FDA sees huge opportunities in opening up drug data

2011-12-05T08:00:46Z

LONDON (Reuters) - Regulators and drugmakers need to find ways to make more clinical data openly available, since vital knowledge about fighting disease is often locked away in confidential databases, the head of the U.S. drugs watchdog said on Monday.

Food and Drug Administration

UK lawmakers to probe medicine shortages

2011-11-21T15:00:33Z

LONDON (Reuters) - A continuing shortage of some essential medicines in Britain is to be investigated by members of parliament, following complaints by pharmacists that vital supplies are being lost to exports.

The All-Party Pharmacy Group, which announced its inquiry on Monday, said shortages in the supply chain had be...

Novartis unit pays $150 million to end drug-price dispute

2011-11-20T05:00:12Z

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis' Sandoz unit has agreed to pay $150 million Swiss francs to settle claims it charged the U.S. and state governments inflated prices for drugs, a Swiss newspaper reported on Sunday.

Under the deal Novartis will pay the U.S. government $86.5 m...

Apple names Levinson chair; Disney CEO joins board

2011-11-15T14:00:25Z

(Reuters) - Apple Inc named long-serving director Arthur Levinson chairman of its board, filling a seat vacated by co-founder Steve Jobs, who died in October after a years-long struggle with cancer.

Novartis drug helps in severe childhood arthritis

2011-11-07T02:32:14Z

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis' Ilaris helps patients with the most serious form of childhood arthritis, a second late-stage study has shown, further boosting prospects for the Swiss drugmaker's medicine that hit a setback earlier this year.

...

Biogen multiple sclerosis drug works in second trial

2011-10-26T04:30:21Z

(Reuters) - Biogen Idec Inc's multiple sclerosis drug met the main goal of a closely watched clinical study, the biotechnology company said on Wednesday.

Biogen said the results of the Confirm Phase III study showed that BG-12, administered either twice a day or three times a day, demonstrated significant efficacy.

(Reporting by ...

Novartis unit Alcon faces U.S. health fraud probe

2011-10-25T10:00:07Z

(Reuters) - Novartis's recently acquired eyecare business Alcon is facing a U.S. government investigation into alleged healthcare fraud, the Swiss drugmaker said on Tuesday.

Alcon received a subpoena from the Novartis said on Tuesday it would slash 2,000 jobs, mostly in Switzerland and the United States, despite reporting third quarter net profits of $3.53 billion (2.5 billion euros).

The firm said in a statement that profits for the quarter were up 12 percent but that the job cuts were part of a ...

Novartis to cut 2,000 jobs to save annual $200 million

2011-10-25T04:00:09Z

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis AG is slashing 2,000 jobs in Switzerland and the United States to keep costs under control in the face of growing price pressures and the strong Swiss franc, the Swiss drugmaker sa...

EU sets out tough rules on medicines information

2011-10-11T06:00:25Z

LONDON (Reuters) - Europe will strictly limit the amount of information that drugmakers can supply to the public on prescription-only medicines and retain a ban on advertising under proposed rules set out on Tuesday.

The latest proposals from the European Commissio...

AstraZeneca's U.S. business to cut 400 jobs

2011-10-06T12:30:39Z

(Reuters) - AstraZeneca Plc said on Thursday it will cut about 400 jobs from its U.S. commercial business as Britain's second-largest drugmaker seeks to reduce costs.

The cuts will hit the company's U.S...

AstraZeneca back in court to defend Crestor patent

2011-10-05T06:00:38Z

(Reuters) - AstraZeneca went back to court on Wednesday to defend the U.S. patent on its multibillion-dollar cholesterol fighter Crestor in the face of an appeal by generic drugmakers.

Industry analysts believe the British company is likely to win the case, protecting exclus...

U.S. FDA guidance on biosimilars may be imminent

2011-09-23T14:00:10Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration appears to be on the verge of issuing long-awaiting guidelines for the development of generic versions of complex biotechnology medicines.

The FDA still plans to release the guidance by the end of the year but the agency's top drug official,

Novartis drug helps in serious childhood arthritis

2011-09-16T10:00:13Z

(Reuters) - Patients with the most serious form of childhood arthritis can get substantial symptom relief from a Novartis drug, researchers said on Friday, raising hopes for a product that had a recent setback in its application to treat gout.

