Learn what’s trending by taking a look at last week’s most-viewed stories on Pharmaceutical Processing. No. 10 “FDA Approves Flublok Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine“ No. 9 “FDA Drug Shortages: 10/11/16 Update“ No. 8 “Single-Arm Trials Improve Early Access to Rare Cancer Drugs“ No. 7 “New Candidate Vaccines Against the Plague“ No. 6 “UAE Pharma Market Set to Hit…
Novartis Cuts More Jobs, Closes Swiss & Chinese Locations, Relocates Tropical Disease Institute
In an effort to centralize control over its drug discovery programs and contain costs, Novartis is cutting 175 jobs and closing some of its research operations in Switzerland and China. The company will also be relocating its Institute for Tropical Diseases in Singapore to California, enabling scientists to work on infectious diseases from one location. “The move…
What’s Hot in Pharma: 9/25/16 – 10/1/16
Learn what’s trending by taking a look at last week’s most-viewed stories on Pharmaceutical Processing. No. 10 “FDA Approves Janssen’s Crohn’s Disease Treatment“ No. 9 “PharmaTech Recalls All Liquid Products Due to Burkholderia Cepacia Contamination“ No. 8 “Regulators: Doctor Concocts Vaccines With Cat Saliva, Vodka“ No. 7 “Did Landmark Laws From Congress Enable High Drug Prices?“ No.…
Allergan to Acquire Tobira, Securing NASH Drugs for $1.7B
Allergan has entered into an agreement to acquire Tobira Therapeutics in a deal worth approximately $1.695 billion. Tobira is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that develops therapies for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and other liver diseases. NASH is commonly associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. “The acquisition of Tobira is a strategic R&D investment within a white space…
What’s Hot in Pharma: 8/28/16 – 9/3/16
Learn what’s trending by taking a look at last week’s most-viewed stories on Pharmaceutical Processing. No. 10 “Drugs in the Water? Don’t Blame the Students“ No. 9 “Dozens Treated as Heroin Overdose Spikes Hit Several States“ No. 8 “NY County Sues Drugmakers Over Addictive Painkillers“ No. 7 “U.S. Government Promises Takeda Up to $312M to Develop Zika…
U.S. Government Promises Takeda Up to $312M to Develop Zika Vaccine
In the ongoing fight against Zika, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has chosen to support Takeda Pharmaceutical Company’s Zika vaccine development, promising as much as $312 million in potential funding. According to the press release: Initial funding from BARDA, which is a division of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and…
Continued Corporate Makeover: Novartis Disbands Cell & Gene Therapy Unit
Novartis announced on Wednesday that it is shutting down its Cell and Gene Therapy unit and “reintegrating activities” from these units into the wider organization, which will eliminate approximately 120 jobs. However, according to Novartis, most of these employees will be reassigned to other areas. Despite this move, Novartis assures the public that it remains committed…
Shkreli Comments on EpiPen Price Hike, Mylan CEO Has 671% Salary Increase
As the media is stirring up over the price hike of Mylan’s EpiPen—from $100 for a two-pen set in 2007 to more than $600 in 2016—a number of voices are speaking out on the issue, Martin Shkreli being one of them. Most well-known for his endorsed price hike of Turing’s antiparasitic drug Daraprim (used to treat toxoplasmosis and prevent infections such…
What’s Hot in Pharma: 8/14/16 – 8/20/16
Learn what’s trending by taking a look at last week’s most-viewed stories on Pharmaceutical Processing. No. 10 “Study: Intestinal Flora Affects Drug Response & Side Effects“ No. 9 “‘Smart’ Pills, Patches Can Save $290 Billion in U.S. Health Care Costs“ No. 8 “Just What the Doctor Ordered: GE Acquires Biosafe to Advance Cell Therapy“ No. 7 “Vertex…
Pfizer Acquires Medivation in $14B Deal
Pfizer announced a definitive merger agreement to acquire the cancer drug company Medivation in a deal with a $14 billion-dollar price tag—adding Medivation’s oncology portfolio to Pfizer’s offerings. Paying $81.50 per Medivation share (a 21 percent premium to Friday’s closing stock price), Pfizer’s purchase comes at the end of months of bidding for Medivation. According to reports,…
U.S. Court Ruling: Pfizer’s Biosimilar Doesn’t Infringe J&J Remicade Patent
The District of Massachusetts Federal Court has determined that the patent for Johnson & Johnson’s Remicade (infliximab) is invalid—ruling in favor of Celltrion and Pfizer’s Hospira, who are seeking to bring a cheaper version of the drug onto the market. With $6.6 billion in sales last year ($4.5 billion of which was in the U.S.)—and arguably Johnson…
What’s Hot in Pharma: 8/7/16 – 8/13/16
Learn what’s trending by taking a look at last week’s most-viewed stories on Pharmaceutical Processing. No. 10 “Alzheimer’s Disease Reduced By Anti-Inflammation Drugs“ No. 9 “DEA Rejects Marijuana Rescheduling Petitions, NCIA Speaks Out“ No. 8 “Intec Pharma to Develop Cannabinoid Pills“ No. 7 “Hospira Recalls One Lot of Bupivacaine Hydrochloride Injectables“ No. 6 “Zika Virus Infections Confound…
Study Finds Sanofi’s Drug Causes Birth Defects, French Government Denies Hiding Results
