Pharma Marketletter articles from March 2006

Pharma Marketletter archives from March 2006

FDA approves generic of GSK hayfever drug.(Roxane Laboratories Inc. given patent by Food and Drug Administration )(GlaxoSmithKline's patent has expired)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic version of UK drug major GlaxoSmithKline's antihistamine Flonase (fluticasone) to be manufactured by the USA's Roxane Laboratories. GSK received marketing authorization for the drug...

Amgen's osteo drug sees good Ph II data.(osteoporosis drug denosumab being tested)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... USA-based Amgen, the world's largest biotechnology company, has reported data from a Phase II trial demonstrating that its candidate osteoporosis drug denosumab (AMG 162) significantly increased bone mineral density in the total hip, lumbar...

FDA eases restrictions on Valeant's Tasmar.(Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Food and Drug Administration)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... The USA's Valeant Pharmaceuticals says that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved less restrictive labeling for Tasmar (tolcapone), its catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor for Parkinson's disease patients undergoing treatment with...

Good AE profile for Antares' gel for OAB.(Antares Pharma tests medication for overactive bladder)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... The USA's Antares Pharma has reported positive results from a Phase II clinical study of Anturol (oxybutynin), its transdermal treatment for overactive bladder. In the Phase II study of 48 healthy subjects on three different doses over 20...

Shire sees 17% revenue growth in 2005.(Shire Pharmaceuticals Group PLC)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... UK-based specialty drugmaker Shire Pharma has announced a 19% rise in its sales revenue, reaching $1.3 billion in 2005. The firm saw total revenues of $1.6 billion in the full-year period, with a key contribution coming from sales of its...

Zeltia's 2005 revenue falls 8.6% to 78.8 M euros.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Spanish biotechnology group Zeltia says that its revenue fell 8.6% from 78.8 million euros ($93.7 million) in 2004 to 72.0 million euros in the financial year ended December 31, 2005. The firm attributes the decline to a 3.1% drop in the sales...

Angiotech to appeal UK patent decision.(Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc. sued by Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Canadian drugmaker Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, a specialist manufacturer of drug-eluting medical devices and biomaterials, says that it will appeal against a recent court decision to revoke the firm's UK designation of its European patent...

FDA to extend Zostavax review period.(of Merck and Company Inc.)
March 6, 2006... The US Food and Drug Administration says it will extend the review period for the Biologics License Application for Zostavax (live zoster vaccine), an investigational shingles vaccine owned by US drug major Merck, in order to fully review...

Sanofi-Aventis sees 26.1% net income growth in 2005.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis says that its net sales revenue for 2005 reached 27.3 billion euros ($32.4 billion), an increase of 8.4% on the previous year. The company also reported net income for the year of 6.3 billion euros, up 26.1% on...

BioInvent reports losses of 139.9 M Swedish kronor.(BioInvent International AB)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Swedish biotechnology firm BioInvent says that it made a loss in 2005 of 139.9 million Swedish kronor ($17.6 million), an increase of 51% on the 92.5 million kronor losses the firm recorded in 2004. The group says that its losses increased due...

Glucosamine and Chondroitin reduce arthritis pain, says study.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Study data published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggest that glucosamine and chondroitin supplement provide significant pain relief from osteoarthritis. The clinical trial, which was sponsored by the US National Institutes of...

Erbitux gains positive opinion from CMPH.(Committee for Medicinal Products for Human use, Merck KGAA)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... German firm Merck KGaA says it has received positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human use of Erbitux (cetuximab), for an application to extend the drug's indication to include the treatment...

MorphoSys: "to focus on RA drug".(rheumatoid arthritis)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Germany's MorphoSys AG has reviewed the development strategy on its proprietary therapeutic antibody programs and will now focus the majority of its efforts on its anti-inflammatory compound MOR103 as its new lead compound in the indication of...

CHMP gives the nod to Boeh Ing's Sifrol for RLS.(Boehringer Ingelheim Group gets license for drug treating restless legs syndrome.)(Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Ingelheim, Germany-based drugmaker Boehringer Ingelheim says that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has issued a positive opinion recommending approval of Sifrol/ Mirapexin (pramipexole)...

