University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) and SHINE Europe have secured a 10.5 million euro ($11 million) grant to advance European production of terbium isotopes for cancer treatments. 17 October 2024
Danish dermatology focused LEO Pharma has announced the launch of Anzupgo (delgocitinib) cream in Germany for the treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe chronic hand eczema (CHE), for whom topical corticosteroids are inadequate or inappropriate. 15 October 2024
French pharma major Sanofi revealed it has entered into negotiations with private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) for the potential sale of a 50% controlling stake in Opella, its consumer healthcare business. 14 October 2024
The UK’s new 2024 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access, and growth (VPAG) came into force at the beginning of January this year. 4 October 2024
French drugmaker Mitem Pharmavhas the worldwide acquisition of Desferal (deferoxamine), a major MITM in hematology, from Swiss giant Novartis. 25 September 2024
The Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) is further expanding its focus on life sciences by opening an institute for biomedical artificial intelligence (AI) based on a 150 million euros ($166.8 million) funding from the German non-profit Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation (BIS). 18 September 2024
Novartis is building two new radioligand therapy (RLT) manufacturing facilities in the USA to enhance its supply chain for cancer treatments. This move supports the growing use of RLTs, a form of precision medicine that targets tumors with radiation. 6 September 2024
Belgium’s largest drugmaker UCB announced a strategic divestment deal in China, underscoring its strategic shift towards innovation and partnership in one of the world’s fastest-growing pharmaceutical markets. 27 August 2024
The UK’s largest pharma company AstraZeneca has rejected claims that it is moving its vaccine operations to the USA, according to media reports. 23 August 2024
Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma announced the termination of its exclusive sales rights agreements with AnGes for the HGF gene therapy product, Collategene (beperminogene perplasmid) intramuscular injection targeting peripheral arterial diseases in Japan and the USA. 23 August 2024
UK pharma major AstraZeneca has become the only current UK-lis¬ted company to reach a £200 billion ($256.4 billion) valuation, the Financial Times reported today, noting that it is a vindication of the company’s bet on developing a leading portfolio of cancer drugs. 14 August 2024
US pharma giant Pfizer has announced the publication of real-world results from a cohort of the longitudinal, observational Phase IV THAOS (Transthyretin Amyloidosis Outcomes Survey) study in the Journal of Cardiac Failure. 8 August 2024
Japanese drugmaker Shionogi says that its New Drug Application (NDA) for cefiderocol has been accepted for review by the Center for Drug Evaluation, National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). 5 August 2024
Germany’s Bayer has submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration for approval to market elinzanetant for moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (VMS), commonly known as hot flashes, associated with menopause. 2 August 2024
Spanish plasma-derived medicines company Grifols announced with the Andorran government the cancellation of the immunology research center planned for the parish of Ordino. 29 July 2024
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Palforzia (peanut [Arachis hypogaea] allergen powder-dnfp] to include initiation of treatment, up-dosing and maintenance in individuals ages one through three years. 27 July 2024
Vividion Therapeutics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Germany’s Bayer, today announced it will expand its global innovation capabilities with a new research and development (R&D) center and corporate headquarters in San Diego, California. 23 July 2024
US pharm major Eli Lilly on Friday revealed via a social media posting that it has been granted approval from the Chinese National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to sell tirzepatide for weight loss in the country. 20 July 2024
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a draft guidance for industry, “Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Developing Drugs for Treatment,” to help sponsors in the clinical development of drugs to treat pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). 19 July 2024
Swedish firm InDex Pharmaceuticals has announced that its board of directors has named Jenny Sundqvist as the company's new chief executive. 10 October 2022
In what could be a paradigm shift in the treatment of congestion due to worsening heart failure, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Furoscix (furosemide injection). 10 October 2022
Privately-held Covis Pharma knows what it is up against from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the regulator attempts to have the company’s preterm birth (PTB) drug Makena (hydroxyprogesterone caproate) withdrawn from the market. 10 October 2022
UK clinical stage drug development company Evgen Pharma saw its shares rocket more than 66% to 4.63 pence this morning, after it revealed the signing of global license for lead asset SFX-01 in neurodevelopmental disorders and schizophrenia to Stalicla. 10 October 2022
Commenting on a much-anticipated meeting of representatives of the Greek pharmaceutical sector with the Ministry of Health, the national trade group, the Hellenic Association of Pharmaceutical Companies (SFEE), concluded that it was fruitless. 10 October 2022
Competition for Novo Nordisk’s recently-approved weight loss drug Wegovy (semaglutide) is coming quickly, with Eli Lilly securing Fast Track designation for its rival therapy. 7 October 2022
On Friday, the US Food and Drug Administration approved Boostrix (tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid and acellular pertussis vaccine, adsorbed [Tdap]) for immunization during the third trimester of pregnancy to prevent pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, in infants younger than two months of age. 7 October 2022
LifeMine Therapeutics, a US start-up searching the fungal biosphere for genetically-encoded small molecules (GEMs), today announced the appointments of Martin Stahl, as chief scientific officer and Louis Plamondon, as executive vice president and head of CMC. 6 October 2022
The share of counterfeit medicines in the Russian pharmaceutical market has declined to minimal figures in the last five years, which was mainly due to efforts that have been made by the state, according to a recent report published by the Russian pharmaceutical regulator Roszdravnadzor and some local media, reports The Pharma Letter’s local correspondent. 6 October 2022
The Russian government plans to speed up the development and production of domestic drugs against rare diseases amid the ever tightening pressure caused by sanctions on the country due to its military conflict with Ukraine. 6 October 2022
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals’ shares rose 1.2% to 408.75 rupees today, after the Indian drugmaker announced that it became the first company in India to launch thiazolidinedione lobeglitazone for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults. 6 October 2022
Market authorization was granted to 92 new medicines in the European Union (EU) last year.Market authorization was granted to 92 new medicines in the European Union (EU) last year. 5 October 2022
Victor Grifols Roura, who has devoted 50 years to building Spanish plasma-derived drugmaker Grifols (MCE: GRF) in senior roles including chief executive for 30 years, retires as non-executive chairperson. He is designated as chairperson of honor in recognition of his numerous contributions. 5 October 2022
Allecra Therapeutics, a France-based biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of novel antibiotics, today revealed that the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has published the final results from its Phase III ALLIUM trial investigating the combination of cefepime/enmetazobactam in patients with complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs). 5 October 2022
Japan’s largest drugmaker Takeda says that it will discontinue manufacturing its injectable parathyroid hormone Natpar/Natpara globally at the end of 2024 due to unresolved supply issues that are specific to the product. 5 October 2022
Melatonin, a natural hormone that is produced by the pineal gland and used by many long-haul airline travellers to mitigate their jet-lag symptoms, has gained its first approval in the UK, but as a treatment for sleep onset insomnia in children and adolescents aged six-17 years with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), where sleep hygiene measures have been inadequate. 4 October 2022
Japanese pharma major Shionogi gained 1% to 7,035 yen today, after it announced a voluntary license agreement for its oral COVID-19 antiviral candidate ensitrelvir fumaric acid (S-217622) with the United Nations-backed Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), which aims to increase access to life-saving medicines for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). 4 October 2022