News

Alzheimer’s drug fails at Phase 3

Country
United States

An investigational drug for patients with Alzheimer’s disease, Dimebon (latrepirdine), has failed in a Phase 3 trial because it could not show statistically significant improvements in patients compared with placebo for cognition and global function.

Merck to acquire Millipore for $7.2 billion

Country
Germany

Merck KGaA of Germany has made an agreed bid for the US service provider, Millipore Corp, in a transaction valued at $7.2 billion, including net debt. The merged company is expected to have critical mass in bioresearch and bioprocessing.

EMA seeks to work with government payers

Country
United Kingdom

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is looking at ways it can work more closely with government bodies in Europe whose responsibility it is to decide whether or not to subsidize a new medicine based on its relative effectiveness.

FDA approves Shire product for Gaucher disease

Country
United States

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Shire Plc’s treatment for Gaucher disease, Vpriv (velaglucerase alfa), under a special procedure where the review was completed in six months rather than the usual 10.

Ablynx sees clinical progress in 2010

Country
Belgium

Ablynx NV expects that its heavy-chain-only antibody technology will show clinical progress in 2010 from its own and partnered programmes. It also expects to report progress on new delivery technologies.

Desmoteplase said to still show promise for stroke

Country
Denmark

The clot-dissolving investigational drug, desmoteplase, still has potential for treating patients with acute ischaemic stroke up to nine hours after the onset of symptoms, the drug’s developer, H. Lundbeck A/S, told an international conference.