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"No Drugs Down the Drain" outreach campaign in Sacramento

California American Water has designated the week of November 9, 2009 as "No Drugs Down the Drain" week for its Sacramento service area as part of a national campaign sponsored by public and private agencies alike toward the common mission of reducing pharmaceutical pollution in our source water supplies.

6 Nov 2009

Novexel commences comparative study of NXL103 to oral linezolid

Novexel, a speciality pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel antibiotics designed to overcome the significant global problem of microbial resistance, announces today that its most advanced oral antibacterial NXL103 (flopristin/linopristin), has started a Phase II clinical trial in adults with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI). The trial is designed to assess the safety and efficacy of NXL103 in comparison to oral linezolid.

6 Nov 2009

'Hormone of darkness' melatonin regulates sleep effectively

Melatonin, a natural hormone segregated by the own human body, is an excellent sleep regulator expected to replace somniferous, which are much more aggressive, to correct the sleep/wakefulness pace when human biological clock becomes altered.

6 Nov 2009

CPEX Pharmaceuticals to feature Nasulin at the Diabetes Technology Meeting

CPEX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that its intranasal insulin product candidate, NasulinTM, will be featured in an oral presentation and four abstracts at the Ninth Annual Diabetes Technology Meeting, November 5-7, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Airport in San Francisco, California.

6 Nov 2009

Patent covering the approved administration of Kuvan with food issued

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued a patent covering the approved administration of Kuvan® (sapropterin dihydrochloride) with food for the treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU). The patent expires in 2024.

6 Nov 2009

FDA grants orphan drug designation for Sunesis Pharmaceuticals' voreloxin

Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted voreloxin orphan drug designation for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Sunesis is currently conducting two Phase 2 clinical trials of voreloxin in AML: a single-agent study, known as REVEAL-1, of voreloxin in newly diagnosed elderly AML patients unlikely to benefit from standard induction chemotherapy and a study evaluating voreloxin in combination with cytarabine in relapsed/refractory AML.

6 Nov 2009

Bipolar disorder drug market to decline from $6.3 billion to $5 billion

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that widespread generic erosion of branded atypical antipsychotics will cause the bipolar disorder drug market to decline from $6.3 billion in 2008 to approximately $5 billion in 2018 in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and Japan.

6 Nov 2009

Quintiles opens expanded regional headquarters facility in Singapore

To meet the growing demand for its services throughout the Asia-Pacific region, Quintiles, the only fully integrated biopharmaceutical services company offering clinical, commercial, consulting and capital solutions worldwide, today announced the official grand opening of its expanded regional headquarters facility in Singapore’s Science Park I.

6 Nov 2009

Pfizer extends JAK3 research collaboration with Ligand Pharmaceuticals

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced today that its research collaboration with Pfizer for JAK3 has been extended by one year. The Research and License Agreement entered into in December 2006 with Wyeth provided for an initial three year research term. Under this extension, Ligand will receive $3.1 million in research payments to continue conducting drug discovery and lead candidate optimization.

6 Nov 2009

DSM Pharmaceutical Products announces manufacturing alliance with Galenix

DSM Pharmaceutical Products today announced that it has made a manufacturing alliance with Galenix, Saint Jean D'Illac, France, where DSM will be the preferred commercial scale manufacturing partner for Galenix commercial products on a global basis.

6 Nov 2009

Walls Street journal examines big pharma's 'growing interest' in emerging-market vaccine development, production

The Wall Street Journal examines "big pharma's growing interest in a corner of healthcare - emerging-market inoculations," in light of a recent move by Novartis to purchase an 85 percent stake in the Chinese vaccine maker Zhejiang Tianyuan Bio-Pharmaceutical Co. In the summer, drug maker Sanofi-Aventis SA made a similar move to acquire a majority stake in India's Shantha Biotechnics, the newspaper notes.

6 Nov 2009

DOJ investigates alleged fraud by drugmakers; sanctions on wellcare lifted

"A $112 million settlement involving alleged drug kickbacks that the Justice Dept. announced with the nation's largest nursing home pharmacy and a generic drug manufacturer on Nov. 3 is part of a wide-ranging investigation of suspected Medicaid fraud by the pharmaceutical industry," Business Week reports. "Critics say the continuing probe, which involves Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and other major drugmakers, highlights what they describe as an industry practice of paying money to outfits that provide drugs to consumers, in return for preferential treatment."

6 Nov 2009

Bortezomib lymphoma drug may be effective against bone cancer in children and teens: Study

A drug already approved for the treatment of lymphoma may also slow the growth of the most deadly bone cancer in children and teens, according to an early-stage study published online today in the International Journal of Cancer.

5 Nov 2009

Consumers in search of saving money should reconsider prescription drug choices

Americans are increasingly scrutinizing their drug choices to find ones that work but don't break the bank. The Associated Press reports: "Last year pharmaceutical companies spent more than $4 billion urging patients like you to 'ask your doctor' about their drugs. But if you want a prescription that won't empty your wallet, while still keeping you well, you might start asking your doctor about drugs you don't see on TV.

5 Nov 2009

Catalent Pharma Solutions, Endotis Pharma forge alliance to develop oral formulations of small-glycol drugs

Catalent Pharma Solutions, the leading provider of advanced oral drug delivery technologies to the pharmaceutical industry, has entered into a strategic alliance with Endotis Pharma for the development of oral formulations of synthetic oligosaccharides.

5 Nov 2009

Althea Technologies offers formulation development services

Althea Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of development and manufacturing services for biopharmaceutical products announced the addition of customized Formulation Development to the company's platform of services, which will be overseen by the newly appointed Dr. James Matsuura, Director of Formulation Development.

5 Nov 2009

Environmental Tectonics bags two new contracts worth $700,000 from previous customers

Environmental Tectonics Corporation's Sterilization Systems Group (SSG), a division of ETC's Control Systems Group (CSG), today announced the award of two new contracts for large, industrial sized sterilization systems from previous customers. The combined contract values exceed $700,000.

5 Nov 2009

Cadence Pharmaceuticals reports net loss of $11.4 million for three months ended September 30, 2009

Cadence Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on in-licensing, developing and commercializing proprietary product candidates principally for use in the hospital setting, today reported financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2009.

5 Nov 2009

TPG Capital, CPP Investment Board to acquire IMS Health

IMS Health, the world’s leading provider of market intelligence to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by investment funds managed by TPG Capital (“TPG”) and the CPP Investment Board (“CPPIB”) in a transaction with a total value of $5.2 billion, including the assumption of debt.

5 Nov 2009

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals' SUCCEED trial of oral ridaforolimus on track

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2009 and provided an update on corporate developments.

5 Nov 2009