Pharmaceuticals News and Research

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Longer looks: Diagnosing autism in minutes; Finding new uses for old drugs; Cancer war victories

Autism is an extremely complex diagnosis. Parental insight, physician observations and hours of data can factor into determining whether a child actually has the condition or is just a little on the quirky side. Now a Harvard researcher, Dennis P. Wall, has published research about a Web-based tool he developed that promises to diagnose autism in minutes, not hours -

12 Apr 2012

Impax initiates challenge of patents related to generic Gralise

Impax Laboratories, Inc. today confirms that it has initiated a challenge of the patents listed in the Orange Book in connection with Gralise (gabapentin tablets, 300 mg and 600 mg).

12 Apr 2012

Valeant acquires Pedinol Pharmacal

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. announced today that Valeant has acquired Pedinol Pharmacal, Inc., a podiatry-focused, privately-owned specialty pharmaceutical company based in the U.S., for less than 1.5 times sales.

12 Apr 2012

Researchers, industry leaders meet in New York to discuss global health R&D

"New York global health researchers and industry leaders gathered Monday in Manhattan to discuss how global health research and development is fueling innovation and saving lives, not to mention funding jobs and companies in the state," the Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog reports.

12 Apr 2012

C3BS' new production facilities in Mont-Saint-Guibert granted GMP Certification

The Belgian biotechnology company Cardio3 BioSciences (C3BS), a leader in the discovery and development of regenerative and protective therapies for the treatment of cardiac diseases, today announces that it has been granted Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Certification for its new production facilities in Mont-Saint-Guibert.

12 Apr 2012

DNDi, AstraZeneca enter collaboration on drug-compound screening for NTDs

AstraZeneca and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) today announce an agreement to collaborate on drug-compound screening for leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and sleeping sickness, three neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) which together affect nearly 10 million people worldwide.

12 Apr 2012

Johnson & Johnson fined $1.2B for hiding anti-psychotic drug dangers, deceptive marketing

An Arkansas judge fined the drug maker and a subsidiary for misleading doctors and the public on the risks involved with taking an anti-psychotic drug, Risperdal, and for marketing the drug for an off-label use to the state's Medicaid system.

12 Apr 2012

Enrollment complete for Ampio's multiple indication diagnostic clinical trials

Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company that discovers and develops new uses for previously approved drugs and new molecular entities ("NMEs"), announced today that it has completed enrollment of patients for its multiple indication diagnostic clinical trials.

12 Apr 2012

AcelRx commences dosing in second ARX-01 Phase 3 clinical trial for acute post-operative pain

AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for the treatment of acute and breakthrough pain, today reported dosing of the first patient in the second of three planned Phase 3 studies that will form the basis of a planned New Drug Application for the Sufentanil NanoTab PCA System, ARX-01.

12 Apr 2012

First Edition: April 12, 2012

Today's headlines include reports about Massachusetts' health reform's sixth birthday.

From Medtronic 12 Apr 2012

Gerresheimer first quarter revenues increase 13.6% to EUR 268.8m

Gerresheimer has experienced particularly strong growth in revenues in the first quarter of the 2012 financial year.

12 Apr 2012

USPTO issues two Notices of Allowance to AcelRx for NanoTab formulations

AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for the treatment of acute and breakthrough pain, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued AcelRx two Notices of Allowance for the patent applications entitled "Small-Volume Oral Transmucosal Dosage Forms" and "Bioadhesive Drug Formulations for Oral Transmucosal Delivery."

12 Apr 2012

Scientists aim to develop new testing methods for drug-induced liver failure

Liver damage caused by medicinal drugs is one of the most common reasons for liver failure and liver transplants in the Western world. Nevertheless, it is difficult to predict which active ingredients will turn out to be toxic for the organ. Oftentimes the problems are not discovered until the drug is already on the market. Prof. Dr. Jens Timmer, Freiburg physicist and Director of the FRIAS School of Life Sciences - LifeNet, is a project partner in a consortium that wants to solve this problem.

12 Apr 2012

FDA clears Cerecor’s FP01 IND for treatment of cough

Cerecor Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription pharmaceuticals whose primary activity is in the human nervous system, today announced that its Investigational New Drug (IND) Application for FP01 for the treatment of cough has cleared the 30 day deliberation period by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

12 Apr 2012

MacuCLEAR to initiate MC-1101 Phase III studies on early-stage AMD

MacuCLEAR, Inc., a clinical stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel solutions for vascular disorders of the eye, announced today it is beginning Phase III studies for its lead compound, MC-1101, for early-stage (Dry) age-related macular degeneration (AMD), based on positive feedback during the company's end-of-Phase II meeting with the FDA.

12 Apr 2012

Takeda enters definitive agreement to acquire URL Pharma

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and URL Pharma Inc. jointly announced that Takeda's wholly-owned subsidiary, Takeda America Holdings, Inc. and URL Pharma have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire URL Pharma – a privately-held pharmaceutical company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for an upfront payment of $800 million and future performance-based contingent earn out payments.

12 Apr 2012

States plot Medicaid managed care changes; Kansas managed care plan met with skepticism

In Ohio, Molina Healthcare loses its Medicaid managed care contract. In Texas, a plan to save money by incorporating Medicaid drug benefits into a managed care program gets pushback. And, Kansas counties weigh in on a plan to shift Medicaid beneficiaries to managed care.

12 Apr 2012

Nolato announces acquisition of Cope Allman Jaycare

As part of the Nolato Group's strategic expansion within medical technology and pharmaceuticals, Nolato has acquired the British company Cope Allman Jaycare for an initial purchase price of SEK 179 million (enterprise value) and a deferred consideration based on earnings up to and including the first quarter of 2014.

11 Apr 2012

Bayer announces updated labels for drospirenone-containing COCs in the U.S.

In agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced that it has updated the labels for its drospirenone-containing combination oral contraceptives (COCs) in the United States.

11 Apr 2012

Amgen enters agreement to acquire KAI Pharmaceuticals

Amgen and KAI Pharmaceuticals today announced an agreement under which Amgen will acquire KAI, a privately held pharmaceutical company based in South San Francisco.

11 Apr 2012