Abbott lauches new catheter in USA.(Abbott Laboratories Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... US health care major Abbott has launched a new specialty catheter designed to help physicians access areas of blockage in the coronary arteries and other vessels in the body that may be difficult to reach. Known as the Asahi Tornus, the...

Orion acquires self-care medications line.(Orion Pharma A/S acquires Lyocentre Nordic)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Finland's Orion group has acquired treatments for diarrhoea and yeast fungus to enhance its offerings in self-care medication. The pharmaceutical group has acquired the business operations of Lyocentre Nordic, the Finnish subsidiary of...

S&N completes sale of interest in BSN.(Smith and Nephew Associated Companies PLC, BSN Medical)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Orthopedic device specialist Smith & Nephew has completed the sale of its 50% interest in BSN medical to Montagu Private Equity. The firm has converted its share of the proceeds into US dollars and has received $560.0 million in cash, after...

French study lists 46 clinical improvements in 2005.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... The 2005 annual report on therapeutic advances presented by the Medicine Enterprises (LEEM), the French drug manufacturers' trade association, highlights 46 clinical situations showing notable improvements in France during the past year. The...

AARP welcomes Medicare part D improvements.(American Association for Retired People )(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... The US American Association for Retired People has welcomed the latest figures - issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on February 22 - which shows that more than 25 million Americans have now registered for prescription drug...

British doctors protest NICE decisions.(National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... 36 UK physicians have written to the government in protest at what they consider to be the "ignoring of patient needs" by the advisory body responsible for evaluating medical procedures and treatments, the National Institute for Health and...

British govt accused of confusing drug trial patients.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Patients who enroll on a clinical trial in the UK are being offered misleading advice about their rights in the event of accidental injury, in British government-approved documents, according to Desmond Laurence, a professor at the University...

Sanofi-Aventis confident of 2006 launch for Acomplia as it reports strong profits.
March 6, 2006... The world's third-largest drugmaker by sales, Sanofi-Aventis, gave an upbeat presentation on its fourth-quarter and full-year 2005 financial results in Paris, France, on February 24, reporting net income of 1.44 billion euros ($1.72 billion)...

US health care spend to top $2,000 billion by 2006, but growth decelerating.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Health care spending in the USA is projected to grow 7.4 % in 2005 and 7.3% in 2006 surpassing the $2,000.0 billion level, according to a report released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The report was prepared by the...

Need for change in way govt, industry and health care providers interact: ABPI.(health care industry)
March 6, 2006... A fundamental change in the way government, the pharmaceutical industry and health providers interact is essential if the best possible health care is to be provided to patients, delegates at a major conference held by the Economist magazine in...

SMC approves Bonviva for Scotland.(Scottish Medicines Consortium)
March 6, 2006... The Scottish Medicines Consortium, which advises National Health Service boards on the use of newly-licensed drugs in the country, has recommended that Bonviva (ibandronate), a once-monthly treatment co-marketed by UK drugs giant...

Actelion's 2005 revenue up 41% on Tracleer sales.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Swiss biotechnology group Actelion says that total net revenue for full-year 2005 reached 663.6 million Swiss francs ($503.8 million), up 40.6% on the previous year, with operating income rising 77.9% to 152.3 million francs. Net income...

MorphoSys' full-year 2005 income rises 52%.
March 6, 2006... Germany's MorphoSys AG, a specialist developer of technologies for synthetic antibody production, says that its revenues for full-year 2005 reached 33.5 million euros ($39.7 million), an increase of 52% on the prior year, driven by healthy...

Synairgen 6-month loss deepens 90%.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... UK respiratory drug-discovery firm Synairgen says that its revenue for the six months to December 31, 2005, was L77,000 ($134,342), up a massive 132.6% on the like-2004 period. This was primarily generated from its contracts with Centocor and...

