Pharma Marketletter articles from June 2006

Pharma Marketletter archives from June 2006

Corruption in the global pharmaceutical industry identified by watchdog TI.(research on pharmaceuticals )
June 5, 2006... Corruption in the regulation, procurement and promotion of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment wastes scarce health resources and can harm patients if they are prescribed unsafe or unnecessary drugs, says the Germany-headquartered watchdog...

French health service deficit reduction on target, says Health Minister.(government's aim of reducing the health service)
June 5, 2006... French Health Minister Xavier Bertrand has said that, on current trends, the government's aim of reducing the health service deficit to 6.1 billion euros ($7.8 billion) in 2006 will be achieved. He added that it was "not impossible" to have a...

UK's MHRA releases report on better regulation of over-the-counter drugs.(Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Under new rules announced in the UK, makers of non-prescription medicines will be permitted to "self-certify" changes to the labeling of their products, as a first step by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to make...

AstraZeneca commits $100M to China R&D.(scientific collaboration)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Anglo-Swedish drug major AstraZeneca has announced its intention to invest $100.0 million in R&D in China over the next three years, saying that this will focus on the benefit and value of innovative medicines for Chinese patients. The...

Merck KGaA threatens R&D pullout in Spain.(Barcelona science park)(research and development)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... German drugmaker Merck KGaA is having increasing difficulties with the Spanish administration and is reportedly considering ending its R&D activity there. The company was one of the first multinationals to establish an R&D facility on the...

Bavarian Nordic sets up Washington DC subsid.(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Denmark's Bavarian Nordic has established a new subsidiary in Washington DC, USA. Its primary business area will be to ensure efficient services to US government authorities and to develop the market for the company's vaccines in the USA and...

Czech drug marketing law tightened up.(Czech Regulation of Advertising Act)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... The Czech Regulation of Advertising Act, as amended earlier this year, has come into effect with a number of restrictions on the marketing and promotion of pharmaceutical products. The objective of the changes is to bring Czech advertising law...

Hungary's drug exports leap 48%.(production of drugs and pharmceutical raw materials)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Hungary's Central Statistical Office has reported that the production of drugs and pharmceutical raw materials in the first quarter of this year leapt 27.8% compared with the same period last year. Hungarian drug firms saw their sales increase...

UK TGN1412 report blames "unexpected biological effect".(Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued its final report into the TGN1412 clinical trial accident at London's Northwick Park Hospital (Marketletters passim). The document itemizes a number of Good Clinical...

Anti-counterfeit drug initiative for UK.(counterfeit medicines can be extremely dangerous)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) have launched a joint-initiative to combat the threat of counterfeit drugs. Guidance is available for pharmacists from both...

Metabolex receives milestone from Astellas.(Japanese pharmaceutical)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... US drugmaker Metabolex says that Japanese pharmaceutical major Astellas has initiated a high-throughput screen on a previously-selected target and has chosen an additional validated target for screening and development through their R&D accord,...

Isotechnika licenses eye drug to Lux Biosciences.(Lux Biosciences)(prevention of organ rejection following transplantation)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Canadian biopharmaceutical firm Isotechnika has signed an agreement with New Jersey, USA-based Lux Biosciences granting the latter worldwide rights to develop and commercialize the former's lead drug, ISA247, for the treatment and prophylaxis...

Cyberonics welcomes strong 2 year VNS data.(Vagus Nerve Stimulation therapy)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... USA-based therapeutic device firm Cyberonics has welcomed strong data from a pivotal two-year study on the efficacy of adjunctive Vagus Nerve Stimulation therapy on suicidality and worsening depression, reported at the American Psychiatric...

Genentech submits Avastin sBLA to US FDA.(Biologics License Application to the United States Food and Drug Administration)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... US biotechnology firm Genentech has submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application to the US Food and Drug Administration for Avastin (bevacizumab) in combination with taxane chemotherapy for patients who have not previously received...

Antipodean Pharma starts Ph II MitoQ trials.(research of Antipodean Pharmaceuticals)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... San Francisco, USA-based Antipodean Pharmaceuticals has initiated Phase II clinical trials to test the efficacy of its lead compound MitoQ (mitoquinone) in patients with Parkinson's disease in New Zealand and Australia. The agent is based...

