Biovitrum AB has decided to discontinue early research into small molecule drugs in order to refocus its resources on the development of biologicals. This follows the company’s acquisition in September 2008 of global sales rights for two biologics from Amgen Inc and the signing of an exclusive licensing agreement for a third.
The third quarter results from Shire Plc form a basis for expecting that sales of new products could offset much of the anticipated loss of revenue for its best-selling drug, Adderall XR, which goes off-patent in 2009.
GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA has agreed to pay €22.5 million upfront for access to a new vaccine technology developed by AFFiRiS GmbH of Austria. The candidate vaccines are designed to treat Alzheimer’s disease by targeting beta-amyloid, a protein which is understood to be the main constituent of amyloid plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients.
GlaxoSmithKline is facing continued pressure to renew its pharmaceutical-product pipeline. Patents are expiring on several lead compounds opening up competition from the manufacturers of generic medicines
Actelion AG, the Swiss biopharmaceutical company, reported higher third quarter sales and earnings largely as a result of expanding sales of Tracleer (bosentan), its treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
The Roche Group said that its pharmaceutical research and development pipeline consisted of 65 new molecular entities and 54 additional indications at the end of the 2008 third quarter. Since the start of the year, 10 major projects have entered Phase 3. Roche gave the R&D update on 21 October with the release of its earnings for the first nine months of the year.
MediGene AG said that the final results of a Phase 2 study of its treatment for pancreatic cancer, EndoTAG-1, showed a median overall survival of up to 9.4 months for patients who were administered the treatment, together with the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine. The median survival for patients receiving gemcitabine alone was 7.2 months.
Pharming Group NV said that it is on course to make regulatory filings for its lead drug, Rhucin, with the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency. An FDA filing is expected to take place before the end of 2008 with a new submission to the EMEA shortly thereafter.
Vernalis Plc said its oncology collaboration with the privately-owned French pharmaceutical company, Servier, has reached a milestone triggering the payment to it of €500,000.
Oxford BioMedica Plc said that it has reached agreement with the US Food and Drug Administration to amend the design of a Phase 3 study of its gene-based therapeutic vaccine for renal cancer, TroVax.