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Emerging oral atypical antipsychotics to compete in increasingly crowded schizophrenia drug market

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that, in the world's major pharmaceutical markets, emerging oral atypical antipsychotics will compete against each other and against established drugs for the same niche patient population in the treatment of schizophrenia.

24 Feb 2010

Sentry BioPharma Services to warehouse and distribute influenza vaccines for CDC

Sentry BioPharma Services announced today that The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) selected Sentry to store and distribute influenza vaccine in support of its national strategic reserve. Sentry will warehouse and distribute vaccine from its cGMP, FDA-registered facility located in Indianapolis, Ind. Sentry's vast experience storing and transporting regulated, temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products will ensure product integrity, supply chain security and fast, efficient distribution of the disease-preventing vaccines.

24 Feb 2010

Joint science advisory issues messages for diabetics at risk for heart disease and stroke

The data are inconclusive on heart risks from a class of blood sugar-lowering drugs called thiazolidinediones (TZDs) such as pioglitazone (Actos) or rosiglitazone (Avandia), but the medications should be used with close monitoring from healthcare providers according to a joint science advisory from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.

24 Feb 2010

FEHBP PBM contracts: HR 4489 to reduce fraud and grant OPM greater power to audit

The House Subcommittee for the Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia heard testimony today on HR 4489, the “FEHBP Prescription Drug Integrity, Transparency, and Cost Savings Act.” The proposed bill would reform many aspects of how the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) contracts with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to provide prescription drug benefits to federal workers.

24 Feb 2010

UK pharmacists overwhelmingly prefer dispensing preservative-free drugs

MeadWestvaco Corp. announced today results from an online survey of 100 pharmacists in the UK regarding their preference for dispensing preservative-free nasal medications. The survey showed that 67 percent of UK pharmacists have a preference for dispensing a preservative-free drug. This percentage increased significantly to 84 percent after the benefits of preservative-free drugs were reviewed with these pharmacists.

24 Feb 2010

FDA recommends H1N1 for inclusion in next year's flu vaccine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday recommended that the H1N1 (swine flu) strain be added to next year's seasonal flu vaccine, "putting an end to separate shots deployed against the pandemic," Bloomberg reports. The FDA committee voted unanimously to make the H1N1 strain one of the three strains included in the shot, according to the news service. "The panel's recommendations are routinely adopted and used to guide vaccine manufacturers," Bloomberg writes (Randall, 2/22).

24 Feb 2010

Genetic link between schizophrenia and autism may help study effectiveness of drugs for both illnesses

A genetic link between schizophrenia and autism is enabling researchers to study the effectiveness of drugs used to treat both illnesses.

24 Feb 2010

Poniard Pharmaceuticals enters into $20M committed equity financing facility with Commerce Court Small Cap Value Fund

Poniard Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative oncology therapies, today announced that it has entered into a committed equity financing facility under which it may sell up to $20 million of its registered common stock to Commerce Court Small Cap Value Fund, Ltd. over an approximately 18-month period. Poniard is not obligated to utilize any of the facility and remains free to enter into other financing transactions.

24 Feb 2010

FDA: Invirase-Norvir combination therapy for HIV may adversely affect the heart

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced preliminary data suggesting that Invirase (saquinavir) in combination with Norvir (ritonavir) may have potentially important adverse effects on the heart.

24 Feb 2010

ViiV Healthcare highlights S/GSK1349572, SELZENTRY and EPZICOM for HIV/AIDS at 17th CROI

At the 17th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), ViiV Healthcare presented new data across its broad range of investigational and current medicines for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Highlighted data at the conference included an oral presentation on the investigational integrase inhibitor, S/GSK1349572, as well as data presentations on SELZENTRY® (maraviroc) and EPZICOM® (abacavir/lamivudine).

24 Feb 2010

Recreational drugs can trigger memory lapse

Have you ever forgotten to post an important letter or let an appointment slip your mind? A new study from UK researchers suggests that for those who regularly use ecstasy or other recreational drugs, this kind of memory lapse is more common.

24 Feb 2010

Prednisolone associated with recurrence of CAP after its withdrawal

Patients hospitalized with mild to moderate community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) should not be routinely prescribed prednisolone, a corticosteroid, as it is associated with a recurrence of symptoms after its withdrawal, according to the first randomized double-blind clinical trial to address the subject.

