Merck Committed To Animal Health, Consumer Care, Frazier Says In a week that saw Pfizer sell a non-core business to Nestle for five times sales, CEO Ken Frazier says Merck’s non-core businesses “complement” its R&D-driven pharma business.
Xgeva Rejection Shows What’s Needed For Non-Metastatic CRPC Approvals As expected, FDA rejected the new indication for Amgen’s bone drug Xgeva in prevention of bone metastases. But the door is still open for other therapies for castration resistant prostate cancer to target earlier stages of disease.
With Faster Effects, Vivus Hopes For Quicker Market Penetration For ED Drug Stendra Dosing instructions to take Stendra (avanafil) 30 minutes before sexual activity give the Vivus drug a shot at the crowded marketplace. With the potential approval of the obesity therapy Qnexa coming up, Vivus could be an attractive take-over target.
Jazz Enters Oncology Market With EUSA Acquisition Jazz strays away from its CNS focus with a $700 million acquisition of EUSA Pharma, adding the specialty pharma’s oncology product to its portfolio.
FDA Opts For Full, Rather Than Accelerated, Approval Of GSK’s Votrient In Sarcoma Despite advisory committee discussion about a possible accelerated approval for pazopanib with a confirmatory study to assess symptom benefit, the agency opted to grant regular approval, as had been requested by GlaxoSmithKline.
Astellas Experiments With Partnering Models For a Phase IIa Ulcerative Colitis Compound Astellas out-licensed a melanocortin receptor agonist to a virtual company backed by Astellas' corporate venture arm.
