Novartis gets approval for Reclast, a once-per-year osteoporosis treatment. That’s a game-changer – very cool advance that should lead to far better patient compliance.
A long-ish article on Wyeth‘s efforts to find Alzheimer’s treatments. It’s a risky R&D commitment, but nobody questions that desirability of finding new advances here. Also, MedAd News has a brief interview piece on Wyeth’s biopharma organization.
Novo Nordisk reports encouraging Phase 3 results for yet another diabetes treatment. Liraglutide is a human analogue of a naturally occurring hormone. Novo is developing it for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and hopes to submit it for regulatory approval in mid-2008. (Editorial note: I really respect Novo’s business model re: diabetes. Focus, focus, focus!)
Forest and Daiichi Sankyo to co-promote pending hypertensive (combo) treatment. Azor incorporates amlodipine besylate and olmesartan medoxomil, which are respectively the main ingredients in Pfizer’s Norvasc and Daiichi Sankyo’s Benicar.
EyeonFDA blog reports that the FDA drug approval rate ain’t what it used to be. I think we all knew that, but the article has a link with numbers, if you’re into that.
Eye-opening letter from Jim Cornelius, CEO of BMS, to employees, addressing an upcoming need to reorganize (read: downsize). It’s an interesting one, actually. There is a bit of corporate-speak, as in these phrases: “…as part of resetting our cost base, there would need to be headcount reductions in some parts of the company…The changes we are considering center around the transformation of our model to execute our strategy…Your compliance and integrity will be vital as, moving forward with our productivity transformation, we will empower decision-making at the appropriate levels throughout the company.” But, to be fair, other parts of the letter are pretty plain and straightforward…for a CEO.
Business Week reports that Medicis is making good progress in the derm market.
Are Glaxo and Novartis making stupid investments in vaccines? A 40-person company thinks so…
Antisoma may be on to something good for lung cancer.
And now, a handful of longer analysis pieces, from MedAd News and Pharmaceutical Executive:
Does the blockbuster model have a future?
Tibotec (a J&J company) gets AIDS.
A look at the drugs of tomorrow.