Ilaris

Pfizer, Dr. Reddy's settle Lipitor patent battle

2011-08-31T12:30:49Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc reached a settlement with Dr. Reddy's Laboratories , an Indian drugmaker that has been fighting in court to launch cheaper generic forms of Pfizer's blockbuster cholesterol fighter, the companies said on Wedne...

India's Ranbaxy's Q2 profit down 25 percent

2011-08-05T12:30:29Z

Top Indian generic drugmaker Ranbaxy Laboratories on Friday reported a 25 percent drop in its second-quarter net profit, buffeted by US regulatory problems, but it still beat market forecasts.

Net profit for the generic and branded pharma giant, which is controlled by Japan's PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Relatives of a man whose chemist wife is accused of poisoning him with thallium have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the pharmaceutical company where she worked and the hospital where he died.

Xiaoye Wang, 39, a computer engineer also known as Alex Wang, died on January 26 at Uni...

AstraZeneca not planning confirmatory Brilinta trial

2011-07-21T07:01:03Z

LONDON (Reuters) - AstraZeneca Plc has no plans to run a clinical trial to confirm the reasons behind a discrepancy between the performance of its newly approved heart drug Brilinta in North America and other parts ...

Novartis expects to be able to fend off generics

2011-07-18T22:30:13Z

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis expects volume growth at its pharma unit to more than offset the impact of generic competition, the Swiss drugmaker said after posting a 27 percent rise in second-quarter sales.

The Basel-based group's core earnings per share jumped 23 percent to ...

Glaxo to pay $41 million to U.S. states over drug plant

2011-06-23T11:00:59Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline Plc will pay nearly $41 million to 37 U.S. states and the District of Columbia to settle allegations related to faulty drug manufacturing processes at a former ...

Top court rejects generic drug labeling suits

2011-06-23T07:30:31Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that generic drug companies cannot be sued under state law over allegations that they failed to provide adequate label warnings about potential side effects.

The justices handed a victory to Israel's Reuters) - Billionaire investor Carl Icahn is taking aim at Forest Laboratories Inc's longtime chief executive officer as he seeks to shake up the U.S. drugmaker's board.

In a

Novo Nordisk settles U.S. probe for $25 million

2011-06-12T08:32:39Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk will pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit over the alleged improper marketing of its anti-clotting medicine NovoSeven.

The company said on Friday that it will pay the U.S. government $25 million to resolve a Department of Justice investigation into whether it improperly promoted bl...

Pfizer will suspend U.S. sales of poultry drug

2011-06-08T14:00:20Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc has agreed to suspend U.S. sales of a popular poultry drug after a study found the drug increased levels of a carcinogen in chickens, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday.

A study from the Food and Drug Administra...

Drug firms go online to test and sell medicines

2011-06-08T05:00:12Z

LONDON (Reuters) - Prompted by the soaring cost of developing and marketing their medicines, drug companies are embracing the Internet in a bid to drive down costs.

The hope is that digital tools will not only make them more efficient, but also smarter and nimbler.

Pfizer, the world's biggest drugmaker, is pushing the e...

AstraZeneca pulls plug on free trips for doctors

2011-05-27T08:00:16Z

LONDON (Reuters) - In an industry first, drugmaker AstraZeneca is scrapping payments for doctors to attend international medical congresses.

The move follows increased scrutiny of the $850 billion-a-year industry's potentially undue influence on prescribers and could put pressure on rivals to follow suit.

AstraZeneca

Takeda to buy Swiss drugmaker Nycomed for $13.7 billion

2011-05-19T06:00:30Z

TOKYO/LONDON (Reuters) - Japan's largest drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical is buying privately held Ranbaxy Laboratories said Tuesday its first-quarter net profit tumbled by 68 percent to $67 million, but was still above forecasts.

Net profit for the generic and branded drugmaker, controlled by Japan's Daiichi Sankyo, fel...

India's Ranbaxy shares fall on US penalty threat

2011-05-05T06:30:33Z

Shares in India's largest drugmaker Ranbaxy Laboratories fell by nearly nine percent on Thursday on reports it may have to pay over $1 billion to resolve ongoing regulatory issues in the United States.

Ranbaxy, a unit of Japan's

EU opens anti-trust probe into stay-awake drug deal

2011-04-28T13:30:30Z

European antitrust authorities announced on Thursday the opening of a formal antitrust probe into US drugs company Cephalon and Israel-based generic drugs firm Teva over stay-awake drug Modafinil.

