Author: Claire Bowie

Pfizer’s Viagra (sildenafil) will be protected from generic competition in Canada until its patent expires in 2014, the country’s Federal Court ruled yesterday.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has launched a one-month consultation period to review patient access and flexible pricing schemes as part of a product’s appraisal for use on the National Health Service.

Seven of the top 10 and all of the top six drugs will be biologics in just five years time, says a new report from analysts at Evaluate Pharma. Heading the pack will be Roche’s cancer antibody Avastin (bevacizumab) – reeling in $9.2 billion in sales despite its recent setbacks for adjuvant use in colon cancer – but closely followed by Abbott and Eisai’s arthritis medication Humira (adalimumab) at $9.1 billion.

Canadian biotechnology company Cardiome saw its share price tumble yesterday after the US drug regulator asked for more safety data for its atrial fibrillation drug Kynapid (vernakalant hydrochloride).

Sanofi Pasteur MSD’s top-selling Gardasil has been thrust into the spotlight again after the European Medicines Agency said there have been two sudden and unexpected deaths in young women who had received the vaccine as a prevention against developing cervical cancer.