I cannot believe that September is about over.
This has been my busiest month ever at Impactiviti, and I’m grateful for the clients who have put their trust in me to provide value with strategic thinking and targeted recommendations.
Now, onto the news of this week:
Pfizer gets a favorable ruling about Neurontin patent; may be real problem for some generic makers that made an “at-risk” launch: Pfizer Inc. said a federal appeals court overturned a lower court ruling that several generic-drug makers did not infringe its patent on gabapentin, the active ingredient in Neurontin, a shingles-pain treatment…more
Novartis gets good news (in Europe) on Tasigna, AND Galvus combo pill: Novartis AG’s experimental leukemia drug Tasigna — a follow-up to its second biggest-seller Glivec — has been recommended for approval in Europe for patients who no longer respond to Glivec. The European Medicines Agency also said on Friday it had backed a new tablet, called Eucreas, combining the Swiss group’s Galvus pill with the older medicine metformin as a treatment for diabetes…more . The EU also approved Galvus as a solo med. However, Novartis gets the expected KO from the FDA regarding Prexige.
Daiichi Sankyo gets the nod for a combo hypertension med: Japanese drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo said on Thursday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its new pill for high blood pressure, which combines ingredients from two drugs already on the market…more
Yet more good stuff on Roche‘s Avastin: New clinical data showed Avastin improved the chances of a removal of metastatic lesions in patients with colorectal cancer, Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG said on Monday…more
Yet more good stuff on Takeda‘s Actos: Results presented today at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes demonstrate the ability of ACTOS® (pioglitazone HCl) to reduce the risk of ischemic cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes…more
Cholesterol drugs as bacteria killers?? Cholesterol lowering drugs such as Merck & Co.’s Zocor kill some bacteria, including drug-resistant germs found in many hospitals, though the pills aren’t powerful enough to be used as stand-alone antibiotics, researchers said…more
Arsenic. It works.
Including realism in DTC advertising – some comments by John Mack on Pfizer‘s marketing approach with Chantix.
Wyeth names a new CEO to take over in January.
Teva: A Favored Pharma, according to Business Week.
Moving toward even more disclosure about spending by pharmas: It’s no secret that some drug companies pay for doctors to attend medical conferences in exotic locales. Others treat them to pricey meals and pass out pens and Post-it notes branded with product names. All told, drug and medical-device makers dole out an estimated $19 billion worth of gifts to physicians every year–a practice that worries New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram, among others. On Sept. 19 she summoned a task force to consider putting limits on this orgy of gratuities…more (from Business Week)
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