The controversial anti-tiredness drug, marketed under the brand-name Reuters) - U.S. Supreme Court justices sharply questioned on Tuesday whether a state may prohibit the use of prescription drug records for marketing, expressing concerns that it violated free-speech rights.

Chie...

Lost flu sales weigh on Roche and other pharmas in Q1

2011-04-11T08:00:14Z

LONDON (Reuters) - Roche is set to kick off the Big Pharma reporting season with a fall in sales on Thursday as a strong Swiss franc, weak demand for top-selling cancer drug Avastin and lack of Tamiflu revenue take th...

Merck, Sun Pharma eye India marketing tie-up: report

2011-04-10T21:00:10Z

BANGALORE (Reuters) - U.S. drugmaker Merck & Co is close to striking a marketing alliance with Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd for the Indian market, the Mint reported on Monday.

The partnership between Sun and <...

Special report: When the drugs don't work

2011-03-31T02:30:33Z

LONDON (Reuters) - David Livermore is in a race against evolution. In his north London lab, he holds up an evil-smelling culture plate smeared with bacteria. This creamy-yellow growth is the enemy: a new strain of germs resistant to the most powerful antibiotics yet devised by humankind.

Out on t...

AstraZeneca settles US tax dispute, raises earnings

2011-03-28T10:30:20Z

Anglo-Swedish pharmaceuticals giant AstraZeneca said Monday it had settled a tax dispute with US authorities by agreeing on a net payment of $1.1 billion (783 million euros).

AstraZeneca additionally raised its 2011 earnings target after also securing a lower tax rate and being able to free up some of the $2.3 billion it had set aside as tax provisions, it sai...

Sanofi, Merck abandon animal health joint venture

2011-03-22T05:30:16Z

PARIS/LONDON (Reuters) - Regulatory pressure prompted Sanofi-Aventis and Merck & Co to abandon plans for a joint animal health powerhouse with $5 billion in sales.

The move sets back the French and U.S. drugmakers' plans to achieve economies of scale in the consolidating animal care industry, and comes a month after they d...

Scientists grow viable urethras from boys' cells

2011-03-07T16:00:06Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Researchers have used patients' own cells to grow urinary tubes in the lab and have successfully used them to replace damaged tissue in five young boys, showing the potential power of cell-based therapies.

Urine flow tests and tube diameter measurements show the tissue-engineered urethras are still working after six years, sai...

FDA: Stomach acid drugs can lower magnesium

2011-03-02T11:30:24Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Prescription ulcer drugs such as AstraZeneca Plc's blockbuster, Nexium, will carry a new warning that long-term use may cause low magnesium levels, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday.

Low ma...

Teva CEO sees benefit from Obama health reforms

2011-03-01T12:00:21Z

SHOHAM, Israel (Reuters) - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, the world's largest generics drugmaker, said it stands to benefit from the Obama administration

Fujifilm to buy Merck's biotech-drug makers

2011-02-27T20:30:25Z

Japan's Fujifilm, which has been diversifying into healthcare, Monday said it would buy US and British biopharmaceutical companies from America's Merck for a reported half a billion dollars.

The Japanese film and camera maker said that it would buy all shares of Diosynth RTP Inc. of the United States and of COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Denmark's Novo Nordisk said on Wednesday it had received a subpoena in the United States regarding potential criminal offences relati...

Sanofi says Genzyme takeover talks progressing

2011-02-08T23:00:05Z

PARIS (Reuters) - French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis reported progress in talks to buy U.S. biotech firm as it predicted 5-10 percent lower earnings this year.

"As we announced about 10 days ago, we have signed a confidentiality agreement with Reuters) - Pfizer Inc cut its sales projection for 2012, the first full year its $10 billion-a-year Lipitor cholesterol fighter faces competition from cheaper U.S. generics, sending its shares 1.5 percent lower in premarket trading.

...

Dr Reddy's says U.S. court clears generic Allegra sale

2011-01-30T20:30:09Z

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's No.2 drugmaker Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd said on Monday a U.S. district court has cleared the sale of its generic version of...

Drugs giant AstraZeneca reports boosted profit

2011-01-27T08:30:22Z

Anglo-Swedish drugs giant AstraZeneca on Thursday announced a seven percent rise in net profits for 2010 to more than $8 billion (£5 billion), helped by higher sales of its cholesterol treatment Crestor.

AstraZeneca said in a statement that group earnings after tax grew to $8.053 billion from $7.521 billion in 2009.