Synairgen's IFNB as potential COPD drug.(usage of interferon beta )(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... The UK's Synairgen, a drug discovery firm specializing in the field of respiratory conditions, says that new data suggest that its inhaled formulation of interferon beta (IFNB). could be suitable for the treatment of chronic obstructive...

Bosentan performs well in IPF study.(Bosentan Use in Interstitial Lung Disease)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Swiss biopharmaceutical firm Actelion has announced that data from the Bosentan Use in Interstitial Lung Disease (BUILD) study provides a strong rationale for further evaluation of bosentan (trade anme Tracleer) as a treatment for patients...

pSivida expands BrachySil study program.(treatment of inoperable liver cancer)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Australian bionanotechnology company pSivida says it has broadened the scope of a Phase IIb trial of BrachySil (32-P BioSilicon), used in the treatment of inoperable liver cancer, to new research centers in the Philippines and Taiwan. The...

Roche and Entelos sign two-year R&D deal.(contracts)(research and development)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Swiss drug major Roche and US life science company Entelos say that they have entered into a two-year R&D collaboration, which will focus on the field of metabolic disease. Under the terms of the deal, Entelos will conduct biosimulation...

Proximagen licenses candidate CNS drugs.(treatment of central nervous system disorders)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... UK-based drug discovery group Proximagen Neuroscience says that it has signed an exclusive in-licensing agreement for a suite of drug candidates with potential for the treatment of central nervous system disorders. The agents were discovered by...

B-MS' Baraclude shows efficacy in HCV trial.(research of Bristol-Myers Squibb )(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... US pharmaceutical firm Bristol-Myers Squibb says that data from a 96-week clinical trial of its drug Baraclude (entecavir), a nuceloside analog with antiviral properties, shows that the drug brought about significant suppression of viral load...

Vectura's year-to-March 2006 income soars 88%.(contracts, sales and earnings)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Vectura, a UK company focused on the development of inhaled drug formulations, says that its revenue for the 12 months ended March 2006 surged 88% on the like, year-ago period to L8.4 million ($15.6 million) as its gross profit sky-rocketed...

Crucell's 1st-qtr losses deepen 177% on buy.(financial report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Dutch biotechnology company Crucell NV says that, for the first quarter of 2006, its loss deepened 177% on the like, year-ago period, to 14.7 million euros ($18.7 million), due to one-time integration costs related to its acquisition of Berna...

BTG's fiscal 2005/06 income rises 31%.(sales and earnings of BTG)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... London, UK-based drugmaker BTG says that, for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2006, its revenue grew 31% on the prior year to reach L50.2 million ($97.2 million), reflecting strong growth in recurring royalties and litigation settlements. The...

UCB sells Delsym to Adams RT for $122M.(contracts of UCB)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Belgian drugmaker UCB has agreed to sell Delsym (dextromethorphan polistirex), its over-the-counter 12-hour cough syrup, to USA-based Adams Respiratory Therapeutics. In addition, the two companies have entered into a separate agreement for the...

FDA OKs expanded label for Cubist's Cubicin.(usage of Cubicin)(Food and Drug Administration )(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Cubist Pharmaceuticals' supplemental new drug application for Cubicin (daptomycin for injection) as once-a-day therapy at 6mg/kg for the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections...

EC approval for Allergan's Ganfort.(Allergan says that it has received a license from the European Commission )(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... California, USA-based Allergan says that it has received a license from the European Commission to market Ganfort, its Lumigan (timolol combination product (bimatoprost/timolol ophthalmic solution) for the treatment of glaucoma, in the European...

Lux Biosciences raises $36 million.(Lux Biosciences biotechnology company specialized in the field of ophthalmic diseases)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... New Jersey, USA-based Lux Biosciences, a privately-held biotechnology company specialized in the field of ophthalmic diseases, has announced the closing of a $36.0 million series A financing. The financing included equal participation of...

