Pharmaceutical News

RSS

FDA launches pilot program to improve drug safety and active drug ingredients produced outside U.S.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced the launch of a voluntary pilot program that would help promote the safety of drugs and active drug ingredients produced outside the United States.

14 Jan 2009

Thumbs down by experts on plans to make certain meds OTC

Government plans to make certain prescription-only drugs for common problems available over the counter have overwhelmingly been given the thumbs down by healthcare professionals, reveals a survey of readers of the influential Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin ( DTB ).

13 Jan 2009

Wyeth and Santaris Pharma to collaborate on RNA-based medicines

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth, and Santaris Pharma have announced that the companies have entered into a worldwide strategic alliance to discover, develop and commercialize new medicines based on Santaris Pharma's proprietary Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) drug platform, which allows specific targeting and regulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) as a means to affect gene expression mediated by the targeted RNAs.

12 Jan 2009

Pfizer joins URMC initiative for safety of experimental drugs

Pfizer Inc. has agreed to provide the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) with a unique set of electrocardiographic data that will help researchers develop new methods to ensure the safety of experimental drugs.

12 Jan 2009

GSK and XenoPort resubmit NDA for Solzira in restless legs syndrome

GlaxoSmithKline and XenoPort, Inc. announced today that GSK has resubmitted the New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting approval of Solzira(TM) (gabapentin enacarbil) Extended Release Tablets for the treatment of moderate-to-severe primary Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS).

12 Jan 2009

FORMA Therapeutics to collaborate with Novartis on inhibitors

FORMA Therapeutics has announced that it has entered into a license and option agreement through the Novartis Option Fund.

12 Jan 2009

Bristol-Myers Squibb and ZymoGenetics to collaborate on hepatitis C compound

Bristol-Myers Squibb and ZymoGenetics, Inc. have announced a global collaboration for PEG-Interferon lambda, a novel type 3 interferon currently in Phase Ib development for the treatment of Hepatitis C, and its related development program.

12 Jan 2009

Novel low-cost immunotherapy for cancer cells

Molecules of sugar sitting on the surface of cancer cells are keys to the development of a new vaccine aimed at both treating and stopping the spread of certain types of cancers called carcinomas, which include prostate, breast, ovarian and lung, among others.

8 Jan 2009

First artemisinin based malaria drug may meet resistance, expert says

This year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve the first malaria drug to contain artemisinin, a wormwood derivative from China that has proven effective for malaria in Africa and Asia.

8 Jan 2009

New drugs have longer clinical development times despite faster FDA review

While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Drug has quickened review and approval of new medicines, the complex nature of diseases for which new therapeutics are being developed has resulted in longer clinical development times, according to the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development.

8 Jan 2009

Sun Pharmaceutical extends tender offer for Taro

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. today announced its subsidiary, Alkaloida Chemical Company Exclusive Group Ltd. (Alkaloida), has extended the Expiration Date of the Tender Offer for the purchase of all outstanding Ordinary Shares of Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Taro).

7 Jan 2009

Sun Pharmaceutical receives FDA approvals for 4 generics

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced that together with its subsidiaries, it has received final approval from U.S. FDA for several Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDA).

7 Jan 2009

GSK completes tender offer for shares of Genelabs Technologies

GlaxoSmithKline plc has announced the successful completion of the tender offer by its wholly-owned subsidiary Gemstone Acquisition Corporation for shares of common stock of Genelabs Technologies, Inc.

7 Jan 2009

Lilly receives complete response letter for Olanzapine LAI for treatment of schizophrenia

Eli Lilly and Company has announced that it received a complete response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for olanzapine long-acting injection (LAI) for acute and maintenance treatment of schizophrenia in adults.

7 Jan 2009

Codexis announces licensing agreement with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries

Codexis, Inc. today announced a licensing agreement with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., to produce an important publicly-undisclosed generic product, using a proprietary Codexis biocatalyst.

7 Jan 2009

Liquidia Technologies to collaborate with Abbott on siRNA therapeutics

Liquidia Technologies, Inc. announced today that it has entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Abbott to develop PRINT nanoparticles for the delivery of siRNA-based therapeutics. Liquidia's PRINT technology offers the ability to fabricate nanoparticles of precisely defined size, shape, surface chemistry, and composition, which offers the potential to develop safer and more effective therapies.

7 Jan 2009

Fat busting drug Leptin could make a comeback

When an obesity drug called Leptin was first discovered by scientists 13 years ago, experts hoped the appetite-suppressing hormone would be a possible cure for obesity.

7 Jan 2009

Onyx Pharmaceuticals acquires license option on novel JAK2 inhibitors from S*BIO

Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that it has acquired an option to license rights to SB1518, an orally available, potent, and selective inhibitor of Janus Kinase 2 (JAK2), and SB1578, also a JAK2 inhibitor, from S*BIO Pte Ltd based in Singapore.

6 Jan 2009

Old Digitalis-based drugs show promise as a treatment for cancer

Digitalis-based drugs like digoxin have been used for centuries to treat patients with irregular heart rhythms and heart failure and are still in use today.

5 Jan 2009