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On April 24, 2017, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) and a group of executives from several big pharma companies composed an open letter to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) regarding its relocation.

A new study from the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that pairing the antidepressant amitriptyline with drugs designed to treat central nervous system diseases, enhances drug delivery to the brain by inhibiting the blood-brain barrier in rats. The blood-brain barrier serves as a natural, protective boundary, preventing most drugs from entering the brain. The research, performed in rats, appeared online April 27, 2017 in the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism.

Lonza revealed it received a warning letter from FDA for its cell therapy manufacturing plant.

The company is recalling one lot of 25% Dextrose injection after particulate matter was found within an internal sample syringe.

Companies believe that biologics and biosimilars would experience the fastest growth over the next year; there is also interest on increasing market penetration of generic drugs.

Sandoz, a Novartis division, announced  that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has adopted positive opinions recommending the approval of its biosimilars rituximab and  etanercept in Europe, for the same indications as the respective reference medicines.

The agency approved Renflexis, a biosimilar to Janssen’s blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis treatment.

Amgen is once again asking the court to weigh in on a patent infringement case. In March 2017, Sanofi and Regeneron asked a federal court to issue a declaratory judgment of non-infringement indicating that their drug Dupixent (dupilumab) does not infringe on Amgen’s ‘487 patent covering IL-4 inhibitors. Although the court has not yet responded to this request, in early April 2017 Amgen issued a complaint of patent infringement against Sanofi/Regeneron involving the same ‘487 patent.

Valeant’s Siliq (brodalumab) injection will be listed for $3500 a month in the United States, the company said on April 21, 2017. In a statement, Valeant said this makes Siliq the lowest-priced injectable biologic to treat psoriasis on the US market.

The company said it plans to invest $130 million in the United States and the United Kingdom to increase production capacity.

On April 20, 2017 UniQure announced that it will not pursue marketing authorization renewal in the European Union for Glybera (alipogene tiparvovec), the first gene-therapy approved by EMA. Glybera’s marketing authorization is set to expire on Oct. 25, 2017.

The number of deficiencies found in foreign and UK-based facilities increased in 2016.

The funding allows the company to broaden its range of services and finance its move to new laboratory facilities in the Illkirch-Graffenstaden innovation park in northeast France.

Cobra will increase capacity in response to customer demand for DNA and viral vector production.

The two companies will develop translational biomarkers for fibrotic diseases, including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

At CPhI North America 2017, the US Pharmacopeial Convention will be discussing its upcoming revision and modernization of the standards for elemental and organic impurities.

The dispute over who has the rights to key CRISPR-Cas9 patents continues. On April 12, 2017 the University of California, Berkeley, in conjunction with the University of Vienna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, filed an appeal to overturn an earlier decision by the United States Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB).

BMS is licensing two investigational compounds in separate deals with Roche and Biogen for a total of $470 million in upfront payments.

Pharmaceutical Technology spoke with CPhI North America presenter Jonathan Helfgott to discuss navigating GDUFA and helpful tips for submitting successful ANDAs.

The agency issued its recommendation for the influenza virus strains European vaccine manufacturers should include for 2017.

The new guide offers guidance on how to ensure data and records are complete, consistent, secure, accurate, and available throughout their lifecycle.

The agency cited the company’s India facility for batch failures and data integrity problems.

The company announced the expansion of its global shipping program, which now allows companies to ship dangerous goods between 36 countries.

GE Healthcare continues to ramp up its offerings in the bioprocessing space with the purchase of Asymptote and a continued partnership with Zenith Technologies.

The conference has partnered with Mercy Ships, a non-profit organization using hospital ships to deliver health care to developing nations.

In a new study, researchers from Boston Children’s Hospital study responses to pneumococcal vaccine in infant monkeys.

Pharmaceutical Technology spoke with Ben Locwin and Tom Fox ahead of their CPhI North America presentation to discuss drug pricing, compliance challenges, and corporate social responsibility in the bio/pharmaceutical industry.

A drop in US drug approvals was noted but this trend was not yet seen in Europe.

MilliporeSigma’s new high-area cartridge filters and single-use capsules are suitable for feed streams with high levels of particulates.

The agency released guidance on single assessments of PSURs to improve safety and benefit-risk assessment of medicines.