BioLineRx in-license BL-3010 from Gevys.(BioLineRx has signed an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Gevys Pharmaceuticals )(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... BioLineRx, a leading Israeli drug development company, says that it has signed an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with USA-based Gevys Pharmaceuticals for the development and commercialization of BL-3010, a novel approach for the...

US FDA's reputation under assault, as public sees it is influenced by politics.(Food and Drug Administration)(research on prescription drugs)
June 5, 2006... The majority of US adults think that the Food and Drug Administration's most important function is to ensure the safety and efficacy of new prescription drugs, according to the findings of a new Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive...

US court ruling on drug compounding.(rules for unapproved drugs)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... A US federal district court judge in Midland, Texas, has ruled that compounded preparations by pharmacies are not new, unapproved drugs. "This landmark ruling stops the Food and Drug Administration's encroachment on the authority of state...

Herceptin with Arimidex shows efficacy in co-positive breast cancer patients.(care and treatment of breast cancer)
June 5, 2006... Swiss drug major Roche says that a combination of Herceptin (trastuzumab) and AstraZeneca's hormonal therapy Arimidex (anastrozole) increased progression-free survival time in patients with advanced breast cancer. Moreover, the firm added that...

Zolpidem of benefit as brain damage therapy.(usage of drug zolpidem)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... UK pharmaceutical developer ReGen Therapeutics says that data from its study of the drug zolpidem, a long-established and safe treatment for insomnia, suggests that it is of benefit in the treatment of patients with vegetative brain damage....

US FDA approves Merck & Co's Zostavax, the first medical prevention for shingles.(care and treatment of varicella zoster viruses)
June 5, 2006... The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Merck & Co's new vaccine Zostavax (live varicella zoster vaccine ) for prevention of herpes zoster in individuals 60 years of age and older. The condition, which is commonly known as shingles, is...

European Commission clears Sanofi MSD/Merck & Co's Zostavax in European Union.(joint venture between major Merck and Co and Sanofi Pasteur MSD)
June 5, 2006... The European Commission has granted a marketing authorization for Zostavax, an injection indicated for prevention of herpes zoster and herpes zoster-related post-herpetic neuralgia in individuals aged 60 years or older, making it the first and...

World Health Assembly highlights: avian flu, polio eradication, HIV/AIDS, IPR.(management of diseases)
June 5, 2006... The World Health Assembly, the supreme decision-making body of the World Health Organization, concluded its 59th session on May 27 in a week that began with the death of its Director General Lee Jong-wook (Marketletter May 29). More than 2,200...

Pharma companies poised to unlock Russia's potential PwC report.(PricewaterhouseCoopers)(market shares, sales and earnings)
June 5, 2006... Russia offers substantial growth opportunities for the pharmaceuticals sector, according to report launched by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Titled The Russian Federation - Prescription for Growth, the study concludes that, despite many significant...

USA's, HHS OK for Idaho Medicaid reform.(Health and Human Services)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Medicaid beneficiaries in US state of Idaho will be among the first in the nation to have benefits designed to meet their needs based on age and health status - changes allowed by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, Health and Human Services...

US pharmacists win over AMP.(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, average manufacturer price )
June 5, 2006... The USA's Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will not publicly release current average manufacturer price (AMP) figures for drugs, its Administrator, Mark McClellan, told the National Community Pharmacists Association annual...

US seniors call for ban on DTC ads.(advertising of prescription drugs to consumers)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... 39 medical, health and seniors' organizations on the USA are urging Congress to stop the advertising of prescription drugs to consumers, say Commercial Alert and the National Women's Health Network. "Prescription drug ads are dishonest and...

Novartis launches Exelon in UK for PD dementia.(product introduction of drugs)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Swiss drug major Novartis' Exelon (rivastigmine tartrate) has been introduced in the UK for mild-to-moderate dementia associated with Parkinson's disease. The agent, which is currently approved for the treatment of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's...

Strong six month data for Sorin's Janus stent.(treatment of cardiovascular diseases)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... The Milan, Italy-based Sorin Group, Europe's largest medical technology company specializing in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, presented strong six-month clinical trial results from its e-Janus international real-world registry,...