A study on Sanofi’s epilepsy drug, which was found to cause birth defects, appears to have been concealed by French health authorities. According to the Associated Press, the French health authorities deny having concealed a study on a drug used to treat epilepsy—the findings of which showed that the drug caused birth defects. Other sources claim…
Despite Mounting Financial Losses in Q2, Valeant Says Turnaround Will Happen
Despite a $302 million net loss for its second quarter and being approximately $30 billion in debt, Valeant Pharmaceuticals‘ executives assure the public that things will “get better.” According to Valeant’s second quarter 2016 financial results, the financial state of the company has certainly looked better: Since its highest close in August of 2015 (at…
Bristol-Myers’ Blockbuster Drug Fails to Meet Endpoint in Lung Cancer Study, Shares Drop
Bristol-Myers Squibb‘s stock market value dropped $20 billion on Friday (approximately 16 percent) after the company’s blockbuster cancer drug failed to extend its usage for lung cancer patients in a key study. Opdivo, Bristol’s cancer drug, is already approved to treat melanoma and lung cancer—though, only after chemotherapy. It is intended to bolster the immune system so that…
New treatment tackles functional dyspepsia: Medical food
New treatments are emerging daily for countless conditions and diseases—pills and injectables being the foremost of these. But there is also another category of treatments that has been causing a stir in the healthcare market: medical food. According to the FDA, medical food is “intended for the specific dietary management of a disease or condition…
What’s Hot in Pharma: 7/24/16 – 7/30/16
Learn what’s trending by taking a look at last week’s most-viewed stories on Pharmaceutical Processing. No. 10 “Portable Device Produces Biologic Drugs on Demand“ No. 9 “Long-Time Lilly CEO Lechleiter to Retire in December“ No. 8 “Teva Expects to Close $40.5B Allergan Generic Deal Next Week“ No. 7 “Pricey Drugs Overwhelm Medicare Safeguard“ No. 6 “Report: ‘Cosmeceuticals’…
Big Changes on Horizon for GSK: CEO to Retire, Investments in UK, & New HIV Drugs on the Way
There’s a lot of big changes on the horizon for the pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in the coming year. The company announced yesterday that it plans to invest approximately $360 million into three plants in Britain—which comes as a surprise on the heels of the announcement of the Brexit and the resulting concerns companies have expressed with the pharmaceutical…
Medical Marijuana: A Potential Treatment for Alzheimer’s?
One study has found that medical marijuana could potentially be used as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. According to a study published in npj Aging and Mechanisms of Disease, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, assists in the removal of toxic plaque in the brain, which is a common symptom of the disease. “Cannabinoids such…
Gilead’s Q2 Profit Plummets After Launch of Generics & Alleged Hep. C Drug Scandal
Gilead’s profits have dropped approximately $1 billion, according to the company’s Q2 announcement Monday. Going from $4.5 billion in profits in 2015 to $3.5 billion in 2016, the second quarter earnings aren’t looking as bright as the company may have hoped. It may come as no surprise to some after recent events, such as AHF’s ad…
The Events Leading to the Brexit & What It Means for Pharma’s Future
Since the world-changing vote on June 23rd, where UK citizens opted to break away from the European Union (EU), countless questions have arisen as to the referendum’s impact on the UK going forward—as well as what this means for the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries. The ‘Brexit’ (or British exit) was a result of a referendum, where…
What’s Hot in Pharma: 6/19/16 – 6/25/16
Learn what’s trending by taking a look at last week’s most-viewed stories on Pharmaceutical Processing. No. 10 “Diabetes Drug Shown Effective Against Chronic Liver Disease“ No. 9 “NIH Won’t Cut Price of Taxpayer-Funded Prostate Cancer Drug“ No. 8 “New Drug Effectively Dissolves Blood Clots“ No. 7 “Alexza Pharmaceuticals Acquired by Ferrer“ No. 6 “The State of the…
The U.K. Votes to Leave the EU, Impacts Pharma
The U.K. citizens have voted and the results are in—the U.K. will be leaving the European Union (EU). The U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron announced his resignation after the ‘Brexit’ (British exit) and addresses the British voters on leaving the EU. Before the party conference in October, Britain will have a new Prim Minister, Cameron said. According…
How Will Pharma Be Impacted by the EU Referendum Vote?
On Thursday, June 23, U.K. voters will head to the poles for the European Union (EU) referendum, deciding whether Britain should leave or remain in the EU. The referendum is being held after Prime Minister David Cameron promised to hold one should he win the 2015 general election, which was “in response to growing calls from his own…
Why Novartis Invested in an R&D Facility in Shanghai, Despite Challenges
Novartis’ Shanghai R&D facility, a $1 billion research center that has been in the works since 2009, officially opened its doors this week. Novartis also has two other R&D centers, which are located in Cambridge, Mass., and Basel, Switzerland. Ten years ago, many companies were drawn to China on account of lower salaries among their scientists. Today, however, companies…