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FDA Approves New Treatment for ALS
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS medication. The drug is Radicava and is the second drug to be given the green light by the FDA to treat ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease,... More of this article »
Valeant Pharmaceuticals Cuts Debt Following L’Oreal Deal
Valeant Pharmaceuticals International said that following its closing that was earlier than had been expected for the sale to L’Oreal of three skincare brands as well as the closing of its divestiture of a Brazil-based manufacturing... More of this article »
FDA Gives Approval to New Powerful Eczema Drug
Regulators approved the first injected, powerful medicine to treat the most serious cases of eczema, a skin condition. On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted their approval of Dupixent or dupilumab for moderate to... More of this article »
Trump Tweet Sends Pharmaceutical Stocks Tumbling
On Tuesday President Donald Trump reappeared in the debate over prices of drugs and sent pharmaceutical stocks plunging again thanks to a tweet that promised medication costs would be lowered for Americans. Trump tweeted that he was... More of this article »
Shares of Kite Pharma Flying High After Reaching Study Goal
On Tuesday, Kite Pharma Inc. announced that CAR an experimental T-cell therapy that helps the body’s immune system to fight cancer, was very effective in the treating of aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, as it met the main goal... More of this article »
Pharmaceuticals Shunning Push by Trump for FDA Shift
President Donald Trump has vowed to roll back regulations imposed by the government by 75% or more and that has caused great anxiety amongst some executives with pharmaceutical companies. The worry is a less strict Food and Drug Administration... More of this article »
Cigna Changes to Generic EpiPen, CVS Cuts Prices
Health insurance behemoth Cigna announced earlier this week it was dropping its coverage for brand name EpiPens that cost $600, while drugstore chain CVS has close to halved the price of epinephrine auto injector Adrenaclick to just... More of this article »
Pfizer and OPKO Drug for Growth Hormone Deficiency Fails Study
OPKO Health announced that its experimental drug designed to help fight GHD or growth hormone deficiency in adults has failed to produce statistically significant benefits versus a placebo in a study that was “late-stage.” The... More of this article »
Ebola Vaccine Shown to Work in New Study
An experimental vaccine against Ebola completely protected recipients from the deadly virus near the end of the recent epidemic in West Africa reported researchers. The same strategy was used that was also used for the eradication... More of this article »
Mylan Releasing Generic, Half Price EpiPen
Mylan will release a new generic version of its EpiPen the emergency treatment for allergies at half the price that the original branded version costs. The price of the original has drawn much scorn from parents across the country... More of this article »
Two Charged By Feds in Probe Over Price Fixing
Two former executives with a company that make generic drugs were charged this week for alleged roles they played in a bid-rigging and price-fixing scheme that involved a diabetes medication and an antibiotic. Former CEO of Heritage... More of this article »
Eli Lilly Alzheimer’s Drug Does Not Pass the Test
A large clinical trial for a drug that treats dementia that is caused by Alzheimer’s ended for Eli Lilly in failure after the people receiving the drug did not show significant improvements compared to those who took a placebo. The... More of this article »
CVS Says Prescriptions Shifting, Shares Plummet on Warning
The largest drugstore chain in the U.S. warned it could lose over 40 million prescriptions in 2017 as deals have been signed by Walgreens Boot Alliance with other participants that have shut CVS pharmacies out of the drug supply chain. CVS,... More of this article »
Pfizer Misses Forecasts Net Income Plummets
U.S. based pharmaceutical giant Pfizer saw its profit for the third quarter plummet over 38% as bigger spending and large charges related to its acquisitions were able to more than offset its higher sales. The U.S. drug maker’s mediocre... More of this article »
Merck Posts Rise in Both Revenue and Profit
Merck & Co posted an increase in both its revenue as well as profit as its closely watched treatment for cancer and its vaccines boosted its results. Shares were up 2.5% during trading before the bell as the company’s results... More of this article »
Roche Sees Sales Increase Thanks to Cancer Treatments
Roche Holding AG announced that sales increased during its third quarter due to strong growth in several of its immunotherapy and cancer drugs. The healthcare behemoth based in Basel, Switzerland announced revenue had grown by 4.5%... More of this article »
Johnson & Johnson Helped Again by Its Pharmaceuticals
The pharmaceutical business of Johnson & Johnson was able to help the company lift its low end of guidance and post results that were better than had been anticipated for the most recent quarter, as it continues to help the company’s... More of this article »
Johnson & Johnson Drug Tops Humira in Psoriasis Study
The experimental drug from Johnson & Johnson for psoriasis met its major goals as well as beat a rival in a final stage study related to psoriasis. That has positioned J&J to grow its line-up of immune-disease medications. The... More of this article »
FDA Approves New Insulin Pump
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the sale of a device that is a substantial advance toward an artificial pancreas for patients with Type 1 diabetes. This insulin pump, which has been long awaited, has the goal of... More of this article »
