Patients with advanced breast cancer living in England and Wales will not be allowed routine access to Novartis’ Afinitor on the National Health Service, following a decision from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence that has angered the company and charities.
News
Cancer Research Technology teams with Forma for DUB exploration
Cancer Research Technology (CRT), the commercialisation and development arm of Cancer Research UK, has formed an alliance with FormaTherapeutics, a US-based company focused on developing transformative small-molecule cancer therapies, to explore the biological implications and applications of deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs).
EMA reviews Lilly/BI diabetes drug ‘similar’ to Lantus
Eli Lilly and partner Boehringer Ingelheim say that regulators in Europe have accepted for review their biosimilar of Sanofi’s blockbuster diabetes treatment Lantus.
GSK probes its Botox sales in China: WSJ
GlaxoSmithKline is investigating fresh allegations that staff in China were involved in paying backhanders to doctors to sell Botox in China, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Hikma ups guidance due to doxycycline sales
Hikma Pharmaceuticals says “all of our businesses have continued to perform well” and now expects revenues to rise 17% in 2013, up from a previous forecast of a 13% increase, boosted by strong sales of its generic antibiotic doxycycline.
Novartis and India’s Biological E sign typhoid pact
Novartis has entered into a development and licensing agreement with Biological E of India for two vaccines to protect against typhoid and paratyphoid fevers.
Novartis psoriasis drug beats Amgen’s Enbrel in Ph III
Novartis’ secukinumab has outperformed Amgen’s multi-billion-dollar drug Enbrel in a late-stage clinical trial in patients with psoriasis.
Oil-rich Azerbaijan “very attractive” for pharma
The oil-rich and rapidly-growing nation of Azerbaijan is presenting itself as a very attractive ground for global healthcare investors, and the nation’s pharmaceutical market is particularly promising, according to new research.
UCB out-licenses RA drug olokizumab to Russia’s R-Pharm
Having recently decided not to continue development of olokizumab despite positive mid-stage results, UCB has decided to out-license the rheumatoid arthritis drug to Russia’s R-Pharm.
China starts probe into pharma pricing
Days after beginning an investigation into price-fixing of infant milk by foreign companies, China has turned its attention to the pharmaceutical industry, both domestic and international.
Fresh EU approval for Novartis’ Lucentis
The European Commission has granted Novartis a fourth approval for its eye drug Lucentis, this time to treat patients with visual impairment due to choroidal neovascularisation secondary to pathologic myopia.
Orexo gets FDA OK for opioid dependence drug
Regulators in the USA have given the green light to Orexo of Sweden’s Zubsolv as a treatment for opioid addiction.
Paraxel signs up Rutgers New Jersey Medical School as Key Alliance Site
US-based biopharmaceutical services provider Parexel International has designated Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) in Newark as a Key Alliance Site for hosting clinical trials from Parexel’s client base.
Single shot of Biogen’s haemophilia drug controls 87% of bleeds
Biogen Idec and Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (Sobi) have unveiled late-stage clinical data that seem to support the clinical and safety profile of their long-lasting recombinant factor VIII candidate Eloctate, which is currently under review for haemophilia A.
US priority review for Roche’s ‘breakthrough’ leukaemia drug
US regulators will conduct an accelerated review of Roche group Genentech’s ‘breakthrough’ leukaemia drug obinutuzumab.