BioLineRx licenses Gevy's BL-3010.(BioLineRx licensing agreement with Gevys Pharmaceuticals)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Drug development company BioLineRx has signed an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with fellow Israel-based Gevys Pharmaceuticals for the development and commercialization of the latter's BL-3010, a novel approach for the treatment of...

Genmab's HuMax-CD20 enters pivotal Ph III trial.(research and usage of drugs)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Copenhagen, Denmark-based drugmaker Genmab AS has initiated a Phase III pivotal study with its anticancer drug candidate HuMax-CD20 (ofatumumab) in refractory B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The agent received a fast-track designation...

70% of pharma alliances fail to meet initial expectations.(report from pharmaceutical intelligence firm, Cutting Edge Information)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... When forming alliances, drugmakers increasingly find themselves struggling to maintain functional business relationships that benefit both companies and their products, according to a new report from pharmaceutical intelligence firm, Cutting...

Eight new drugs added to Japan's NHI list by MHLW.(National Health Insurance)
June 5, 2006... Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has added eight new drugs (five New Chemical Entities, one new formulation, a new dosage and a new administration route) including Vesicare (solifenacin succinate), Zoloft (sertraline) and...

Tobacco plants could provide pharma products, says Bayer.(care and treatment of cancer)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Although tobacco is almost universally seen as a recreational plant that damages health, it could, at some point, become a reliable source of vital vaccines. The background to this view is that researchers at German drug and chemicals group...

Wyeth says 7th Amendment to diet drug settlement gets final judicial review.(approval for Nationwide Diet Drug Settlement )
June 5, 2006... After years of litigation, US health care giant Wyeth says that the Seventh Amendment to the Nationwide Diet Drug Settlement has received final judicial approval. The deal relates to the diet drugs Pondamin (fenfluramine) and Redux...

Japan stock market week to May 29, 2006.(sales and earnings of Kissei Pharmaceutical Company Ltd.)(sales and earnings of Astellas Pharma Inc.)(sales and earnings of Mochida Pharmaceutical Company Ltd.)
June 5, 2006... Tokyo saw a modest rebound in the week to May 29 following a see saw movement. The Nikkei 225 inched up 0.4% to close at the 15,900 level, while the Topix Index remained flat. Concerns about external factors such as US interest rates and stock...

MGI Pharma debuts Dacogen inj in USA.(Dacogen treatment for chronic myelomonocytic leukemia)
June 5, 2006... MGI Pharma says that Dacogen (decitabine) for injection is now commercially-available in the USA. Dacogen was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on May 2, for the treatment of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes including...

One in three American have diabetes, or precursor.(reports for diabetes)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... More than 73 million Americans - one-third of the adult population - now have diabetes or may be on their way to getting it, according to a study published in the June issue of Diabetes Care. A separate study, also published this month,...

Final appro for Lupin's cefdinir capsules.(Indian drugmaker Lupin Pharmaceuticals says that it has received final approval from the Food and Drug Administration)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... The US subsidiary of Indian drugmaker Lupin Pharmaceuticals says that it has received final approval from the Food and Drug Administration for its Abbreviated New Drug Application for cefdinir capsules, 300mg. Lupin's cefdinir is the...

FDA c'tee to consider Navy's proposed RESUS trauma trial.(Biopure Corp says that it has been notified by the Food and Drug Administration )(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... USA-based Biopure Corp says that it has been notified by the Food and Drug Administration that the agency's Blood Products Advisory Committee will meet on July 14 to discuss the Navy's proposed RESUS clinical trial of the company's...

Novartis subsids and STADA launch phase of lower German generic drug prices.(prices and rates of generic drugs)
June 5, 2006... A new phase of price cutting has been launched by Sandoz and its sister company Hexal on the German generic drugs market. Both are subsidiaries of Swiss pharmaceutical major Novartis and have cut prices of a large proportion of their product...

Is Barr Labs competing for Pliva?(sales and earnings of Pliva)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Although there was no confirmation as this issue of the Marketletter went to press, it has been reported by the UK's Financial Times that US Barr Laboratories has made a $2.1 billion counter bid for the Croatian generics group Pliva, eastern...

