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Obama Sends Mixed Message on Support for Biopharmaceutical R&D
President Obama unveils his “Precision Medicine Initiative”.
Shantha Constructs Insulin Facility in India
The Shantha facility will be Sanofi's second, in addition to its site in Frankfurt, for production of Insuman insulin.
Obama Budget Blueprint Seeks Drug Pricing Authority, Shortened Data Exclusivity Period for Biologics
The 2016 White House Budget proposes a change to the data exclusivity period for biologics and the authority to influence drug pricing.
Precision Biologics Enlists the Help of EMD Millipore for Upstream Process Development
EMD Millipore will provide process development services for Precision Biologics’ preclinical monoclonal antibody.
Precision Medicine Initiative Brings News Tasks to FDA
FDA says it is “weighing the appropriate regulatory approach” to handle the tasks outlined by President Obama’s new Precision Medicine Initiative.
Patent Exclusivity for Biologics: Seven or Twelve Years?
Developing intellectual property standards for biological products is a point of conflict as negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership continue.
FDA Approves BMS and J&J HIV Treatments
Bristol-Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson announced FDA-approval of Evotaz and Prezcobix, combination HIV-1 infection treatments.
AstraZeneca Signs on for CRISPR Gene Editing Technology
AstraZeneca will team up with various organizations to employ CRISPR technology for precise gene editing in recombinant cell lines.
Catalent Expands High-Potency Handling Capability
Catalent will add potent containment for blending and granulation at its New Jersey manufacturing Center of Excellence.
GlaxoSmithKline Promises to Keep Vaccine Prices Low for Gavi Members
The pharmaceutical manufacturer pledged to freeze vaccine prices for Gavi-eligible countries for a decade.
FUJIFILM Diosynth Begins Work on Bioprocess Innovation Center
The new facility will feature new research and development capabilities.
SAFC Expands Irvine Facility
The new facility will feature dry powder cell-culture media capabilities.
PCSK9 Inhibitor from Sanofi and Regeneron Snags Priority Review
The potential blockbuster treatment targets a protein involved in cholesterol homeostasis.
FDA Names New Deputy Commissioner for Medical Products and Tobacco
Dr. Robert Califf is appointed FDA Deputy Commissioner for Medical Products and Tobacco.
EMA Launches Drug Safety Assessment Platform
The agency creates an electronic central repository to facilitate drug safety assessment reports.
FDA Releases Photosafety Evaluation Guidance
FDA guidance discusses factors to consider in evaluation of photosafety and describes nonclinical photosafety tests.
Ebola Treatments Ramp Up for Clinical Trials
Government and industry efforts to address manufacturing challenges move Ebola vaccine candidates into larger clinical trials.
Australia to Revise its Biosimilar Naming Conventions
Following a proposal by the World Health Organization, Australia will abandon a previously proposed update in biosimilar nomenclature.
EMA Sets Elemental Impurities Implementation Dates
New drugs submitted for approval in Europe have 18 months to comply with new elemental impurities guidelines.
Compounding Committee Meets to Discuss Drugs Approved for Compounding
FDA’s Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee will meet in February to discuss the list of bulk drug substances that may or may not be compounded.
Investments into T-Cell Therapies Continues to Grow
Syncona and Kite Pharma announced separate investments into T-cell therapies to fight cancerous tumors.
Zymeworks Partners with Celgene on the Development of Bispecific Antibodies
Under terms of the agreement, Zymeworks could earn up to $164 million per successful drug candidate.
Giovanni Caforio Named BMS CEO
Bristol-Myers Squibb has announced that Giovanni Caforio will be the company’s chief executive officer effective May 5; Lamberto Andreotti has been named chairman.
Gene Therapy Vector Choice Affects Carcinogenicity
A new study conducted by the National Institutes of Health found that a certain vector used in gene therapy (and its insertion site in the genome) may be associated with an increased risk of liver cancer.
Baxter BioPharma Solutions Joins PBOA
Nelson Patterson has been elected to Pharma & Biopharma Outsourcing Association board.
EMA Publishes Safety Monitoring Guide
The European Medicines Agency has published a guide to help industry and regulatory authorities implement safety-monitoring standards.
FDA Approves Novartis’ Cosentyx for Plaque Psoriasis
Cosentyx (secukinumab) is the first IL-17A inhibitor for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis patients.
Catalent and MGC Pharma Partner for Production of High-Yield Cell Lines
Catalent announced that it would partner with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, and its subsidiary MGC Pharma, to promote GPEx technology, a high-titer vector for stable mammalian cell lines.
The Quest Continues for Quality Metrics
FDA aims is to collect data regularly from manufacturers that will indicate the ability of a firm and its facilities to produce high-quality therapies on a continual, error-free basis.
Europe Collaborates on Generic Drugs
The European Medicines Agency plans on sharing generic-drug assessment reports with regulators outside the European Union.