Gynecologic oncology: S-P's Caelyx in platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer.(Schering-Plough Corp. develops drug for ovarian cancer)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... New approaches to the treatment of patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer were discussed at a conference symposium on "Treatment challenges in recurrent ovarian cancer," organized by US drug major Schering-Plough, held...

Mirapexin gets CHMP thumbs-up for RLS.(Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use licenses drug for restless leg syndrome)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim says that the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has recommended the approval of Sifrol/Mirapexin (pramipexole) for the treatment of restless leg syndrome. The drug, which...

rhC1NH shows promise in Ph III HAE trials.(Pharming Group N.V. tests drug for Angioneurotic edema)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Netherlands-based biotechnology company Pharming NV says that its lead developmental product, recombinant human C1 inhibitor (rhC1NH), intended for the treatment of hereditary angioedema, has performed well in Phase III clinical studies. Data...

Bioevision's Evoltra gets EU regulatory nod.(European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... New York, USA-based Bioenvision says that the European Medicines Agency (EMEA), has expressed a positive opinion regarding the Evoltra (clofarabine) Marketing Authorization Application that the firm submitted in 2004 (Marketletter August 30,...

CHMP positive about biosimilar Valtropin.(Cambridge Laboratories)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... UK-based specialty pharmaceuticals company Cambridge Laboratories says that Valtropin (saltropin), a recombinant human growth hormone product, has been recommended for approval by the Committee on Medicinal Products for Human Use of the...

Chiron confirms proposed Betaseron deal with Schering AG.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Chiron has confirmed that Germany's Schering AG has provided formal notice of its intention to exercise its option under its collaboration agreement to purchase or lease all assets used by Chiron in the manufacture for Schering of Betaseron...

Par collaborates with Spectrum.(Par Pharmaceutical Inc., Spectrum Pharmaceutical Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... New York State-based Par Pharmaceutical says that it has entered into a collaborative agreement with fellow US firm Spectrum Pharmaceuticals to develop and market generic drugs, including copy versions of injectable and ophthalmic medicines....

Spain's Almirall to post clinical trials on web.(Almirall-Prodesfarma S.A.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... To the benefit of health professionals and patients, Barcelona, Spain-based drug major Almirall has said that it will be making public its clinical trials with its own, new research molecules and marketed products, in accordance with...

Tentative OK for Teva's ondansetron.(Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Israel's Teva Pharmaceutical Industries says that it has received tentative approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for its Abbreviated New Drug Approval for ondansetron injection USP, 2mg/mL, packaged in 4mg/2mL single -ose vials and...

Northfield's trial continues despite Senator's worries.(Northfield Laboratories Inc. tests PolyHeme)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... USA-based Northfield Laboratories says that the status of the pivotal Phase III trial of its oxygen-carrying, blood type-neutral resuscitative fluid, PolyHeme, is unchanged despite safety questions raised by Iowa's Senator Charles Grassley...

Approvable letter for Novartis' Paget drug.( Aclasta approved)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Swiss drug major Novartis has received an "approvable letter" from the US Food and Drug Administration for its drug candidate zoledronic acid (5mg infusion), which is under review for the treatment of Paget's disease of the bone, a chronic and...

2nd Ph III alfimeprase trial initiates enrollment.(Nuvelo Inc., Bayer AG. Pharmaceutical Div.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... US drugmaker Nuvelo and Germany's Bayer have begun patient enrollment in a second pivotal Phase III clinical trial of their blood clot dissolving enzyme, alfimeprase, for the treatment of central venous catheter occlusion (CO). The trial,...

UPDATE: US FDA delays review date of Merck's Zostavax.(Merck and Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... The US Food and Drug Administration says it will extend the review period for the Biologics License Application for drug major Merck & Co's shingle vaccine Zostavax (live zoster vaccine), in order to fully review information submitted after the...

Canadian experts warn of conflict between legitimate biotechnology and terrorism.(bioterrorism)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... A report by the Canadian Program on Genomics and Global Health warns that "global efforts to combat bioterrorism are on a potential collision course with legitimate biotechnology pursuits." The study's co-author, Peter Singer, said in a...