EMEA debuts faster advice procedure.(European Medicines Agency)(the Agency provides scientific advice on the Research and development of new medicines)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... A "New Framework for Scientific Advice and Protocol Assistance" has been finalized by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA). This introduces significant changes to the way that the Agency provides scientific advice on the R&D of new medicines....

Norway's 2005 health care spend up 5.4%.(economic aspects of norway's health care)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Norway's spending on health care reached a total 176.0 billion Norwegian kroner ($28.9 billion) in 2005, a rise of 5.4% on the 167.0 billion kroner expended the year before, reports Statistics Norway. Health care expenditure in 2005...

Irish pharmaceutical trade brief.(sales and earnings of pharmaceutical products)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Ireland's Central Statistical Office has reported that the country imported medical and pharmaceutical products worth 353.0 million euros ($449.0 million) in the first two months of this year, compared with 306.0 million in the like, 2005...

EU allocates 54.4B euros for FP7.(European Union)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... At its end-May meeting, the Council of the European Union reached agreement on a general approach on the Seventh Framework Program (FP7) for research and technological development (Marketletters passim), pending the European Parliament's...

bioMerieux sells hemo line to Trinity for $60M.(contracts)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... French in vitro diagnostics firm bioMerieux has signed an agreement to sell its hemostasis range of products to publically-listed Irish group Trinity Biotech. bioMerieux' hemostasis line includes the MDA, MTX and Thrombolyzer platforms, as...

Ono's fiscal 2005/06 income below forecast.(sales and earnings of ono pharmaceuticals)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Japanese drugmaker Ono says that its results for the fiscal year ended March 2006 undershot its expectations, with a decline in earnings due to generic competion on its mainstay drug Kinedak (epalrestat) and a hike in R&D costs. The firm...

Bayer extends Schering AG takeover period.(acquisitions of Bayer AG and Schering AG)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Bayer AG has decided to extend its takeover offer for fellow German drugmaker Schering AG until June 14, because the shares tended or pledged so far amount to only 30% of Schering's capital which is well short of the 75% Bayer specified under...

FDA warns Wyeth about Puerto Rico plant.(Food and Drug Administration)(product development)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... The US Food and Drug Administration has sent a letter to pharmaceutical major Wyeth, warning of Good Manufacturing Practices violations at its Puerto Rico facility, reports the Associated Press. The FDA conducted its inspection of the...

Merck & Co corrects APPROVe trial analysis.(product development of Adenomatous Polyp Prevention on Vioxx)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... USA-based Merck & Co has released a correction to one of the statistical analysis methods used in the APPROVe (Adenomatous Polyp Prevention on Vioxx) study, which was originally published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2005. The firm...

Lilly's enzastaurin enters Ph III NHL trials.(product development of anticancer agent )(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... US drug major Eli Lilly says it has initiated a Phase III clinical trial assessing the anticancer agent enzastaurin, an oral serine-threonine kinase inhibitor designed to suppress tumor growth, as a potential treatment for non-Hodgkin's...

Astellas ends FK481 R&D deal with Servier.(contracts)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Japanese drugmaker Astellas Pharma says that it has ended an agreement with France's Laboratoires Servier regarding the anti-osteoporosis agent FK481 (strontium ranelate), which it in-licenses from the latter. Phase II assessment in Japan has...

Chelsea licenses droxipoda from DSP.(Licensing agreements between Chelsea Therapeutic and Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... US firm Chelsea Therapeutics says that it has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Japan's Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma, which entitles it to global development and commercialization rights to L-Threo DOPS (L-DOPS or droxidopa),...

Oracea approved by FDA for rosacea.(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... The USA's CollaGenex Pharmaceuticals says that the Food and Drug Administration has approved its product Oracea (doxycycline) for the treatment of the chronic inflammatory skin condition rosacea in adult patients. The firm believes that around...

Celgene's Thalomid gets FDA OK for MM.(Food and Drug Administration)(multiple myeloma)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... New Jersey, USA-based Celgene has announced that the supplemental New Drug Application for its Thalomid (thalidomide) has been granted accelerated approval status by the Food and Drug Administration. The sNDA covers the drug's use in...

