BioPharm Business News and Perspectives

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 AstraZeneca to Enter the RA Market
AstraZeneca is entering the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) market by gaining rights to Rigel’s RA drug...

Thursday, February 11, 2010 Merck Settles Vioxx Lawsuits
Merck & Co. has agreed to settle lawsuits over their withdrawn painkiller Vioxx with a strengthening of safety procedures, change of leadership, and payment of legal fees...

Tuesday, February 02, 2010 UCB to Exit the Primary Care Market in the US
Instead, the company plans to focus on becoming a patient-centric global biopharmaceutical leader...

Monday, February 01, 2010 CP-690,550, Pfizer's Oral JAK Inhibitor, Demonstrates Response in Patients with Active Rheumatoid Arthritis
Pfizer’s oral JAK Inhibitor CP-690,550 shows efficacy at improving the pain, function, and health status of RA patients...

Tuesday, January 26, 2010 FDA Approves Tocilizumab for Refractory RA
Tocilizumab (Actemra) has been approved for adults with moderate-to-severe RA who have not achieved adequate response with other TNF therapies...

Wednesday, December 02, 2009 OxyPharma's New RA Drug Shows Positive Phase II Results
Rabeximod, an orally-administered DMARD, showed promise as a new RA treatment during a 16-week study...

Thursday, November 19, 2009 French Government Buys Into Naproxinod
NicOx has submitted an NDA for naproxinod for osteoarthritis, and is raising $149 million for the launch...

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 FDA Wants Pain Pump Label Warnings
Chondrolysis follows continuous intra-articular local anesthetic infusion, FDA says...

Thursday, November 12, 2009 Bristol Set to Challenge Roche for RA IL-6 Blockers
Bristol-Myers Squibb has licensed RA indications for Alder's ALD518 anti-IL-6 monoclonal...

Wednesday, October 28, 2009 Third RA Patient Has PML After Rituximab
The FDA's MedWatch warning system reports that a third rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patient treated with Genentech's Rituxan (rituximab) has developed PML, this time without prior anti-TNF exposure...