Shanghai Sankyo files lawsuit against alleged imitator.(Shanghai Sankyo Pharmaceuticals, Beijing Winsunny Pharmaceuticals' intellectual property case)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... China Daily reports that Beijing Winsunny Pharmaceuticals has been served with writs from Japanese drug major Daiichi Sankyo and its Chinese subsidiary, Shanghai Sankyo Pharmaceuticals, over claims that the Beijing, China-based company had...

LEEM's 2005 review of French clinical innovation finds 46 notable improvements.(medical research)
March 6, 2006... The 2005 annual report on therapeutic advances presented by the Medicine Enterprises (LEEM), the French drug manufacturers' trade association, highlights 46 clinical conditions showing notable improvements in France during the past year. The...

Traditional botanicals-based drugmaker Phynova sucessfully launches on AIM.(Alternative Investment Market)(Company Profile)
March 6, 2006... UK-based drugmaker Phynova, a specialist developer of drugs derived from traditional Chinese botanical medicines, says that it has seen a successful first day's trading on the London Alternative Investment Market. The firm's share price, which...

Schering AG discusses some highlights of its 2006 product pipline at its Berlin briefing.
March 6, 2006... German pharmaceutical company Schering AG provided a detailed update of its developmental product pipeline during its annual results press conference (Marketletter February 27), held in Berlin. The firm says it has a robust and diverse pipeline...

GSK's Rotarix gains EU approval.(GlaxoSmithKline PLC)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... UK drug major GlaxoSmithKline says that the European Commission has granted approval for the firm's rotavirus vaccine Rotarix. The product, which was first approved for use in Mexico in 2005, is designed to prevent rotaviral infection and is...

US PhRMA R&D investment hits $40B.(Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of Americian)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... New statistics released in the USA show that R&D investments in new medicines by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of Americian's biotechnology and pharmaceutical member companies reached a record $39.4 billion in 2005 (up from $37.0...

US Congressmen press for changes on drug labeling laws.
March 6, 2006... In a letter to US Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, Representatives Henry Waxman, John Dingell and Sherrod Brown said that the Food and Drug Administration position that drug labels approved by the agency are not subject to...

Indonesian pharma growing at 12%.(Interview)
March 6, 2006... The Indonesian pharmaceutical sector currently has annual sales of about 22,000 billion rupiah ($2.38 billion), an average yearly growth in recent years of around 12%, consists of some 200 drug manufacturers with 60 accounting for about 80% of...

Indian bid to slash HIV, cancer drug prices.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... The Indian Chemicals and Petrochemicals Ministry has started to negotiate with manufacturers of anticancer and HIV/AIDS drugs to cut prices at least 50%, according to the Bhuma Shrivastava newspaper. A senior Ministry official said: "we will...

Vietnam: drug price investigation launched.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... After the prices of some Vietnamese medicines increased anywhere from 5% to 200% without government pre-authorization, an inter-ministerial team is checking drug pricing practices, based on cost and price structure, at 20 domestic drug...

Treating HBP in US seniors could prevent strokes and deaths.(high blood pressure)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Using prescription medicines to treat untreated and undertreated high blood pressure could prevent thousands of heart attacks, strokes, and deaths in every state of the USA, according to a new study, commissioned by the Pharmaceutical Research...

European drugmakers deploy novel Dendrite marketing solutions.(Dendrite International Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Dendrite International has announced the early European adoption of one of its strategic Marketing Solutions' offerings, Physician Connect. The company signed 11 multi-country Physician Connect agreements in the latter half of 2005 with eight...

Sanofi-Aventis sorts out Dehecq succession issue.(Jean-Francois Dehecq )(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Jean-Francois Dehecq, president and chief executive of the French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis is to remain in the post to the age of 70, retiring in December 2009. The board of the company has proposed to change the rules with the consent of the...

Wyeth wins further Philadelphia diet drug case.(American Home Products Corp. Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories Div. sued by Dana Hooper)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... US drug major Wyeth says that the jury in the cases relating to alleged heart valve injury due to its long-withdrawn diet drug Pondamin (fenfluramine) of Dana Hooper versus Wyeth and Christina Jenkins vs Wyeth in the Philadelphia Court of...

