BioPharm International Editors

FDA has withdrawn the proposed rule that would have allowed generic-drug makers to independently update and distribute new safety information in drug labels.

The $62-billion acquisition of Shire by Takeda Pharmaceutical was approved by both sets of shareholders.

FDA cites Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical in valsartan impurity investigation.

New FDA guidance developed to identify lapses in data integrity and promote best practices.

The agency is looking to leverage real-world health data to support drug development.

The company is investing approximately $14 million to expand biologics packaging capabilities and capacity at its biologics manufacturing facility in Bloomington, IN.

The company will use GE Healthcare’s off-the-shelf KUBio biologics factory, which is expected to start operations in 2020, to provide development and manufacturing for early- to late-clinical and early-commercial manufacturing stages.

The companies aim to advance research into inflammatory bowel disease.

FDA has approved Truxima (rituximab-abbs), a biosimilar to Roche’s anti-cancer biologic, Rituxan (rituximab).

AbbVie will grant Pfizer license to launch a biosimilar to AbbVie’s Humira worldwide.

The UK's government has revealed the details of the second Life Sciences sector deal, forming part of the Industrial Strategy.

Shire has announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorisation for Takhzyro (lanadelumab) subcutaneous injection.

GSK and TESARO have entered into a definitive agreement concerning GSK's acquisition of TESARO for an aggregate cash consideration worth approximately $5.1 billion.

The acquisition will give Genentech full rights to Jecure’s preclinical portfolio of NLRP3 inhibitors.

The investment builds on a collaboration the companies entered into in 2007 for various biomanufacturing projects.

The partnership, co-funded by Enterprise Ireland, will develop technologies for monitoring the quality of biopharma processes.

The contract research organization has increased its US-based early phase clinical capacity and doubled its specialty lab space.

GE’s new facility, which will be operational in 2019, will produce a fiber-based chromatography platform for more efficient biopharmaceutical purification.

Cobra, Pall, and Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult are collaborating to develop continuous manufacturing for gene therapy production.

The new center will integrate biologics drug discovery, development, clinical manufacturing, and commercial manufacturing.

ADC Biotechnology will invest downstream formulation, fill/finish capabilities, and Lock-Release conjugation technology.

The University of South Australia is working to develop needle-free vaccines for Zika, chikingunya, and peanut allergy in a collaboration with Australian biotechnology company Sementis and Enesi Pharma, a United Kingdom-based pharmaceutical company.

The vaccine producer announced an expansion to its Holly Springs, NC, manufacturing facility where it will increase production of its cell-based quadrivalent influenza vaccine.

The new collaborative center aims to serve as a hub for innovations in drug development and manufacturing.

Under the new long-term agreement, Sartorius Stedim Biotech will continue to offer Lonza media and buffer products under non-exclusive terms.

AstraZeneca is set to divest United States rights to Synagis (palivizumab) to Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (Sobi), a biopharmaceutical company focused on rare diseases, for $1.5 billion.

The positive opinions included the first oral-only tablet for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis.

The companies will develop AMG 714, a novel anti-IL-15 monoclonal antibody, for the treatment of gluten-free diet non-responsive celiac disease in a collaboration worth $170 million.

The agency provided an update on its relocation plans and assured that core activities are continuing uninterrupted.

The new good pharmacovigilance practice chapter IV on specific considerations for the pediatric population offers a holistic view of pediatric pharmacovigilance and provides guidance on how to address the specific needs and challenges of safety monitoring of medicines used in children.