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U.S. pharmaceutical industry is overlooking as much as $16 billion in cash

The pressured U.S. pharmaceutical industry is overlooking as much as $16 billion in cash tied up in excess working capital or the equivalent of up to a full 2.1% of the current total enterprise value, according to the results of a new study by REL Consultancy Group.

31 May 2005

Ranbaxy makes further three filings of its Anti-Retroviral (ARVs) formulations

Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited has announced that the Company has made further three filings of its Anti-Retroviral (ARVs) formulations, to the World Health Organization (WHO) for its approval under the latter's pre-qualification project for HIV/AIDS drugs.

30 May 2005

Pharmaceutical industry faces multiple challenges - future lies in drug pipeline sustainability

High clinical development costs coupled with declining drug discovery success rates are causing productivity levels to fall in the global pharmaceuticals industry. The imminent patent expiry of several major blockbuster drugs and the related rise of cheaper generic alternatives is further exacerbating the situation.

25 May 2005

New drug for the treatment of premature ejaculation has great results

In new data published this week it has been shown that men taking dapoxetine hydrochloride for the treatment of premature ejaculation (PE) have experienced significant improvements in sexual function, including ejaculatory control, satisfaction with sexual intercourse for men and their partners, and increases in intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT).

24 May 2005

New Symbicort single inhaler asthma treatment gives much better asthma control

A new asthma treatment regimen promises to deliver a great improvement in key measures of asthma control and should simplify the management of the disease compared with other treatments.

23 May 2005

FDA recommends approval of the investigational anti-HIV drug tipranavir

Boehringer Ingelheim today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee recommended the approval of the investigational anti-HIV drug tipranavir (11-3). Tipranavir is a non-peptidic protease inhibitor that requires boosting with low-dose ritonavir and must be used in combination with other antiretroviral agents.

20 May 2005

Merck cervical cancer virus vaccine performs well

Drugmaker Merck & Co. Inc. on Thursday said its investigational vaccine against a sexually transmitted virus linked to cervical cancer triggered a stronger immune response in young adolescents than in young women in a late-stage trial.

20 May 2005

New drug fluticasone was just as effective as beclomethasone and budesonide at opening up constricted breathing passages

A new inhaled drug for chronic asthma may improve lung function as much as two older inhaled asthma drugs but at half the dose, a review of recent studies concludes.

19 May 2005

Cervical cancer virus vaccine appears very promising

Gardasil, a vaccine created by drugmaker Merck & Co which aims to protect against a sexually transmitted virus linked to cervical cancer, triggered a stronger immune response in young adolescents than in young women in a late-stage trial.

19 May 2005

Advanced breast cancer drug appears effective on multiple targets

An experimental breast cancer drug that simultaneously attacks five tumor targets has halted progression of the disease in a clinical trial for patients with advanced disease.

18 May 2005

Roche to discontinue the sale and distribution of Fortovase (saquinavir)

Roche announced today that it has decided to discontinue the sale and distribution of Fortovase (saquinavir), as clinical demand for the drug has declined significantly due to the availability of a new formulation of Invirase (saquinavir mesylate), which increasingly has become the preferred formulation of saquinavir.

18 May 2005

Prescription drug affordability woes grow for Americans

More Americans—especially those with chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma and depression-are going without prescription drugs because of cost concerns, according to a new national study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC).

18 May 2005

Vaccine may prevent cigarette addiction

Clinical trials on a new vaccine against smoking has given hope to those trying to quit. The vaccine could also prevent cigarette addiction.

17 May 2005

Remicade shows promise in treating ulcerative colitis

Results from two Phase III, placebo-controlled clinical trials found that approximately two-thirds of patients with moderate to severe, active ulcerative colitis (UC) treated with Remicade (infliximab, 5mg/kg) demonstrated a significant improvement in symptoms.

16 May 2005

Distributing medications in specially designed blister packages rather than in bottles may increase the likelihood that medications will be taken properly

The study found that patients taking lisinopril – a medication used to treat chronic high blood pressure – were more likely to have their prescriptions refilled on time if the medication came in a blister package rather than as loose tablets in a bottle. In this case, the blister package clearly started the day on which to take each pill.

16 May 2005

Tarvacin equivalent plus Docetaxel inhibits breast tumor growth by 93%

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc., today announced that a research article titled "A Monoclonal Antibody that Binds Anionic Phospholipids on Tumor Blood Vessels Enhances the Antitumor Effect of Docetaxel on Human Breast Tumors in Mice" was published in the May 15 issue of Cancer Research.

16 May 2005