Unsubstantiated whisperings about Biogen Idec and its controversial multiple sclerosis drug took an ugly turn to the truth on Thursday when European regulators disclosed another new case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, a serious brain infection known as PML, in a relapsed MS patient receiving Tysabri (natalizumab) infusions. With 11 new cases in two months, Biogen is going to...
Pharma Industry Archive
October 2009
In a move that wouldn’t look out of place in the film Bladerunner, Bayer (BAY) has covered the entire surface of its former Leverkusen HQ in 5.6 million LED lights to create a semi-permanent lightshow (video below). The results are spectacular — animated shots of blooming flowers, fireworks, the universe (and, of course, Bayer’s logo) can be seen for miles around. The project...
Let’s look at the numbers behind AstraZeneca’s Seroquel settlement with the U.S. Disrict Attorney in Pennsylvania. The headline number is $520 million, the amount AstraZeneca (AZN) will pay to end a probe of its marketing practices on the atypical antipsychotic, which allegedly resulted in off-label use of the drug in children and the elderly. But the real cost to AZ is already much...
Pharmaceutical sales reps: Are you sick of seeing headlines about layoffs at virtually every major pharma company? Wish you could turn the clock back to when everyone was hiring and new reps could name their price? Now you can — if you’re willing to live in Japan. And speak Japanese. In a recent note to investors, Wall Street analysts Jefferies & Co. discussed prospects for...
As the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) kicks off its annual confab this week, all eyes will be on efforts to revolutionize the standard of care for hepatitis C. Most HCV patients are treated with ribavirin and pegylated interferon, a combination that often comes under fire for its 40 percent to 50 percent cure rate and significant side effects including anemia,...
Analysts at Leerink Swann believe that AstraZeneca could add five cents in earnings per share for every 500 pharmaceutical sales reps that it fires. Seamus Fernandez, Jason M. Gerberry and Kathryn C. Alexander wrote in a note to investors that AZ had confirmed reports that it was offering buyouts to all its sales staff, but AZ did not give a number as to how many it wanted to reduce....
As mentioned in my last BNET Pharma posting, Biogen Idec’s key multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri had been linked to 23 worldwide cases of a potentially deadly brain infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML — with most confirmed cases centered in Europe, in particular Germany. Could there be a link between the seemingly higher prevalence of Tysabri-related...
Biogen Idec’s attempted hostile takeover of Facet Biotech, its partner on the potential blockbuster multiple sclerosis drug daclizumab, isn’t going according to plan. It was one thing when Facet’s board rejected Biogen’s $14.50-per-share offer as a low-ball that essentially valued the company on its cash and gave the pipeline away for free. Facet’s investors...
Biogen Idec’s key multiple sclerosis drug is in the news again, as the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has started a safety review of Tysabri, citing more confirmed cases of a rare — but potentially fatal — viral infection of the brain, called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), previously linked to the drug. Assuming the EMEA does not order the withdrawal of...
Bayer faces almost 1,000 lawsuits in a Florida federal district court regarding its anti-bleeding drug Trasylol, according to the docket in the case (1:08-md-01928-DMM). Download the Trasylol docket here. While there have been sporadic reports in local media of people filing claims against Bayer alleging Trasylol contributed to renal failure, there has been little overall publicity to what is...
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