Impactiviti Daily 061410 Top Pharma News

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Had a great time last week at the SPBT conference. Planning to get out a summary post later this week…

TODAY’S NEWS:

Big news for Novartis: FDA panel unanimously recommends approval for oral MS drug – A Food and Drug Administration panel has unanimously backed the safety and effectiveness of Novartis’  multiple sclerosis treatment fingolimod. The panel voted 25-0 in support of fingolimod’s “substantial evidence of effectiveness” in treating patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis. That makes it likely the drug will be the first oral MS treatment to gain FDA approval, beating Merck, Sanofi  and Teva – all of which are developing their own oral MS drugs – to the punch…more

Glaxo cuts 700 more sales/marketing positions – A Glaxo spokeswoman said 700 sales and marketing staffers (and related support staff) have taken buyout offers in recent months, while others’ jobs are being cut. She declined to give a total figure, but said the cuts are affecting “a variety of different positions in the U.S. pharma commercial staff.”…more

Uncomfortable links being investigated – ARB high blood pressure drugs/cancer; Daiichi‘s Benicar and heart disease; troubling new data on GSK‘s Avandia and heart disease.

A “pill mill” in Kansas and multiple fatalities from the “lollipop of death.”

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Fresh from the tube this weekend: the first ever DTC commercial for medical devices?

JUST FOR FUN

This may just be the most hideous website “designed” by man. Do not click with any consumables in your mouth…

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Impactiviti Daily 060310 Top Pharma News

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TODAY’S NEWS:

Could low-dose Avandia be useful in preventing diabetes onset? This would be good news for GSK – GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s Avandia helped prevent the onset of diabetes when taken at a low dose with another drug, according to a company-sponsored study that suggests the regimen may help patients without raising heart attack risk. Half doses of Avandia and the therapy metformin, when combined, cut the risk of developing diabetes by two-thirds compared with placebo, Canadian researchers said..more

We’re in the gusher phase of the pre-ASCO press release flood. This sneak peek on BMS products is intriguing. More here – Four Scenarios for BMS.

Lying about data – people just don’t seem to learn. Sigh. And that goes for financial folks, politicians, climate scientists – it ain’t just pharma, folks!

Cephalon, Provigil and Nuvigil.

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New iPhone app released by Novartis subsidiary CibaVision. My “live” review while playing with it – mixed feelings. And, while we’re doing reviews – a north Jersey restaurant (Tabor Road Tavern) that blew me away.

JUST FOR FUN

Who needs PSA tests for prostate cancer when you have Fido? What’s interesting is that this is – amusingly – serious!

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Impactiviti Daily 041310

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TODAY’S NEWS

Hugely encouraging results for Novartis‘ new experimental (oral) MS treatment – Novartis’ Gilena has delivered an impressive performance in a Phase III trial in patients multiple sclerosis, cutting relapse rates by 62% in treatment-naïve patients and sustaining its effects for more than two years. Importantly, data from the two-year FREEDOMS study, presented at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting, also showed that relapse rates were reduced by a significant 44% in patients who had previously been treated with other drugs for MS, highlighting the potential benefit of switching therapies…more

Gilead starts late stage testing of “4-in-1” HIV pill.

An interesting account of regulatory “unintended consequences.” How to make a cheap drug very expensive.

Cephalon hopes to gain more cheddar by adding some Swiss. Sorry – couldn’t resist…

Celgene: the new “big kid” on the block.

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PLUS

An amusing patient health video made by J&J. Well worth 4 minutes of your time. The Appointment.

JUST FOR FUN

Oldie but goodie from The Onion – American to start charging fees to Non-passengers.

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Impactiviti Daily 033010

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TODAY’S NEWS

Patenting genes called into question. Frankly, this is a legal/medical/sociological discussion that needs to happen.

Cephalon‘s jet lag indication on Nuvigil may be stuck on the runway for a while.

When companies – and agencies – can’t count. An expensively amusing tale.

The Top 20 Drugmakers, listed.

Another experimental cancer drug hits the wall. That’s two in two days. Bummer.

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PLUS

Huw Tippett, head of global sales for Novartis, explains his firm’s new focus on creating customer value and unlocking value from key accounts – Why Pharma Needs a New Commercial Model.

JUST FOR FUN

What’s really inside your computer? Intel….or her?

EVENT – Coming up May 11 – BDI’s Social Communications and Healthcare Case Studies and Roundtables. I’ll be attending/facilitating. Use discount code IMPACT for $155 reg. rate: http://ow.ly/1sAT8

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Impactiviti Daily 012810

TODAY’S NEWS

Pfizer trimming pipeline projects after Wyeth acquisition – Pfizer Inc., the world’s biggest drugmaker, said Wednesday it is quitting plans to sell popular pain drug Lyrica as an add-on treatment for anxiety as it shaves about 100 projects from its combined portfolio after swallowing rival Wyeth…more

AstraZeneca: 8,000 more cuts coming. Ouch – The reduction will take place by 2014 and comes on top of approximately 12,600 jobs the drugmaker has already cut. The jobs will be eliminated from sales and marketing, R&D, and supply chain operations, along with basic infrastructure…more

Cephalon shuffling the executive leadership suite.