Pfizer announces new class of Global Health Fellows.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... USA-based global drug giant Pfizer has announced its fifth class of Global Health Fellows, 22 colleagues from North America, Europe and Asia who will volunteer up to six months of their time to work on projects that address serious health...

Bentley Pharma gains more drug approvals in Spain.(Bentley Pharmaceuticals Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... US generics firm Bentley Pharmaceuticals says that that it has received 12 marketing approvals in Spain for various dosage forms of citalopram (a generic version of Forest Laboratories' Celexa), finasteride (a copy of Merck & Co's Proscar) and...

Calls for global tariff abolition for drugs.(World Trade Organization regulates drug prices)
March 6, 2006... The US trade representative to the Geneva, Switzerland-headquartered World Trade Organization has called for an end to all tariffs and non-tariff barriers on pharmaceutical products, citing research which claims that the protectionist measures...

Indian loosens drug price controls.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... India loosens drug price controls India's National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority is looking to the administration of income tax as a model for monitoring prices in the drugs market, according to a report in an Indian business...

Avalon raises $7.25M in private placement.(Avalon Pharmaceuticals Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... The USA's Avalon Pharmaceuticals has completed a $7.25 million private placement to Biotechnology Value Fund, and other institutional investors. The 666,666 shares of common stock were issued by the Maryland-headquartered firm at a price...

MorphoSys gets 4th Centocor milestone.(antibodies for autoimmune diseases)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... German synthetic antibody specialist MorphoSys AG has achieved a fourth milestone within the scope of its collaboration with the USA's Centocor, by developing several highly-optimized fully-human immunoglobin G antibodies using its proprietary...

FDA OKs Nastech's osteo spray production site.(Nastech Pharmaceutical Company Inc.'s calcitonin)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... USA-based Nastech Pharmaceutical has completed the Food and Drug Administration's pre-approval inspection of its Bothell, Washington, facility which enables it to manufacture its calcitonin-salmon nasal spray for osteoporosis once its February...

Strong safety data for GPC's cancer drug.(GPC Biotech AG)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... German drugmaker GPC Biotech has presented encouraging safety data on its cancer drug satraplatin at the American Society for Clinical Oncology's Prostate Cancer Symposium held in San Francisco, California. In 17 heavily-pre-treated...

Aphios granted Japanese nanosome patent.(phospholipid nanosome )(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... USA-based Aphios Corp has been awarded a Japanese patent for its phospholipid nanosome drug-delivery technology platform. The firm's phospholipid nanosomes are small, uniform liposomes that utilize SuperFluids, gases which, when compressed,...

Chemicon and SCS launch ES culture product line.(Stem Cell Sciences)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... The USA's Chemicon, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Serologicals Corp, and UK-based Stem Cell Sciences have launched the ESGRO Complete product line for murine embryonic stem cell (ES) culture, following the signing of an agreement in November...

Santarus' Zegerid gets FDA approval.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... USA-based Santarus, a specialty pharmaceuticals company focused on the creation of therapies for gastrointestinal diseases, says that the Food and Drug Administration has approved its New Drug Application for Zegerid (omeprazole/sodium...

FDA approves Caraco's fluvoxamine maleate.(Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories Ltd.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Detroit, USA-based Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories says that the Food and Drug Administration has granted final approval for its New Drug Application for fluvoxamine maleate, at 25mg, 50mg and 100mg dosage strength. The compound was the...

Sanofi-Aventis reveals highlights of its R&D pipeline, with 55 drugs in Ph II or III.
March 6, 2006... Leading French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi-Aventis gave a bullish presentation of its R&D pipeline, along with its financial results presentation in Paris, France (see also page 3). It said that the number of projects in late-stage clinical...

French controversy over de-reimbursement.
March 6, 2006... A total of 152 medicinal products which had been reimbursed at the rate of 35% by the French social security system have been removed from the list on the grounds that their medical benefits are regarded as inadequate. The list includes...

