Following a re-examination, the European Medicines Agency’s human health committee, CHMP confirmed its initial recommendation to refuse the granting of a conditional marketing authorization for Masitinib AB Science’s masitinib. 18 October 2024
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
German pharma major Bayer is among the four latest companies named and shamed for breaching the Code of Practice of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI). 12 December 2017
Privately-held drugmaker Consilient Health has revealed the UK’s health technology assessor NICE has rejected its appeal against July’s negative reimbursement decision for its obesity med Mysimba. 12 December 2017
Swiss oncology giant Roche has revealed positive results from the Phase III IMmotion151 study of Tecentriq and Avastin in kidney cancer. 12 December 2017
Drugs that prove to be an effective treatment for migraines could find their way into the hands of as many as 13% of Americans, so it is no surprise that several of pharma’s biggest players are in the race to gain a share of the market. 12 December 2017
In yet another licensing deal, UK-based Mundipharma has expanded its ophthalmology portfolio in the Middle East and Africa by agreeing a new commercial partnership with NTC, an Italian pharmaceutical company with deep experience in research and development, to license and distribute a range of ophthalmic medicines in the region. 12 December 2017
Dealmakers did not have their busiest month in November, potentially due to companies waiting to see the shape of US President Donald Trump's proposed tax cuts. 12 December 2017
Almirall has linked up with US biopharma company Athenex to further develop and commercialize KX-391 for the treatment of actinic keratosis and other skin conditions. 12 December 2017
2017 marks a year of significant advancement for Boehringer Ingelheim as it secured a range of external partnerships with the goal of transforming the lives of patients and winning the fight against cancer, the German family-owned drug major has announced. 12 December 2017
USA-based Ardelyx has inked a license agreement providing Shanghai Fosun Pharma with the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize Ardelyx' lead product, tenapanor, in China for the treatment of patients with irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) and for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia related to chronic kidney disease. 11 December 2017
It is the third-most common disorder in the world. In the USA, close to 38 million people suffer from it. Globally, the number is a whopping 1 billion. We are talking about migraine, also often referred to as ‘super headaches’ — a condition more prevalent than diabetes, epilepsy, and asthma combined. 11 December 2017
The US lobby group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) has initiated litigation in the US District Court for the Eastern District of California challenging SB 17, describing it as ‘an unprecedented and unconstitutional California law.’ 11 December 2017
Drug imports by Russia for the period of January-September of 2017 grew for the first time since 2014 and amounted to 108.700 tonnes, which is 6.5% more than in the same period a year ago. 11 December 2017
Tokyo’s Takeda Pharmaceutical and US-based Seattle Genetics presented positive data from the Phase III ECHELON-1 study of Adcetris (brentuximab vedotin) at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting yesterday. 11 December 2017
A survey compiled by US consulting firm the Reputation Institute put Bayer in the top 10 of a list of the world’s most reputable pharma companies. 11 December 2017
In an oral presentation at the ongoing American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting, Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceutical arm Janssen has described a new analysis of data from Phase II and III studies into Imbruvica (ibrutinib). 11 December 2017
Among last week’s most interesting news were two acquisition deals in the field of immuno-oncology: Gilead Sciences buy of Cell Design Labs and bluebird bio’s takeover of Scottish firm TC BioPharm. Gilead also added to the news flow, in that the first patient has been dosed with its newly-approved lymphoma drug Yescarta by the Moffitt Cancer Center. On the licensing front, Collegium Pharmaceuticals acquired rights to Nucynta and Juno Therapeutics lined up with Eli Lilly, taking the US pharma major into the immuno-oncology arena. 10 December 2017
The news early Friday morning that Britain and the European Union had finally agreed that enough progress has been made in the Brexit talks for the UK to leave the EU, to move on to more detailed trade agreement discussions, was broadly welcomed by the pharma and biotech industry. 8 December 2017
Pharmaceuticals and healthcare industry monitor Bioethics International has published its Good Pharma Scorecard, ranking pharmaceutical companies and new drugs on their clinical trial transparency. 8 December 2017
In a reversal of its earlier draft decision, the UK’s health technology assessor has provided final draft guidance recommending Eisai’s Kisplyx (lenvatinib), in combination with everolimus, as an option for treating kidney cancer. 8 December 2017
A report from advocacy group AARP - the American Association of Retired Persons - has found that retail prices for 768 prescription drugs commonly used by older adults increased by an average of 6.4% in 2015, despite a low inflation rate of 0.1% for the period. 7 December 2017