Public Citizen has published a list of 56 drugs that interact badly with erectile dysfunction pills such as Pfizer’s Viagra. Public Citizen’s WorstPills.com site reports: In combination with ED drugs, these 56 drugs can cause dangerous falls in blood pressure that could lead to a heart attack or stroke; a potentially harmful “overdose,” even when taking the recommended...
Pharma Industry Archive
January 2009
Merck has filed an application with the FDA for the use of the HPV vaccine Gardasil in boys. The move was predicted by BNET on Nov. 14. It will likely spur two debates, one over the safety of the vaccine and another over whether Gardasil is actually cost-effective enough to be required by the government. The safety debate has been clouded by lousy media reporting and shrill activism. Multiple...
Pfizer CEO seeks big acquisition — In a much-discussed comment to the Financial Times, Pfizer’s CEO Jeff Kindler revealed his aspirations for revenue-boosting deals, large and small. As the Health Blog points out, the takeaway here is Kindler’s apparent willingness to pursue old-fashioned big acquisitions, at a time when most pharma companies seem interested in smaller...
An Australian woman gave birth to a deaf and blind baby in 2005 after taking Dysport, a botulinum type A toxin similar to Allergan’s Botox. Dysport is marketed down under by Ipsen. The event was reported to Australia’s equivalent of the FDA, according to the Courier Mail: The birth defect link was among 46 different adverse reactions to botulinum type A toxin reported to the...
New Year is a slow news period, which is why the business press filled up with next-to-useless corporate strategy stories about Abbott Labs, Wyeth and Pfizer. The one thing these stories all have in common? They’re long on speculation and short on substance. Let’s take them one at a time. Pfizer CEO Jeff Kindler in the FT: Pfizer, the world’s biggest pharmaceutical group, is...
Two brothers who ran Pharmed, a hospital supply company in South Florida, have persuaded 180 friends to write to a judge asking for leniency in their tax fraud and embezzlement case. Among other crimes, the pair — Carlos and Jorge de Céspedes — were convicted of syphoning off millions of dollars from Pharmed into their own pockets. About $300 million in Pharmed’s revenue came...
Johnson & Johnson’s PriCara unit is recalling two lots of its Duragesic fentanyl pain patch, according to the WSJ. The patch is used for opioid-tolerant patients who need round-the-clock pain relief. Fentanyl is also highly addictive. J&J’s history of skin-patch-based medicine delivery systems is an unfortunate one: The company also issued a similar recall in February for a...
Sanofi-Aventis appears to have successfully gotten tax breaks from Upper Saucon in a deal to move its new vaccine division HQ to the Pennsylvania town. In the deal, according to BerksMontNews.com, Sanofi gets: The borders of a “Keystone Opportunity Zone” expanded to encompass its new HQ. An extended waiver of township taxes (i.e. a “tax abatement”) until 2013. No...
GlaxoSmithKline was involved in three of the five biggest R&D collaborations of 2008, indicating that CEO Andrew Witty’s plan to outsource GSK’s R&D functions is well under way. The stats were assembled by Gen News, an R&D publication. (BNET readers are already familiar with the theory that internal R&D at GSK is shrinking as GSK looks to outside companies to provide...
- Study Showing Drug Ads Are Linked to Higher Prices Has Flaws
- Bankers Reveal Top Biotech IPO Contenders; New Filer Ironwood Among Them
- Pfizer Got $160M in Tax Money to Build in Connecticut
- Sanofi's Viehbacher Backs Health Reform; May Change Company's Name
- Viagra Now Available Intravenously
- Genzyme Kidney Drug Failed, Too...What Could Possibly Happen Next?
- Peter Pitts' CMPI Targeted Over Anti-Healthcare Reform Video Game
- Why Allergan and Medicis Should Embrace the "Botox Tax" in Senate Health Bill
- Why J&J's Stelara Launch Should Target Dermatologists First
- NHS Loses Fight Over Publication of Antipsychotic Meds Brochures for Kids
- Genzyme's Termeer Got $50M in Compensation Over Last 3 Years; Wife Got Trips to Asia on Corporate Jet
- Merck Gives Snapshot of Combined Company: $47B in Sales; Just $7.6B in Cash
- Why Pfizer Wants Your Car-Sick Dog to Travel on Thanksgiving
- FDA Delays Genzyme's Lumizyme, Manufacturing Problems Blamed
- The Business Conundrums of Trying to Prevent Cancer
- Will FDA Approve MannKind's Insulin Inhaler?
- VeriChip TV Ad Confirms Critics' Fears: They Want Everyone Implanted
- Hepatitis C Drugs Kill the Virus...and Your Sex Drive
- Microchip Implant to Link Your Health Records, Credit History, Social Security
- Biogen Idec's Social Media Ties Save Tysabri Again; FDA Watching
- NYT's MannKind Story Needlessly Quoted a Competitor Bashing Afresa
- Novartis CEO Sends Emails to 140 Animal Rights Activists:
- BioCryst's Antiviral Drug Peramivir Aims to Keep Swine-Flu Body Count Low
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- BioCryst's Antiviral Drug Peramivir Aims to Keep Swine-Flu Body Count Low
- Biogen Idec's Social Media Ties Save Tysabri Again; FDA Watching
- More Tysabri Problems; Time for a Biogen-Idec Credibility Check
- Fired Whistleblower Reps Make Similar Claim: Pfizer Said They Lacked "Integrity"
- Teva, In Turnabout, Sues to Protect Its Multiple Sclerosis Drug Copaxone
- VeriChip TV Ad Confirms Critics' Fears: They Want Everyone Implanted
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BNET Pharma provides daily industry trends and news coverage with insights for managers and executives about major manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and medicine. In addition to detailed drug company profiles, we bring you industry analysis on new partnerships, drug patents and products, cost management, investments, pharmaceutical related lawsuits, and a host of other important business issues.