24 Feb 2010

WuXi PharmaTech's Shanghai c-GMP manufacturing facility receives MPA compliance certificate

WuXi PharmaTech (WX), a leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device research and development outsourcing company with operations in China and the United States, announced today that it received the formal certificate of GMP compliance from the Medical Products Agency (MPA) of Sweden, acting on behalf of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA), for its c-GMP drug product manufacturing and analytical testing facilities located in Shanghai.

24 Feb 2010

Clout of drug industry seen in MD residency programs and in health reform

News outlets report on the pharmaceutical industry's involvement in doctor training and its role in shaping the health care overhauls pending in Congress.

24 Feb 2010

Forest Laboratories' Bystolic tablets for treatment of stable CHF failed to receive FDA approval

Forest Laboratories, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not approve the additional indication for Bystolic® (nebivolol) tablets as a treatment for stable chronic heart failure (CHF) as requested in the company’s Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA).

23 Feb 2010

FDA Gastrointestinal Drugs Advisory Committee supports approval of XIFAXAN 550 mg for management of HE

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today reported that the Gastrointestinal Drugs Advisory Committee of the FDA has recommended by a vote of 14 to 4 in favor of the approval of XIFAXAN® (rifaximin) Tablets, 550 mg for the maintenance of remission of hepatic encephalopathy (HE).

23 Feb 2010

NASDAQ halts trading of Salix Pharmaceuticals stock, FDA Committee to discuss XIFAXAN NDA

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced that NASDAQ has halted trading of the Company’s common stock this morning. The Gastrointestinal Drugs Advisory Committee of the FDA is meeting today to discuss the efficacy and safety of the New Drug Application (NDA) for XIFAXAN® (rifaximin) Tablets, 550 mg for the maintenance of remission of hepatic encephalopathy.

23 Feb 2010

Health Canada approves GARDASIL for prevention of genital warts in males

Today, Merck announced that Health Canada has approved GARDASIL(R) (Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16, and 18) Recombinant Vaccine) for boys and men nine through 26 years of age for the prevention of infection caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18 and genital warts caused by HPV types 6 and 11.

23 Feb 2010

NCC, Pfizer provide over 10M units of ReFacto Antihemophilic Factor to underserved hemophilia patients

The National Cancer Coalition (NCC) is pleased to announce its recent collaboration with Pfizer, Inc to provide hemophilia medicines to underserved patients in the developing world. To date, NCC has received more than 10 million international units of ReFacto® Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant), a therapy used for the treatment and prevention of bleeding in people with hemophilia A, to assist patients who otherwise would have little opportunity for adequate treatment. The value of this donation is more than $13 million, and it will help many hundreds of hemophilia patients around the world.

23 Feb 2010

Gross sales of Acorda Therapeutics' ZANAFLEX CAPSULES and tablets increase 9.1% to $58.3M in 2009

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2009.

23 Feb 2010

Pharmaceutical News

Emerging oral atypical antipsychotics to compete in increasingly crowded schizophrenia drug market

Sentry BioPharma Services to warehouse and distribute influenza vaccines for CDC

Joint science advisory issues messages for diabetics at risk for heart disease and stroke

FEHBP PBM contracts: HR 4489 to reduce fraud and grant OPM greater power to audit

UK pharmacists overwhelmingly prefer dispensing preservative-free drugs

FDA recommends H1N1 for inclusion in next year's flu vaccine

Genetic link between schizophrenia and autism may help study effectiveness of drugs for both illnesses

Poniard Pharmaceuticals enters into $20M committed equity financing facility with Commerce Court Small Cap Value Fund

FDA: Invirase-Norvir combination therapy for HIV may adversely affect the heart

ViiV Healthcare highlights S/GSK1349572, SELZENTRY and EPZICOM for HIV/AIDS at 17th CROI

Recreational drugs can trigger memory lapse

Prednisolone associated with recurrence of CAP after its withdrawal

WuXi PharmaTech's Shanghai c-GMP manufacturing facility receives MPA compliance certificate

Clout of drug industry seen in MD residency programs and in health reform

Forest Laboratories' Bystolic tablets for treatment of stable CHF failed to receive FDA approval

FDA Gastrointestinal Drugs Advisory Committee supports approval of XIFAXAN 550 mg for management of HE

NASDAQ halts trading of Salix Pharmaceuticals stock, FDA Committee to discuss XIFAXAN NDA

Health Canada approves GARDASIL for prevention of genital warts in males

NCC, Pfizer provide over 10M units of ReFacto Antihemophilic Factor to underserved hemophilia patients

Gross sales of Acorda Therapeutics' ZANAFLEX CAPSULES and tablets increase 9.1% to $58.3M in 2009

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

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