Merck & Co is facing yet another delay for its anaesthesia reversal drug sugammadex, as US regulators shelve an advisory meeting and announce plans for additional inspections.
News
Baxter’s haemophilia drug hits PhIII targets
Baxter’s investigational haemophilia treatment was successful in controlling bleeding episodes in a late-stage clinical trial with patients who develop inhibitors to clotting factor replacement therapies.
GSK to raise £574m by selling Aspen stake
GlaxoSmithkline is selling half of its stake in South Africa’s Aspen Pharmacare to raise around £574 million.
US extends use of Actavis bipolar drug to children
The US Food and Drug Administration has extended the use of Actavis’ atypical antipsychotic Saphris (asenapine) to include the treatment of children with bipolar 1 disorder.
MPs warn of slowdown in UK cancer services
The drive to improve cancer services in the UK has slowed down over the last two years because of lost leadership, a dilution of focus and dwindling resources, a report by the Public Accounts Committee has concluded.
Pfizer’s Lyrica fails post-marketing study
Pfizer’s Lyrica (pregabalin) has failed to hit its primary target in a post-marketing study assessing its safety and efficacy in young people with fibromyalgia.
Pharma contributes £310m to 2014 UK meds bill
The pharmaceutical industry has paid £81 million to underwrite the increase in the medicines bill under the 2014 Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme, pushing the total payment made during 2014 to £310 million.
SMARTPEOPLE: Interview with Eric Low of Myeloma UK
I don’t normally eat breakfast when I’m at home. I get up at 5.30am and work on emails for about an hour before driving the 40 minutes to the office. On the way I generally pick up a coffee and occasionally a pain au raisin. If I am travelling it’s a different story – I always try to have breakfast as you don’t always know when you’ll next eat.
Wales backs GSK’s COPD inhaler for NHS use
The All Wales Medicines Strategy Group has recommended use of GlaxoSmithKline’s Anoro Ellipta (umeclidinium/vilanterol) for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
CDF to revisit delisting of Lilly’s Alimta
Lilly’s appeal against the Cancer Drugs Fund’s decision to delist its lung cancer drug Alimta (pemetrexed) has been upheld.
FDA to re-review B-MS’ hep C combo
US regulators have agreed to re-review Bristol-Myers Squibb’s application to market its investigational hepatitis C drug daclatasvir in combination with Gilead’s Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) for patients with genotype 3 forms of the disease.
AZ in heart failure alliance with researchers in Singapore
AstraZeneca is partnering with leading organisations in Singapore to support research into new and more targeted therapies for heart failure.
Endo confirms $11bn bid for Salix
Endo International has swooped in with an offer for Salix Pharmaceuticals of around $11 billion, overshooting Valeant’s $10.4-billion-bid.
EU expands use of Novo’s diabetes drug Tresiba
The European Commission has approved expanded use of Novo Nordisk’s Tresiba (insulin degludec) to include children and adolescents with diabetes aged one to 17 years.
FEATURED PRESS RELEASE: DIA EuroMeeting celebrates 50 years of pharma milestones
The 27th DIA EuroMeeting in Paris, 13-15 April 2015, will be a landmark event.
