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Benitec acquires Avocel to focus on rapid development of hepatitis C therapeutics

Benitec Ltd. today announced the acquisition of Avocel, Inc. of Sunnyvale, CA, a leading RNAi therapeutics company, and the establishment of its wholly-owned US subsidiary, Benitec, Inc. Through the acquisition, Benitec gains its first in-house advanced therapeutic development program using DNA-directed RNAi (ddRNAi) to target the Hepatitis C virus.

18 May 2004

Drug-Drug Interaction Initiative to provide pharmacists with reliable drug interaction messaging

Whenever you pick up a prescription at your community pharmacy, the information is entered into a computer database, which immediately checks the new prescription against your current medications and alerts pharmacists about possible interactions between drugs.

18 May 2004

New joint UK-Slovak health collaboration

A new joint UK-Slovak programme to boost collaboration into a range of medical conditions was announced by Health Minister John Huttontoday.Mr Hutton signed a joint agreement between the UK and Slovak Republic covering medicine and public health.

17 May 2004

IMPAX receives final FDA approval for generic version of Sinemet CR

IMPAX Laboratories, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted final approval to the Company's Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Carbidopa/Levodopa Extended Release Tablets, its generic version of Sinemet(R) CR tablets.

17 May 2004

Pharmaceutical agreement involving novel obesity compound

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Solvay Pharmaceuticals today announced that the companies have entered into a worldwide agreement for the Solvay compound SLV319, which is currently in Phase I development with potential for use in treating obesity and other metabolic disorders.

17 May 2004

Connetics issued U.S. patent for emollient-foam technology

Connetics Corporation, a specialty pharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes dermatology products, announced today that on May 4, 2004 the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued to Connetics Patent No. 6,730,288 B1. The patent has 7 independent product claims, and covers a pharmaceutical aerosol foam composition having occlusive capability.

17 May 2004

Scientists have identified a compound that halts the activity of a deadly toxin called anthrax

University of Chicago scientists have identified a compound that halts the activity of a deadly toxin called anthrax lethal factor in laboratory tests. Nature Biotechnology will publish the findings online on May 16 and in the June issue of the journal's print edition.

17 May 2004

Genetically engineered viruses may create new class of cancer therapies

A genetically engineered virus can selectively kill cancerous cells in the lung and colon while leaving healthy cells intact, according to new research published today in Cancer Research by William Wold and colleagues at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

15 May 2004

The number of antibody-based medicines will climb dramatically

The number of antibodies in clinical development has leapt over the past six years and in 2004 hundreds are currently making their way through trials in what surely will be a spate of new product introductions beginning in 2004 and continuing over the next 10 years.

15 May 2004

Britannia Pharmaceuticals’ partner receives FDA approval for Parkinson’s disease treatment

Britannia Pharmaceuticals Limited announced today that U.S.-based Bertek Pharmaceuticals Inc., the branded subsidiary of Mylan Laboratories Inc has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration for APOKYN (apomorphine hydrochloride injection).

13 May 2004

New Canadian drug submission for cannabis-based medicine

GW Pharmaceuticals and Bayer HealthCare, Pharmaceuticals Division - Canada have announced that GW has submitted a New Drug Submission for Sativex®, a cannabis-based medicinal extract product, to Health Canada.

13 May 2004

Biochip technology to revolutionise the pharmaceutical industry

Advancements in biotechnology have culminated in its integration with semiconductor technologies such as micro-electromechanical systems, resulting in the evolution of biochips. Biochips provide pharma companies with sophisticated tools for speedy development of drugs and accurate diagnosis and understanding of biological mechanisms.

13 May 2004

FDA knocks back King Pharmaceuticals self-injectible epilepsy product

King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has reported the receipt by its Meridian Technologies subsidiary of a letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

13 May 2004

IBM introduces new BioPharmaceutical solution

IBM today announced a new fixed-price offering for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) navigating government compliance mandates for the United States pharmaceutical industry.

13 May 2004

Phase 3 trial of Ceplene in acute myeloid leukemia meets primary trial endpoint

Maxim Pharmaceuticals has announced the results of an international Phase 3 clinical trial testing the combination of Ceplene (TM) plus interleukin-2 (IL-2) in 320 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in complete remission.

12 May 2004

Cardiovascular marketing budgets hit $200 Million

Pharmaceutical companies spend more to support a cardiovascular compound's development and commercialization than other therapeutic products

12 May 2004

Restrictions by health insurers and government to control expenses may hurt the malignant melanoma drug market

Decision Resources, Inc., a research and advisory firms focusing on pharmaceutical and health care issues, finds that restrictions by health insurers and government health authorities to control expenses may hurt the malignant melanoma drug market.

12 May 2004

Bentley Pharmaceuticals lists on NYSE

The Company anticipates that its common stock will begin trading on the NYSE on Wednesday, May 12, 2004, under its current ticker symbol, “BNT.” Bentley’s common stock will continue to trade on the American Stock Exchange until that date

12 May 2004

Zocor Heart Pro to be available over the counter

Ministers have accepted the advice of the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) that simvastatin 10mg (Zocor Heart Pro) could be safely sold through pharmacies to reduce the risk of a first major coronary event in people likely to be at a moderate risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).

12 May 2004

20–30 percent of men worldwide are commonly affected by premature ejaculation (PE)

It is one of man's most common, underestimated sexual problems: Ejaculating earlier than desired. More common than erectile dysfunction, this condition can affect men at any point in their lives, and one in four men experience poor control over ejaculation on a frequent basis.

12 May 2004