1. “The top 10 pharma companies by 2013 revenue” 03/04/2014

After the major patent crashes of 2012, last year was more of a transitional period. Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, Eli Lilly and Bayer saw their revenues rise, although only J&J and Bayer had an appreciable change. Pfizer, Sanofi, Merck & Co. and AstraZeneca were on the revenue eroding spectrum.

 

2. “First test to predict Alzheimer’s years in advance” 03/10/2014

Howard Federoff at Georgetown University and his colleagues performed the world’s first blood test to predict Alzheimer’s disease prior to symptom development. The test identifies 10 chemicals in the blood associated with the disease two to three years before symptoms start, but they might be able to predict the disease decades earlier.

 

3. “Tamiflu study funded by Roche shows lives saved in pandemic” 03/19/2014

The antiviral drug Tamiflu reduced the risk of death by 25 percent among adults hospitalized during the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic. Although treatment of Tamiflu reduced the risk of death in many groups of adults, it didn’t show a significant change in reduction of death risk of pregnant women and severely ill patients.

 

4. “Astellas Pharma and Daiichi Sankyo Form Compound Library Sharing Partnership” 03/20/2014

Astellas Pharma and Daiichi Sankyo have unveiled plans for a compound-library sharing partnership, the largest such pact to be formed in Japan. The collaboration involves exchange of some 400,000 selected compounds including a significant number of proprietary synthetic compounds from the companies’ respective libraries.

 

5. “37 new Parkinson’s disease medicines now in R&D” 03/27/2014

US biopharmaceutical companies now have 37 new medicines in development for Parkinson’s disease – 23 to treat the disease, 11 for related conditions and three diagnostics, according to new industry data. All 23 new products are now either in clinical trials or under by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), say the report, from research-based industry group the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). There are around 10 million patients worldwide and approximately 600,000 additional patients are newly diagnosed in each year.

 

6. “Antibacterial Drugs Market Expected to Reach USD 45.09 Billion Globally in 2019: Transparency Market Research” 03/28/2014

According to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research, the global antibacterial drugs market will reach an estimated value of $45.09 billion in 2019. Factors such as increasing prevalence of infectious diseases and rising demand for effective as well as affordable antibacterial drugs especially from emerging economies of Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa are the major growth drivers for the antibacterial drugs market.

 

7. “Pharmacy automation market to grow 8.8 percent annually by 2018” 04/10/2014

Wellesley-based market research firm BCC Research reported Thursday that it expects the global pharmacy automation market to grow to nearly $4.9 billion in 2018, with a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.8% percent.

 

8. “FDA approves Tanzeum to treat type 2 diabetes” 04/16/2014

The U.S. FDA approved GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s Tanzeum injection for treating adults with type 2 diabetes, in combination with diet and exercise. Analysts expect the drug to hit $4,430 million in sales by 2018, according to Thomson Reuters data.

 

9. “Teva settles patent litigation with Pfizer over generic of Celebrex” 04/18/2014

Teva’s U.S. subsidiary has entered into a settlement with Pfizer Inc. over Teva’s generic version of Celebrex. Celebrex, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, or NSAID medication, typically is used to treat the pain caused by arthritis. Under the terms of the settlement, Teva may launch its generic versions in the U.S. in December 2014, or earlier.

 

10. “FDA backs Janssen’s Sylvant for rare disease” 04/23/2014

The U.S. FDA approved Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Biotech’s Sylvant (siltuximab) to treat patients with multicentric Castleman’s disease (MCD), a rare disorder similar to lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes).

 

11. “Forest Labs to Acquire Furiex Pharmaceutical for Up to $1.5 billion” 04/28/2014

Forest labs agreed to pay $95 a share for the drug development collaboration company, Furex Pharmaceuticals Inc. in a deal worth up to $1.5 billion that would expand Forest Lab’s presence in gastroenterology.

 

12. “A First: Lab Grown Epidermis with Functional Permeability Barrier” 04/30/2014

The first lab-grown epidermis offers an inexpensive alternative lab model for testing drugs and cosmetics. It could also pave a path for new therapies’ development for uncommon and common skin problems.

 

13. “Report: Drug prices skyrocketing, with no end in sight.” 05/01/2014

Despite a wave of M&A deals aimed at increasing efficiency and lowering expenses in the pharmaceutical industry, drug prices continue to rise, with several drug companies nearly doubling the costs of key products over the last 7 years. These companies are Merck, Novartis, Eli Lilly and Pfizer.

 

14. “Scientists concern over Pfizer bid for AZ” 05/01/2014

The UK’s medical research collective has come together to warn the government that any deal between US-based Pfizer and Britain-based AstraZeneca, could have far-reaching consequences for R&D in the Country. They are concerned that these consolidations of large pharmas may reduce R&D investment across the industry. The scientists are now calling on prime minister David Cameron and the coalition government to lead the way by setting up a ‘Pharmaceutical Council’ which would bring together medical charities, funding bodies, businesses academics, the NHS and academic societies to keep Britain at the ‘forefront of drug discovery’.

 

15. “Bayer deal to expand consumer business with Merck deal” 05/06/2014

The German drug maker Bayer said on Tuesday that it had agreed to acquire Merck’s consumer care business for $14.2 billion, a deal which will make Bayer one of the largest providers of over-the-counter products. This deal would give Bayer control of several well-known brands, including Coppertone, Claritin, and Dr. Scholl’s.

 

16. “FDA looks at effectiveness of generic blood pressure drugs” 05/07/2014

Generic drugs make 80% of the prescriptions written in the U.S. saving billions of dollars to payers annually. However, their effectiveness has always been questioned. FDA has been testing.

 

17. “Sovaldi ‘biggest selling drug’ by 2020” 05/14/2014

According to UK market intelligence company, Evaluate, Gilead’s hepatitis C treatment Sovaldi will top the list of biggest selling drugs in 2020.

 

18. “Growth foreseen at all levels of the oral solid dosage form excipients market, according to Kline” 05/15/2014

The oral solid dosage form (OSDF) excipients market is growing sustainably, historically exhibiting a robust increase on a global scale. This market is valued at nearly $2.3 billion in the U.S., Europe, India and China. In the emerging Indian and Chinese markets, growth in consumption of excipients is driven by rising incomes and willingness to spend more on healthcare. Key factors driving growth in major markets like the U.S. and Europe include the aging populations and high demand for pharmaceuticals.