US FDA approves NPS Pharma's Natpara
The US Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved NPS Pharmaceuticals’ (Nasdaq: NPSP) Natpara (parathyroid hormone) to control hypocalcemia (low blood calcium levels) in patients with hypoparathyroidism, a rare disease that affects about 60,000 people in the USA.
Hypoparathyroidism is a rare endocrine disorder characterized by insufficient levels of parathyroid hormone, or PTH. Natpara, a bioengineered replica of human PTH, is expected to be available in the second quarter of 2015, said NPS Pharma.
NPS Pharma is the subject of a $5.2 billion ($46.00 per share) agreed takeover by Ireland-headquartered drugmaker Shire’s (LSE: SHP), and the approval of Natpara is seen as validation of the 50% premium that Shire has offered for the company. NPS Pharma’s shares edged up 0.68% to $45.95 in after-hours trading on January 23. Shire’s shares gained 2.2% to £48.16.
This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.
Login to your accountTry before you buy
Free
7 day trial access
- All the news that moves the needle in pharma and biotech
- Exclusive features, podcasts, interviews, data analyses and commentary from our global network of life sciences reporters.
- Receive The Pharma Letter daily news bulletin, free forever.
Become a subscriber
£820
Or £77 per month
- Unfettered access to industry-leading news, commentary and analysis in pharma and biotech.
- Updates from clinical trials, conferences, M&A, licensing, financing, regulation, patents & legal, executive appointments, commercial strategy and financial results.
- Daily roundup of key events in pharma and biotech.
- Monthly in-depth briefings on Boardroom appointments and M&A news.
- Choose from a cost-effective annual package or a flexible monthly subscription
The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed
Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK
More on this story...
Today's issue
Company Spotlight
More Features in Biotechnology
Copyright © The Pharma Letter 2024 | Headless Content Management with Blaze