nastech Pharmaceutical says that in vitro and in vivo findings with its proprietary intranasal formulation of GLP-1 indicate that the incretin hormone antidiabetic agent can also induce satiety and promote weight loss. According...