"Our performance in 2010 underlines the stren...

Drugmakers see pain from reform and prices in 2011

2011-01-27T06:00:13Z

LONDON/BASEL (Reuters) - Drugmakers AstraZeneca , Novartis , Eli Lilly and CHICAGO (Reuters) - Health advocacy groups that push for more research and funding for specific diseases often fail to disclose the financial support they get from drug companies, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.

Since the groups often lobby lawmakers for greater access to new and costly drugs, they should be required to make these contribution...

Pfizer names Lorch chairman and raises dividend

2010-12-13T14:00:28Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc said on Monday that board member George Lorch had been elected nonexecutive chairman of the board effective immediately, and the world's largest drugmaker raised its dividend by about 11 percent.

Lorch, 68, has served as an independent director...

Supreme Court to decide generic drug labeling issue

2010-12-10T17:00:20Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court said on Friday that it would decide whether generic drug companies could be sued under state law over allegations they failed to provide adequate label warnings about potential side effects.

The nation's highest court will consider whether federal law preempted such ...

Drug companies to pay 421 million USD for price scam

2010-12-07T16:30:48Z

Three pharmaceutical companies have agreed to pay 421 million dollars for reporting inflated drug prices to the US government, officials said Tuesday.

The Justice Department said that Abbott Laboratories, Roxane Laboratories, a U...

China to lead world in innovation by 2020: survey

2010-12-05T07:00:18Z

LONDON (Reuters) - China is set to become the world's most important center for innovation by 2020, overtaking both the United States and Japan, according to a public opinion survey to be published on Monday.

...

Novartis to cut 1,400 jobs in the US

2010-11-30T18:30:44Z

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis said Tuesday that it is cutting 1,400 jobs in the United States as it restructures its general medicines field team in the face of expiring patents.

"Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NPC) announced today that it is restructuring its General Medicines field force in the US to reflect changes in the product portfolio and align resour...

Novartis says it will eliminate 1,400 US jobs

2010-11-30T12:01:31Z

Novartis to cut 1,400 sales positions from its US general medicines unit, expects $85M charge

Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG said Tuesday it will eliminate 1,400 U.S. jobs by Jan. 1.

The company said it will cut the jobs from its general medicines business, as sales at that business will be hurt as the patents on some of its products expire. Novartis ...

Swiss drug maker Novartis to cut 1,400 US jobs

2010-11-30T12:00:37Z

Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis AG says it is cutting 1,400 sales jobs at its U.S. subsidiary.

The company says the cuts at New Jersey-based Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. will start Jan. 1.

Novartis said in a statement late Tuesday that the move was prompted by expiring patents.

The ...

Novartis to slash 1,400 U.S. jobs

2010-11-30T09:30:28Z

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis AG is to slash 1,400 U.S. jobs in its sales force for drugs used in general practice as it forges ahead with a push into specialty medicines and seeks to streamline its business ahead of patent expiries.

The cuts will come into effect on Jan 1, 2011 and the restructuring is expected to result in a one...

How do I Estimate the Cost of New Drug Development?

2010-11-30T12:38:21Z

...

Cloned meat and milk are not safety risks, say scientists

2010-11-29T15:00:32Z

...

U.K. Foods Standards Agency Says Cloned Meat, Milk is Safe

2010-11-29T14:54:01Z

...

Sanofi-Aventis: Quite Suitable for My Defensive Portfolio

2010-11-29T14:50:08Z

...

Genzyme meets first consent decree deadline

2010-11-24T08:30:33Z

BOSTON (Reuters) - Genzyme Corp has met the first in a series of deadlines imposed by U.S. regulators for fixing problems at its Boston plant, a milestone that could bolster the biotech company's argument that it is worth more than the $18.5 billion being offered by French dru...

Genzyme Successfully Meets First Milestones of FDA Consent Decree

2010-11-29T14:35:13Z

...

GlaxoSmithKline and Dr. Reddy's Agree to the Sale of US Penicillin Facility and Products

2010-11-29T14:35:13Z

...

Dr Reddy to buy Glaxo's US penicillin site

2010-11-29T14:41:18Z

...

Federal Agencies Crack Down on 'Energy' Drinks

2010-11-29T14:30:25Z

...

The Top 20 Global Pharmaceuticals by Sales

2010-11-29T14:49:54Z

...

Warner Chilcott Beats on Earnings, Ups Outlook

2010-11-29T14:49:37Z

...

