Look back at pharma news in the week to November 8

Last week’s noteworthy news included China’s medicines regulator, the NPMA, approving the first new Alzheimer’s therapy in 17 years, but questions are raised on Green Valley’s oligomannate. There was a series disappointment on Monday for Halozyme Therapeutics with the failure of its pancreatic cancer candidate PEGPH20. Israel’s RedHill Biopharma had good news last week with the US Food and Drug Administration approval of its Helicobacter pylori treatment Talicia, and AstraZeneca announced a major expansion of its presence in China, which is now the Anglo-Swedish pharma major’s second largest market.

China approves Alzheimer’s drug, inviting fresh debate in field with few successes

In a decision likely to stir scientific debate across the world, China's health regulator approved a new Alzheimer's drug for patients with mild-to-moderate forms of the neurodegenerative disease, commented Ned Pagliarulo writing on BioPharma Dive. The drug, oligomannate, which was developed by the little-known Shanghai Green Valley Pharmaceuticals, will be available throughout China by the end of the year, according to the company and a posting on the website of China's National Medical Products Administration.