Companies - June 5, 2015
AZ Pondering Future of Psoriasis Drug
AstraZeneca will need to decide soon whether to independently pursue an experimental psoriasis drug that has been linked to suicidal side effects, Bloomberg reported recently. “We want to take more time to look at the data and take time to engage with regulators,” AstraZeneca’s Chief Executive Officer Pascal Soriot told the news service about brodalumab. “We are actively contacting people who […]
Uncategorized - June 5, 2015
Certain Drugs Raise Homicide Risk
A joint Swedish-Finnish study published in the journal World Psychiatry shows that the use of certain drugs that affect the central nervous system may be associated with an increased risk of committing homicide. The greatest risk was noted in the use of tranquillizing benzodiazepines and painkillers, while anti-depressants were associated with only a slightly elevated risk, according to information from the University […]
Collaboration - June 5, 2015
Biogen Files MAA for Hemophilia Drug
Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (Sobi’s) partner Biogen has submitted a Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) for Alprolix (rFIXFc) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Sobi has an opt-in right to assume final development and commercialization of Alprolix in Europe, Russia, certain countries in the Middle East, and North Africa, according to Sobi. The MAA filing with […]
Acquisition - June 5, 2015
Cortendo Buys Endocrine Disease Treatments
Swedish-American biotech company Cortendo is buying a pair of Phase II treatments for acromegaly for a total of $35 million, according to FierceBiotech. Cortendo agreed to pay Aspireo Pharmaceuticals $30 million for somatoprim, or DG3173, a treatment designed to block the excess growth hormone production that characterizes acromegaly. The drug showed positive results on hormone […]
Collaboration - June 4, 2015
AZ Might Consider CAR-T Firm
After AstraZeneca told Bloomberg it might be interested in a cancer therapy company, Juno Therapeutics’ stocks jumped by more than 15.3 percent this week, according to BioSpace.com. AstraZeneca’s CEO Pascal Soriot made the comments after he was asked whether his firm would be interested in a company like Juno, which develops ways the body can use its […]
Companies - June 4, 2015
Lundbeck Urges Alcohol Curbs
Danish drugmaker Lundbeck, which markets the alcoholism drug Selincro, last month mobilized members of the European Parliament, anti-alcohol NGOs and academics to convince the European Parliament to vote to urge the European Commission to take a harder position against the detrimental affects of alcohol. Lundbeck employees also quietly ran anti-alcohol campaigns behind the scenes, Politico […]