Federal Court Upholds Otsuka's Abilify Patent

2010-11-29T14:35:07Z

...

More Than Two-Thirds of U.S. Consumers Seek Medical Advice Via the Internet and Social Media, Accenture Study Finds

2010-11-29T14:35:06Z

...

Pfizer Fraud Settlement

2010-11-30T13:55:05Z

...

Glow in the Dark Cat

2010-11-30T13:51:26Z

...

Omeprazole

2010-11-30T13:48:27Z

...

Trimethobenzamide

2010-11-30T13:49:25Z

...

Pharming (genetics)

2010-11-30T13:48:35Z

...

Ethisphere Institute

2010-11-30T13:51:00Z

...

PDL BioPharma CEO Discusses Q3 2010 Results – Earnings Call Transcript

2010-11-29T14:49:18Z

...

What is cloned beef?

2010-11-29T15:48:13Z

...

In light of recent cloning of a monkey: A discussion of cloning benefits and hurdles

2010-11-29T15:42:54Z

...

Biotechnology

2010-11-30T13:27:33Z

...

How have campaign contributions and lobbying efforts influenced policy on an issue you care about?

2010-11-29T15:41:57Z

...

U.S. doctors still too cozy with drug industry: survey

2010-11-08T16:01:57Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Doctors in the United States are still too cozy with drug companies, although they have managed to break some of those ties, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

The team at Harvard Universit...

U.S. doctors still too cozy with drug industry: report

2010-11-08T14:30:55Z

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Doctors in the United States are still too cozy with drug companies, although they have managed to break some of those ties, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

The team at Harvard Universit...

Could China Steal America's Biotech Crown?

2010-11-29T14:40:18Z

...

Mystic Pharmaceuticals Receives Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Grant for Drug Delivery Technology

2010-11-29T14:44:38Z

...

At The iGEM Competition, College Students Engineer New Biological Systems

2010-11-29T14:47:14Z

...

Glaxo breathes easier as threat to Advair recedes

2010-11-05T07:31:07Z

LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline Plc's top-selling lung drug Advair is set to enjoy a longer lease of life than widely expected, due to the difficulties facing generic companies seeking to make cut-price copies.

Fears of competition to the 5 billion pounds-a-year ($8.1 ...

Differences between brand-name and generic prescription drugs

2010-11-29T15:21:03Z

...

Ethchlorvynol

2010-11-30T13:09:52Z

...

Anti-CD22 immunotoxins

2010-11-30T13:08:48Z

...

Fen-phen

2010-11-30T13:09:54Z

...

The case against cloning animals for human consumption

2010-11-29T15:40:39Z

...

Docosanol

2010-11-30T13:09:43Z

...

Cefixime

2010-11-30T13:09:20Z

...

Synchronized Lightning Bugs

2010-11-05T07:00:48Z

...

Drug Shortages Cause Big Concerns

2010-11-29T14:29:01Z

...

Pfizer sales lag, hurt by generic Lipitor, Effexor

2010-11-02T13:01:33Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc reported disappointing sales on Tuesday, hurt by generic competition for its Lipitor cholesterol fighter and Effexor XR depression drug as well as weak revenue i...

South Korea Koreas Clash

2011-01-05T01:31:08Z

South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, right, shakes hands with U.S. special envoy on North Korea, Stephen Bosworth before their meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Jung Yeon-je, Pool)

Hawks Kings Basketball

2011-01-04T22:01:19Z

Sacramento Kings forward Carl Landry, center, goes to the basket against Atlanta Hawks forward Al Horford, right, as Hawks center Zaza Pachulia, left, of Columbus Blue Jackets' R.J. Umberger (18) scores a goal against Phoenix Coyotes' Ilya Bryzgalov, of Russia, during the second period of an Ohio State forward Jared Sullinger, left, shoots over Iowa forward Andrew Brommer during the first half of an NCAA college basketb...

Archdiocese Bankruptcy

2011-01-04T16:30:52Z

Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki answers questions at a news conference Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, in St. Francis, Wis. Listecki said the Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee is directing its attorneys to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, saying that pending sexual-abuse lawsuits have left it w...

News on United States

U.S. approves Monsanto drought-tolerant GM corn

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AstraZeneca slashes 1,150 U.S. sales jobs

AstraZeneca to cut 1,150 U.S. sales jobs

AstraZeneca to cut 1,150 sales jobs in U.S.