Drugs blamed for German health funds' woes.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... The financial position of the German public-sector health funds is being described as precarious by health fund specialists. They estimate that, last year, the position worsened as the surplus had contracted from 4.0 billion euros to about 1.0...

Czech patients not to pay more for drugs.(drug distributors to be sued)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... People in the Czech Republic have been told they will not have to pay more for the medicines. Health Minister David Rath has said that if patients become aware that a prescribed drug requires additional payment, they should apply to hospital...

India test bed for drugmakers.(Boeringer Ingelheim's Aggrenox)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Wired Magazine carries a mostly skeptical report on the outsourcing of clinical trials to India, paying particular attention to German drugmaker Boeringer Ingelheim's Aggrenox (aspirin/extended-release dipyridamole), a stroke-prevention...

Israel's Teva sees 2005 income reach $1.07B, with strong 4th-qtr revenue growth.(Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.)
March 6, 2006... Israeli drugmaker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries says it saw net income of $1.07 billion, or $1.59 per share, for 2005. On a generally-accepted accounting principals basis, taking into consideration costs involved with the acquisition of Sicor...

Zentiva NV achieves net income of 1.8 B CZK, led by European sales growth.
March 6, 2006... Czech pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and food supplement group Zentiva NV has reported 2005 net income of 1.84 billion koruna ($77.7 million), representing earnings per share of 49.23 koruna, up 16.4% on the figure in 2004. The period also saw a...

Chiron signs UK bird flu stockpile vacc deal.(to supply vaccines to British government)
March 6, 2006... US biotechnology major Chiron Corp has signed a supply contract with the UK government for pre-pandemic influenza vaccine for a stockpile based on the H5N1 strain. Under the terms of the deal, Chiron has agreed to supply the British...

AGI floats on AIM, grossing 42M euros.(Agile Therapeutics Inc., Alternative Investments Market )(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Ireland's AGI Therapeutics, a specialty pharmaceuticals company focused on gastrointestinal drugs, says that its ordinary shares commenced trading on the Alternative Investments Market of the London Stock Exchange on Februrary 27. In...

Neurochem 4th-qtr 2005 loss deepens 1.3%.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... US drugmaker Neurochem says that, for the three-month period ended December 31, 2005, its net loss amounted to $15.6 million, or $0.42 per share, a 1.3% decline on the corresponding period last year, due to higher R&D costs related to the Phase...

Evolutec's full-year 2005 loss deepens 159%.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Evolutec, a UK-based biopharmaceutical company developing novel products for the treatment of allergic, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, reported an operating loss for full-year 2005 of L6.6 million ($11.6 million), a 158.7% decline that...

Japan stock market week to Feb 27, 2006.
March 6, 2006... Tokyo saw a rally in the week ended February 27, following a three-day winning streak toward the end of the period. The Nikkei 225 was up 4.9%, recovering the 16,000 level, while the Topix index climbed 5.4%. Japanese players were active in...

AG takes action against PA firm for deceptive ads.(Attorney General sues Pro-tel Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Pennsylvania, USA, Attorney General Corbett says that a Pennsylvania business will refund consumers, pay fines and get out of the health care business following claims that it used deceptive marketing tactics to lure senior citizens into...

Stora Enso and Orion to authenticate pharma packaging.(Orion Pharma A/S)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Finnish companies Stora Enso and Orion are introducing a series of pharmaceutical packages equipped with RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags to pharmacies. Stora Enso's PackAgent software is used to authenticate the products throughout...

Artemis in target validation deal with B-MS.(Artemis Pharmaceuticals GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.)(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Cologne, Germany-based Artemis Pharmaceuticals GmbH says it has signed a target validation collaboration agreement with US drug major Bristol-Myers Squibb. Under the accord Artemis will generate various genetically-engineered murine models...

Elan to suspend share trading ahead of Tysabri review.(Brief Article)
March 6, 2006... Ireland's Elan Corp says it has agreed with the Irish Stock Exchange, the Financial Services Authority in the UK and the New York Stock Exchange to suspend trading of its securities (ADRs and ordinary shares) during the scheduled US Food and...