Pharmaceutical Industry News Archive
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May 2008
May 1
Sepracor to Acquire Oryx Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Expand Commercial
Operations into Canada
Eisai Gained Favourable Ruling by Court of Appeal, as NICE Process
for Developing Guidance on Anti-dementia Medicines Ruled Unfair
NUCRYST Announces Management Realignment and R&D Portfolio
Change
Abbott, Takeda Conclude TAP Joint Venture
SEC Charges McCann-Erickson Worldwide With Accounting Fraud
Interpublic Announces Agreement to Settle SEC Claims
'Sharing Miracles' Television Program to Feature Leave it to Beaver
Star Jerry Mathers
Renovis Stockholders Approve Acquisition by Evotec
May 2
Roche Exercises its Option to Further Develop and Commercialize
Memory Pharmaceuticals' Nicotinic Alpha-7 Agonist, MEM 3454
QSV Biologics Awarded cGMP Manufacturing Contract by Pfizer Inc.
Merck Extends Enrollment Deadline in Program to Resolve U.S. Vioxx
Product Liability Lawsuits
Critical Therapeutics Signs Definitive Agreement to Merge with
Cornerstone BioPharma
May 5
Nordic Capital Fund VII and Avista Capital Partners Agree to
Acquire ConvaTec Business for approximately $4.1 Billion
Curis Announces Genentech's Initiation of Hedgehog Antagonist Phase
II Clinical Trial In Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
VaxGen Sells Anthrax Vaccine Program and Related Assets and
Technology to Emergent BioSolutions, Inc.
GE Healthcare Signs Global Molecular Diagnostic Agreement to
Advance Respiratory Drug Development
May 6
Merck to Reduce U.S. Sales Force by 1,200 Positions
Bayer Schering Pharma to Market New Low-dose Oral Contraceptive Yaz
in Europe
Teva Reports First Quarter 2008 Results
EPO Announces Symbicort European COPD Use Patent Decision
Fougera First-to-Market With Calcipotriene Topical Solution 0.005%
(Rx) (Scalp Solution)
Stiefel Laboratories, Inc. Acquires ABR Invent and ABR Development
May 7
May 8
King Pharmaceuticals Reports First-Quarter 2008 Financial Results
Biovail Announces New Strategic Focus
Novartis Exercises Rights to Purchase Additional Shares of
Alnylam's Common Stock in Accordance with Terms of Existing
Investor Rights Agreement
GAO Report: Prescription Drugs - Trends in FDA’s Oversight of
Direct-to-Consumer Advertising
FDA Sends Letter to Shire Over Fosrenol Promotional Materials
FDA Sends Novartis Warning Letter Over Trileptal Promotional
Materials.
May 9
May 12
May 13
Pharmexa Stops One of Two Phase III Trials
Palatin Technologies Announces New Strategic Objectives and Reports
Third Quarter 2008 Financial Results
Daiichi Sankyo: Expansion of Business into Turkey and India
Lilly Partners With TopCoder, to Find Drug Discovery IT Solutions
Higher Risk of Death and Stroke in Patients Given Beta-Blockers After
Non-Cardiac Surgery (POISE Trial)
Bristol-Myers Squibb and KAI Pharmaceuticals Enter Global Alliance
to Develop and Commercialize KAI-9803 for Cardiovascular Disease
Angiotech appoints Hank McKinnell to its Board of Directors
Lilly Backs Federal Legislation to Inform the Public on Payments to
Physicians
May 14
Chronic Medication Nation: Research Finds Chronic Health Problems
Now Afflict More Than Half of All Americans
Takeda Completes Subsequent Offering Period for Shares of
Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Securities Class Action Against Discovery Labs is Dismissed
Sosei Announces Outcome of Strategy Review
Mylan Launches Paroxetine Hydrochloride Extended-Release Tablets
Takeda Completes Acquisition of Millennium
FDA Places Geron's GRNOPC1 IND on Clinical Hold
FDA releases a Follow-up to the November 14, 2007, Communication
about the Ongoing Safety Review of Cefepime (marketed as Maxipime)
