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.

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.

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.

Bio drugs to dominate top ten list by 2014

18-Jun-2009 - Seven of the top ten drugs will be biopharmaceuticals by 2014 according to sector analysts Evaluate Pharma.

Mega deals not ‘mega’ for Big Pharma R&D long term, says F&S

17-Jun-2009 - As rumours of a failed Sanofi Aventis’ bid for a US rival circulate, F&S’ analysis of M&As is well timed, even if its conclusions will be difficult reading for a Big Pharma sector set on replenishing pipelines via big deals.

FTC calls for biogenerics path and end of “pay for delay” deals

11-Jun-2009 - The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) believes that an effective FOB approval pathway and laws preventing “pay-for-delay” deals are the only ways of reducing the cost of biologic drugs.

FDA revises ICH Q8 guidance

10-Jun-2009 - The FDA has revised its guidance on ICH Q8, adding an annex that clarifies the original document and adds the principles of quality by design (QbD).

UK trade office may check GSK and Pfizer HIV joint-venture

28-May-2009 - GSK and Pfizer’s HIV joint venture (JV) may be subject to an investigation by UK competition watchdog the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), according to various media reports.

BIO 2009: snapshot of an evolving biotech industry

22-May-2009 - in-Pharmatechnologist's Nick Taylor looks back on BIO 2009, an event at which uncertainty about the development of the biotechnology industry’s future shape dominated proceedings.

Healthcare reform could suffocate innovation; BIO 2009

22-May-2009 - Karl Rove and Senator Tom Daschle were among the political figures at BIO 2009 discussing how the US healthcare system should be reformed, which some believe could have grave consequences for medical innovation in the country.

Biosimilar bill could be "stake in the heart"

19-May-2009 - In a session chaired by at BIO 2009 John Lechleiter, CEO at Eli Lilly, speakers discussed patent reform, biosimilar bills and why certain options on the table could be a "stake in the heart" of the biotech industry.

Mutiple parameters are key to powder analysis, says Freeman

18-May-2009 - Freeman Technologies, which showcased its FT4 Rheometer at Achema in Frankfurt, Germany, last week, says pharmaceutical powders are complex systems that require analysis of multiple parameters.

Hospira calls time on US biogenerics delays

06-May-2009 - Drug delivery specialist Hospira has set up a “biologics clock” that counts the amount spent on cell culture-derived medications in the US in a bid to highlight the potential savings greater use of generics could provide.

Sanofi seeks collaborators for €200m biotech plant

05-May-2009 - French drug major Sanofi Aventis has unveiled plans for a €200m ($268m) biotechnology investment at its manufacturing facility in Vitry-sur-Seine near Paris, under its collaborative Biolaunch project.

Pfizer eyes FOBs and small to midsized deals

30-Apr-2009 - Pfizer is monitoring opportunities in follow-on biologics and continuing to look for small to mid-sized deals as it plans for life without Lipitor, global revenues of which fell by 13 per cent in Q1.

Lilly & Amylin team up to create diabetes pen

30-Apr-2009 - Eli Lilly and Amylin Pharmaceuticals are jointly developing an exenatide once weekly pen device, which should provide a more convenient way for diabetics to treat themselves.

Sanofi pulls plug on four Ph III drugs

29-Apr-2009 - Sanofi-Aventis has halted development of four Phase III drugs in a “rigorous” pre-patent loss pipeline review that has also seen it drop four Phase II candidates and six Phase I projects.

Nanoparticles used to create topical Viagra rival

29-Apr-2009 - Erectile dysfunction could be treated by a nanoparticle formulation applied directly to the penis, according to research, reducing the side effects that can occur when taking drugs like Viagra.

Hovione shows off Irish API plant

23-Apr-2009 - API maker Hovione’s manufacturing facility in Cork, Ireland was unveiled at an opening ceremony yesterday just two weeks after the previous owner, global drug giant Pfizer, formally handed over the keys.

Pfizer moves for Indian unit, following Novartis’ lead

15-Apr-2009 - Pfizer is the latest company to seek greater control of its Indian subsidiary, falling into step with Swiss drug major Novartis which made a similar move late last month.

Shire to close Owings Mills Adderall XR plant

08-Apr-2009 - Biopharmaceuticals firm Shire will cease manufacture at its plant in Owings Mills, Maryland, US with the loss of 260 jobs in the latest stage of its plan to wind up the in-house production of small molecule drugs.

Intelligent sorbents can save “6-12 months of development”

06-Apr-2009 - The use of intelligent sorbents to improve product stability can save companies six to 12 months of development and boost revenues, according to Adrian Possumato, global director at Multisorb.