Novartis has linked up with Ensemble Therapeutics to develop the latter’s in-house experimental drug candidates that block the inflammatory protein interleukin-17, a target for a number of autoimmune diseases.
News
Pay-for-delay fine widens Lundbeck loss
Losses at Lundbeck have widened for the second quarter, hit by the effects of a ‘pay-for-delay’ fine from the European Commission, although its new products are performing well.
Price cuts good, more competition better – Oxfam, MSF
After Roche linked up with the Medicines Patent Pool on its cytomegalovirus drug Valcyte, two leading charities have welcomed the move but called for even broader access to medicines for poorer countries.
TransCelerate’s Comparator Network now active
TransCelerate BioPharma, the non-profit organisation set up by leading pharmaceutical companies last September to advance innovation and tackle inefficiencies in R&D, has put into operation a Comparator Network to ensure rapid, reliable sourcing of quality medicines for clinical trials.
Amgen to raise bid for Onyx, claims report
Amgen is rumoured to be planning a higher offer to acquire Onyx Pharmaceuticals, having had an earlier bid of $120 per share rejected by the cancer specialist.
Antidepressant Brintellix tipped as blockbuster
Among the new agents entering the unipolar depression market over the next decade, Lundbeck/Takeda Pharmaceutical’s Brintellix is set to achieve blockbuster status by 2022, according to new forecasts.
Australian pharma fury at 492 drug price cuts
Australia has this month cut the prices of 492 drug brands by 12.5% or 16%, saving consumers around A$20 million a year, say ministers.
FDA panel backs Bayer’s riociguat
A US Food and Drug Administration panel has unanimously backed approval of Bayer’s riociguat in two pulmonary hypertension indications.
Improved efficiency helps Merck KGaA financials
Merck KGaA has posted a reasonable set of figures for the second quarter, driven by cost-cutting and continued growth for its multiple sclerosis blockbuster Rebif.
KKR to acquire ReSearch Pharmaceutical Services
KKR the US-based investment firm that last June acquired clinical research organisation PRA International from Genstar Capital, has made another sally into the CRO market with a definitive agreement to take over ReSearch Pharmaceutical Services (RPS) from its private-equity owner, Warburg Pincus.
Lilly-RPCI training for minority investigators
Eli Lilly has stepped up its efforts to boost diversity in oncology studies by launching a new collaborative training programme for trial investigators from minority communities in the US.
Roche’s Perjeta not value for money, says NICE draft
The NHS is to be advised that it should not routinely provide Roche’s Perjeta (pertuzumab) as a treatment for a type of advanced breast cancer, because it does not represent value for money, says new draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
Thumbs-down for Otsuka’s tolvaptan for kidney disorder
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co has suffered a setback after advisors to the US Food and Drug Administration decided not to recommend the Japanese drugmaker’s already-approved tolvaptan for a kidney disorder.
Bayer signs $540 million cancer pact with Compugen
Bayer has signed a cancer immunotherapy deal with Compugen which could be worth over $540 million to the Israeli biotech.
NHS told to slash procurement costs by minister
What has been described as “radical new blueprint” for “everything” the National Health Service buys has been unveiled by the UK government.