Merck Wins Appeal in Vioxx Case
May 15
Manufacturer Removes Remaining Stocks of Trasylol
IMS Health Forecasts Continued Double-Digit Annual Growth of Cancer
Therapeutics: Global Sales Expected to Exceed $75 Billion by 2012
Diabetes Drugs Emerge as Top Force in Drug Spending Growth
Biovitrum AB (SE) - Biovitrum Implements Strategic Restructuring of
the R&D Organization
Forbes Medi-Tech Announces Corporate Restructuring --Company To
Focus Exclusively on Core Nutraceutical Business and Reduce 2008
Research and Development Expenses by Approximately $2.7 Million-
Ortho Biotech, L.P. and Centocor, Inc. Alert Authorized
Distributors and Prescribing Physicians About Stolen Product
District Court Decision Affirmed in U.S. Lovenox (enoxaparin
sodium) Patent Infringement Case
May 16
American Red Cross Vindicated in J&J Lawsuit
Statement - New CIHI Report shows value of new medicines in health
care system, Rx&D
Antisoma plc (UK) - Antisoma to Acquire Boston-Based Xanthus
Pharmaceuticals
Celebrex Shows Benefit In First-of-Its-Kind Lung Cancer
Chemoprevention Trial
Biovail Subsidiary Reaches Settlement with United States Department
of Justice
Information on Mycophenolate Mofetil (marketed as CellCept) and
Mycophenolic Acid (marketed as Myfortic)
May 19
Intellect Neurosciences, Inc. Grants License for Certain Patents
and Patent Applications to Wyeth and Elan Pharma International Ltd.
Ipsen and Medicis Announce Acceptance of Reloxin BLA in Aesthetics
by FDA
Biogen Idec Celebrates 30 Years of Transforming Discovery into Care
Customs: Commission Publishes 2007 Customs Seizures of Counterfeit
Goods at the EU's External Border
May 20
May 21
May 22
FTC’s Bureau of Competition Issues FY 2007 Summary of
Pharmaceutical Company Settlement Agreements
Amgen Posts Medical Education and Foundation Grants and Donations
as Part of the Company's 'Clearly Amgen' Initiative
ThalesNano Inc. and sanofi-aventis R&D Collaborate on
Continuous Process Chemistry in Order to Dramatically Reduce Drug
Realization Time
AstraZeneca Supports Transparency Legislation on Payments to Health
Care Providers
eHealth Initiative's Drug Safety Collaboration to Partner With FDA
on Sentinel Initiative
New Efforts to Help Improve Medical Products for Patient Safety and
Quality of Medical Care
May 27
Migenix Takes Operational Actions To Extend Cash Past Upcoming Key
Milestones
Alnylam and Takeda Form Strategic Worldwide Platform Alliance in
RNAi Therapeutics
Santarus Achieves $2.5 Million Regulatory Milestone under OTC
License Agreement with Schering-Plough
Short-Term Use of Antipsychotics in Older Adults with Dementia
Linked to Serious Adverse Events
May 28
Taro Terminates Merger Agreement with Sun Pharmaceutical Industries
Ltd.
Statement on Third-party Clopidogrel Applications in Germany
Pfizer Names Amy W. Schulman as Senior Vice President and General
Counsel
Westaim Updates Shareholders on Strategic Alternatives
Boston Scientific Announces Court Decision
Pharma Companies Integrate Customer Service Portals for Physicians
into the Marketing Mix
Australian Full Federal Court Upholds Basic Lipitor Patent,
Preventing Launch of Generic Ranbaxy Product
Schweizerhall: Clopidogrel From Cimex Approved in Germany
May 29
Favrille Announces Workforce Reduction
Sun Pharma responds to Taro's purported termination of merger
agreement
Bristol-Myers Squibb to Acquire Kosan Biosciences
Merck Wins Appeal of First Vioxx Case to Go to Trial
Merck Wins Appeal of First Vioxx Case to go to Trial
Cardiovascular Meds May Be Beneficial in Alzheimer's Disease,
According to MedPredict Report
Assembly on the Move for Rx Reform
The Lanier Law Firm Will Appeal Court Reversal of Jury Award to
Widow in Nation's 1st Vioxx Trial
