Summit gives birth to common EU patent
European leaders found agreement early on Friday on something that has eluded them for more than 30 years: a common EU patent to cut costs and paperwork for business. The…
Moody’s sees negative ACA impact
The pharmaceutical industry gains certainty but will feel a greater financial squeeze as a result of the US Supreme Court’s decision to uphold most of the Affordable Care Act this…
Anti-doping push targets drug suppliers
©Getty There have been few convictions of those making or selling the abused products that generate millions of pounds a year in revenue The head of the international anti-doping agency…
FDA clears first obesity drug in 10 years
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first anti-obesity drug in more than a decade in a move that signals the war against fat is becoming increasingly pharmaceutical.…
AstraZeneca defers Merck pact break-up
AstraZeneca has deferred the break-up of its longstanding partnership with Merck of the US in a move that allows it to conserve several hundred million dollars in cash in the…
Gates Foundation in venture capital shift
The Gates Foundation plans to take equity stakes in up to a dozen biotech companies this year, signalling a shift towards a “venture capital” approach at the world’s biggest philanthropic…
FDA accuses Amylin of withholding info
A top US regulator has accused Amylin, the biotech company, of withholding important information on cardiac side effects of its drugs, casting a shadow over competitive bidding for the business…
Slim pickings for a drug strategy
©Getty Heavy setback; despite its consumer marketing expertise, GSK misjudged potential problems in switching Alli from prescription to over-the-counter sales In 2007, overweight consumers became aware of a new weight-loss…
Shire slumps on drug setback
More than £1bn was wiped from Shire’s market capitalisation on Monday after the US Food and Drug Administration widened the use of generic competition for one of its biggest medicines.…
Ephemeral fortresses
Angus Russell, chief executive of Shire, is a sand castle builder, like all drug company bosses. The rising tide of generic competition eventually washes away the patent fortress protecting every…
Agencies aim to improve focus of jobless
Stephen Page says he usually spends his visits to A4e, the company given the task of getting him back into work, looking for jobs on one of the computers that…
EU warned over medicine price cuts
Europe risks losing its global influence in pharmaceuticals to the US and Asia unless governments shift away from price cuts and adopt a stronger policy that rewards innovation, the industry…
Medicines watchdog eyes investor talks
The government’s medicines watchdog is to begin talks with venture capitalists to discuss which experimental treatments would be most likely to be bought by the National Health Service. The National…
Small caps: medicine boost for Vectura
Vectura Group was up 14.4 per cent this week after European medicines regulators gave partner Novartis the green light to its Seebri Breezhaler for the treatment of smoker’s cough. Approval,…
Roche did not report US patients’ deaths
Roche failed to inform regulators of reports of illness and death in as many as 80,000 US patients who received the Swiss pharmaceuticals group’s medicines over the past 15 years.…