Enzon selling specialty pharma biz to Sigma-tau.

Apple’s new iPad – gamechanger for eHealth? I say Yes – here’s why.

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Governments, pharma, and canceling orders. I agree with Vasella’s perspective about binding contracts.

JUST FOR FUN

If you haven’t seen it before – very funny and all too true. The client-vendor relationship (video). Don’t be “that client”!

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Impactiviti Daily 011310

TODAY’S NEWS

FDA warning letters to Lilly, Bayer, Amylin, Cephalon.

Wow: ARBs for hypertension reducing Alzheimer’s symptoms? – Drugs commonly used to lower blood pressure, sold by AstraZeneca Plc, Sanofi-Aventis SA and Merck & Co., may also reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers from Boston University analyzed the medical records of more than 800,000 U.S. veterans and found those taking angiotensin receptor blockers were up to 24 percent less likely to develop dementia than patients on other medications. Patients already diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease were half as likely to be admitted to a nursing home and had a 17 percent reduced risk of dying if they were taking the medications…more

FTC wants to put a stop to the “pay-to-delay” deals – Jon Leibowitz will hold a press conference today to ask Congress to include a provision in the health care reform bill to end deals in which brand-name drugmakers offer payments or other inducments to generic rivals to delay copycat versions of best-selling meds…more

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PLUS

Social Media, Opportunity, and Serendipity – my guest post on the Hive Awards blog.

JUST FOR FUN

Visual awesomeness. Photo of Martian dune field. Quite spectacular!

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Impactiviti Daily 010710

TODAY’S NEWS

Ouch – more NJ pharma job cuts – Call it the proverbial one-two punch. On Jan. 31, Pfizer expects to chop 400 jobs from Monmouth Junction, where Wyeth maintained research offices. And on Feb. 9, Merck will eliminate 500 jobs from Kenilworth, where Schering-Plough had its headquarters, although it’s not clear which types of jobs will be affected...more

Cephalon‘s jet lag pill not ready for takeoff – For those of you who were unaware, Cephalon is anxiously awaiting FDA approval to sell Nuvigil, a slightly modified form of its Provigil narcolepsy pill, to combat jet-lag disorder. The drugmaker had hoped for a regulatory okay last month, but the agency delayed a decision in order to review data…more. After recent airline news, maybe they should rename it NuVigilant and package it for TSA inspectors…

Anemia drugs – FDA says let’s take a look at safety. Again.

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Roll your own Future. An encouragement to actively shape your professional trajectory.

JUST FOR FUN

Feeling lost? Understood…

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Impactiviti Daily 112409

I wish all my readers and pharma-industry colleagues a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

TODAY’S NEWS

Cephalon, Ception, and CINQUIL: the stats don’t reach significance, but at least all the names are similar – “We are pleased to see a positive biological effect of CINQUIL,” said Steve Tullman, Chief Executive Officer at Ception Therapeutics. “Conducting clinical studies in a new disease area is always challenging. We will continue to review the data from this study and from our ongoing open-label study to find the best path forward for CINQUIL for the treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis.”…more

Might a few companies (such as Endo or King) be targets to go private? WSJ reports.

Can pharma sales reps be turned into better value creators? A question we’re all thinking about…

Duh.

Oops. Abbott‘s Meridia weight-loss drug associated with higher rate of cardiovascular events – Meridia is a weight-loss drug approved in 1997. As part of its post-approval commitments, Abbott has been conducting a large study of 10,000 patients to determine whether treatment with Meridia could reduce the number of heart-related adverse events compared to a placebo. In mid-November, however, Abbott reported to regulatory agencies that treatment with Meridia was associated with an 11.4% rate of cardiovascular events compared to 10% for patients treated with placebo…more

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An update on Pfizer’s Social Media initiatives. Encouraging!

JUST FOR FUN

Changing behavior through fun. The Piano Stairs.

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Today’s Top News in Pharma 070109

Strangest Indication of the Year Award: first drug I’ve seen with a directional indication – Cephalon, Inc. today announced that it has submitted a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting approval of NUVIGIL® (armodafinil) Tablets [C-IV] for the indication of improved wakefulness in patients with excessive sleepiness associated with jet lag disorder resulting from eastbound travel…more

Sutent for colon cancer – no dice.

New anemia drug approved – AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted marketing approval for Feraheme™ (ferumoxytol) Injection for intravenous (IV) use as an iron replacement therapy for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in adult patients with chronic kidney disease...more

Cost/benefit ratio of cancer drugs – this is going to be a hot topic in coming years.

Pain drugs under scrutiny.

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Today’s Top Three in Pharma 032509

Just what we need – another takeover rumor! Is GSK interested in Allergan? Or, perhaps, is Allergan interested in its own acquisitions?

Hospira cutting its workforce by 10%.

Dendreon finds a new way to endanger Provenge. This is a head-scratcher…

PLUS – Pfizer grabs its new Oncology Business Unit head from Cephalon.

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