Company News

FDA approves new DNA test

Country
United States

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first DNA test to help healthcare professionals evaluate the progress of anti-viral treatment in solid organ transplant patients undergoing cytomegalovirus (CMV) antiviral therapy.

Prosonix to advance delivery technology

Country
United Kingdom

Venture-capital backed Prosonix Ltd has entered into a research agreement with Imperial College London to accelerate development of technology that is intended to improve the delivery of respiratory medicines. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.

FDA approves first home-use HIV test

Country
United States

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first over-the-counter, self-administered test to detect the presence of antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and type 2 (HIV-2).

GSK to pay $3 billion to US to settle litigation

Country
United Kingdom

GlaxoSmithKline Plc said that it will pay $3 billion to settle several criminal and civil cases brought against it by the US government, several states and the District of Columbia relating to past sales and marketing practices, including sales of Avandia.

GSK extends offer for Human Genome Sciences

Country
United Kingdom

GlaxoSmithKline Plc has again extended its $13 per share cash offer for Human Genome Sciences Inc- this time to a date after management will have completed a review of other strategic options. GSK’s offer to shareholders is now set to expire on 20 July.

Oxford BioMedica to raise funds in share placement

Country
United Kingdom

Oxford BioMedica Plc has announced plans to raise up to £16 million in a combined private share placement and open offer. The proceeds will be used to continue development of its gene therapy technology, particularly in the area of ophthalmology.

Witty says pharma price decline speeds up

Country
Belgium

The erosion of pharmaceutical prices in Europe has accelerated with the debt crisis and prices now look set to decline by 5% or more, according to Andrew Witty, president of the European pharmaceutical industry federation, EFPIA, and chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline Plc.

Roche to cut 1,000 R&D jobs in the US

Country
Switzerland

The Roche group has announced plans to close its Nutley, New Jersey, US research site with the anticipated loss of 1,000 jobs and the relocation of the activities to Switzerland and Germany. The reorganisation is expected to keep group R&D costs stable.

Ablynx reports further data on RA antibody

Country
Belgium

Ablynx NV said that fresh data from a trial of its anti-tumour necrosis factor-alpha antibody for rheumatoid arthritis, ozoralizumab (ATN-103), has shown some promising results, at least one of which was unexpected.

AZ antibiotic receives positive CHMP opinion

Country
United Kingdom

An antibiotic from AstraZeneca Plc is one of four new medicines to be recommended for marketing in Europe by the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use. The drug, Zinforo, is a cephalosporin antibiotic.