Breaking News on Pharmaceutical Technology

News in brief

IMS Health to shed 850 jobs

27-Jul-2009 - Industry analyst IMS Health will cut 850 jobs over the next 12 to 15 months, including 170 positions at its US operations.

P&G close to finding buyer for its pharma unit

22-Jul-2009 - Procter & Gamble (P&G) is close to finding a buyer for its pharmaceutical division for around $3bn according to various media reports.

News in brief

Wyeth shareholders OK Pfizer takeover

21-Jul-2009 - Wyeth’s shareholders gave Pfizer’s $68bn (€48bn) takeover a ringing endorsement late yesterday, with 98 per cent voting in favour of the deal.

Pfizer may bid for Turkey’s Abdi Ibrahim

20-Jul-2009 - Rumours suggest that US drug giant Pfizer is considering a bid for Turkish generics group Abdi Ibrahim as part of its strategy of expanding in emerging markets.

FDA advocates food pigments and flavours to combat counterfeits

16-Jul-2009 - Draft guidance issued by the US FDA suggests that greater use of inks, pigments, flavours and other physical chemical identifiers (PCIDs) will help combat counterfeit drugs.

News in brief

Mega deals for productivity? Maybe not says Decision Resources

16-Jul-2009 - Mega mergers may not provide the pharmaceutical industry with the productivity gains it desires according to a new report by Decision Resources.

Pfizer plans 10-fold increase in cancer drug sales

15-Jul-2009 - US drug giant Pfizer wants a massive increase in sales of cancer drugs by 2018 to sustain growth.

Johnson and Johnson sales hit by tough retail environment

15-Jul-2009 - Leading pharmaceutical and personal care player Johnson & Johnson has been hit hard during its second quarter by the global economic recession.

News in brief

Propofol found at Jackson’s home not part of recalled batch, says Teva

15-Jul-2009 - Israeli generics giant Teva Pharmaceuticals says the vial of propofol found at Michael Jackson’s home does not belong to either of the batches covered by its recent recall.

Oscient files for bankruptcy and sells Factive

15-Jul-2009 - US drugmaker Oscient Pharmaceuticals has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy and will sell its bronchitis therapy Factive (gemifloxacin mesylate) to North Carolina-based Cornerstone Therapeutics for $5m (€3.5m).

Roche begins cutting jobs at Genentech

13-Jul-2009 - Swiss firm Roche has begun making cuts at recent $46.8bn biotech acquisition Genentech, in the first stage of a widely anticipated integration programme.

Ranbaxy pulls batch of acne drug in US

13-Jul-2009 - Indian generics firm Ranbaxy voluntarily withdrew one batch of its acne drug isotretinoin from US shelves late last week after FDA analysis revealed out of spec dissolution test results.

News in brief

Sanofi pulls cough mixtures after phenol detected

13-Jul-2009 - Drug major Sanofi Aventis has recalled three of its cough syrup mixtures in France after traces of phenol were found in the products.

Pharma: people on the move

09-Jul-2009 - in-PharmaTechnologist presents its latest roundup of appointments in the pharmaceutical sector, including movements at UCB Pharma Canada and a resignation at GeoVax.

OSI leaves Long Island after "failing to make biotech work"

08-Jul-2009 - US biotechnology group OSI Pharmaceuticals will move HQ to a facility in Greenburgh, New York due, according to observers, to the high cost of land at its current base in Long Island.

MJ Biopharm GMP breach prompts number of recalls

07-Jul-2009 - Novartis and Jubilant Organosys are among several companies forced to recall generic drugs after manufacturing operations at their shared CMO, India’s MJ Biopharm, were found to be in breach of GMP guidelines.

News in brief

Evolvence plans more Indian pharma investment

07-Jul-2009 - Dubai-based investment group Evolvence Capital plans to invest in more India drugmakers, according to a report in the Emirates Business newspaper.

Pfizer plans Irish process lab, shelves SF unit and sells skin drugs to Graceway

07-Jul-2009 - Pfizer will invest €11m ($15.3m) in a new kilo technology R&D laboratory at its API manufacturing facility in Ringaskiddy, Ireland.

News in brief

GSK buys 13 B-MS generics for North African market

06-Jul-2009 - UK drug major GSK has paid Bristol-Myers Squibb’s (BSM) $23.2m (€16.6m) for 13 generic products that it sells in North Africa and the Middle East.

Pharma: people on the move

02-Jul-2009 - in-PharmaTechnologist presents its latest round up of appointments in the pharmaceutical sector, including the new president of Sanofi-Aventis France.

News in brief

Pfizer abandons Ph III Sutent colon cancer study

02-Jul-2009 - Pfizer has pulled the plug on a Phase III trial of its drug Sutent (sunitinib) in colon cancer after it failed to demonstrate improved clinical efficacy over standard chemotherapy.

Lantus cancer link research flawed says Sanofi; mulls R&D restructuring

01-Jul-2009 - Sanofi-Aventis has moved to defend its long-acting diabetes treatment Lantus (insulin glargine) and says that recent research linking it to the development of cancer is of “poor quality.”

Mylan partners to create FOBs

30-Jun-2009 - Mylan has followed Teva’s lead by partnering to develop follow-on biologics (FOB), with the Indian generic maker regarding Biocon as the “ideal partner” to help it enter the market.

Pharma: people on the move

25-Jun-2009 - in-PharmaTechnologist presents its latest round up of appointments in the pharmaceutical sector, including Lilly’s CEO taking a role at Nike and Takeda’s illustrious global advisory board.