Immutep completes Ph I with ImmuFact.(Immutep)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... French bioparmaceutical group Immutep says that its lead product, ImmuFact IMP321, has successfully completed two large randomized Phase I clinical studies assessing its safety, tolerability and immunogenicity in normal healthy volunteers. The...

FoldRx closes $43M financing.(FoldRx Pharmaceuticals)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... FoldRx Pharmaceuticals, a US development-stage biotechnology company focused on protein misfolding diseases, says that it has successfully raised $43.0 million in a series B financing. The funds will be used for the continued clinical...

New drugs will drive Rx pain therapy market.(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... New first-in-class treatments, including drugs from Vertex/GlaxoSmithKline, Rinat Neuroscience, Avigen and Pharmos will expand the market to treat pain in the USA, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and Japan to nearly $50.0 billion in 2020,...

Market for catalog antibodies continues strong growth.(research)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... According to the findings of a new study, the average growth rate for pre-made catalog antibodies is projected to be 10.5% over the next 12 months. Specific geographic and market segments are projected to have even higher rates of growth. ...

B-MS extends Lexicon alliance, pays $20M.(Bristol-Myers Squibb)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Gene-based drugmaker Lexicon Genetics says that fellow USA-based firm Bristol-Myers Squibb has extended the target discovery term of their neuroscience alliance for an additional two years. The companies initiated this alliance in December 2003...

Strong Ph II data for Biogen Idec's BG-12.(oral fumarate drug)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... US drugmaker Biogen Idec has reported positive results from a Phase II study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of its oral fumarate drug candidate, BG-12, in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. The multicenter,...

UK anger over NICE ruling on AlzheimerOs.(National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... A guidance by the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on the prescribing of drugs for treating Alzheimer's disease has provoked a storm of criticism from patient groups and drug firms, but was defended by some...

Pharma investigated by Poland's Justice Dept.(Chief Pharmaceutical Inspectorate )(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... An investigation into allegations of corrupt practices by drugmakers in Poland has been ordered by the country's Justice Minister, Zbigniew Ziobro. The move was announced in local media following a complaint against Swiss drug major Roche's...

UK's ABPI takes "drug fraud prof" to GMC.(Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry)(General Medical Council)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry has lodged a complaint with the General Medical Council's ethics committee against Tonmoy Sharma, a senior lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, following investigations into a number of...

Wide variation in EU antibiotic use.(Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy)(Europe union)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... The Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy has published a study of antibiotic use in Europe aggregated at the national level over a five-year period (1997-2002). The study's authors gathered consumption data of antibiotics, which were collected...

Stock Commentary - Europe - week to May 29, 2006.(European Union's drug regulator )(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... EUROPEAN: bourses reversed their previous week's disastrous showing, with significant rises all round and the drug sector enjoying the same fortunes in the reporting week to May 29. All drug stocks tracked in FRANKFURT were higher except...

Stock Commentary - New York week to May 29, 2006.(Avastin (bevacizumab))
June 5, 2006... NEW YORK: equities started the reporting period to May 29 in negative mode, as oil prices rose, but then moved upwards for the rest of the holiday-shortened week, to leave the Dow Jones an overall 1.4% higher. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology...

HMOs will not be impressed with TRIs seen more effective than SSRIs.(Health Maintenance Organization)(triple reuptake inhibitors)(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Even if clinical trials demonstrate that the new class of triple reuptake inhibitors (TRIs) launching in 2009 are more effective than selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), Health Maintenance Organization will not be impressed,...

Novartis spearheads innovative malaria research project.(Singapore Economic Development Board )(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Daniel Vasella, chief executive of Swiss drug major Novartis, has said that the Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases (NITD) will initiate research on malaria - estimated to annually kill more than one million people worldwide and one of the...

Headlines 25 years ago this week....(Sanofi joint venture with Rhone-Poulenc )(Brief article)
June 5, 2006... Sanofi beats path to USA with American Home joint venture, stepping in where Rhone-Poulenc pulled out (at end-1997). Following its merger with Clin Midy in 1980, Sanofi became the second largest pharmaceutical group in France, but had no real...