New CEO at GlaxoSmithKline Joins Small Group of Women
The recent appointment by GlaxoSmithKline of Emma Walmsley as CEO put her on a short list to become the highest profile female in corporate Britain. Walmsley, who is 47, will take the post of CEO in 2017 when Andrew Witty the current... More of this article »
Johnson & Johnson Acquires Eye Surgery Unit from Abbott
Johnson & Johnson have agreed to purchase the eye-surgery equipment business of Abbott Laboratories for the price of $4.33 billion, which moves the giant in healthcare towards its set goal of increasing all three of its core businesses. This... More of this article »
Senators Urge EpiPen Scrutiny Over Increase in Price
Two United States Senators have raised concerns about huge increases of price on a drug that is used for emergency conditions when there is a food allergy reaction. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa wrote to Mylan the maker of the drug... More of this article »
Valeant Pharmaceuticals Posts Earnings That Miss
Valeant Pharmaceuticals posted revenue and earnings for the quarter that came up short of expectations on Wall Street on Tuesday, but kept its forecast for the full year as it attempts to restore confidence in its investors after its... More of this article »
Bristol Myers Says Opdivo Did Not Meet Endpoint in Study
The surprise failure of a cancer drug in a clinical trial slashed over $20 billion off the market value of Bristol-Myers Squibb on Friday, and increased the questions about one of the hottest research areas of the industry; drugs that... More of this article »
Pfizer’s New Products Help Profit for First Quarter
Newer drugs such as Ibrance for breast cancer and Lyrica for nerve pain sold well during the quarter helping U.S. based Pfizer. The pharmaceutical giant reported results that were better than had been expected for the second quarter... More of this article »
AbbVie Increases Forecast on Profit Due to Strong Sales of Humira
AbbVie posted quarterly revenue and profit that was higher than had been expected driven by the demand for Humira its flagship drug, and increased its forecast for earnings for the full year. Humira, the biggest selling drug in the... More of this article »
Roche Tops Forecasts for the Quarter
Roche based in Switzerland, beat expectations of the market for its net income during the first half of the year with help from sales of a cancer drug along with a big one-off gain in its pension plan. Core earnings a share, adjusted... More of this article »
Novartis Releases Profit Warning
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis AG lowered its guidance for profit for the full year as it increases its investment in its new drug for heart failure to offset dropping sales of Gleevec its blockbuster cancer drug. Joe Jimenez... More of this article »
Rite Aid Posts Sales and Profit That Miss
Drugstore chain Rite Aid said reductions in drug costs would be short of their expectations in the short term. Rite Aid Corp, posted sales and earnings that disappointed for its just ended first quarter amidst pressure from pharmacy... More of this article »
Valeant Pharmaceuticals Sales Plunge for Key Drugs, Cuts Forecast
Canada based Valeant Pharmaceuticals International has a problem with its underlying business not its critics or leadership. Shares of the pharmaceutical company plunged during early Tuesday trading as its new CEO Joseph Papa cut the... More of this article »
Jazz Pharmaceuticals to Acquire Celator for $1.5 Billion
Jazz Pharmaceuticals has agreed to purchase Celator Pharmaceuticals in a deal that is worth approximately $1.5 billion, which represents a large premium for a business that has a promising drug for leukemia but still no revenue. Jazz... More of this article »
CVS Health Increase Access to Overdose Treatment
On Wednesday, CVS Health Corp the chain of drugstores said it would be expanding the access to the drug naloxone, which is an opioid overdose reversal treatment, to seven more states during the summer. The program of the company to... More of this article »
Scientists Find Warfarin Use Associated with Higher Dementia Risk
The most recent data indicates that atrial fibrillation (A-Fib or AF) is the most common form of heart arrhythmia. A heart arrhythmia is the term given to an anomaly in which the heart beats to slowly or too fast or in an otherwise... More of this article »
Merck Sees Drop in Revenue on Competition From Generics
Merck & Co announced a drop in revenue as competition from generic drugs and fluctuations in currency hurt the company’s results. Nasonex an allergy drug had 21% less sales, as a generic version was available during the quarter... More of this article »
St. Jude Medical to be Acquired by Abbott Laboratories for $25 Billion
Abbott Laboratories the healthcare giant has entered into a deal to purchase St. Jude Medical the maker of medical devices in a cash and stock transaction that has been estimated at $25 billion. On Thursday, the two companies revealed... More of this article »
FDA Forces Panel to Vote on Muscle Drug Sarepta
Sarepta Therapeutics’ drug to treat a muscle wasting disease was given a new lifeline on Friday after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration forced a panel of independent experts to make a definite recommendation on if the drug should... More of this article »
Novartis Overcomes Heart Drug and Eye Care Problem with Older Drugs
On Thursday, Novartis was able to beat forecasts for profit thanks to strong performances from older medicines, making up for its eye care business that continues to struggle and the extra costs due to a poor start for its new drug... More of this article »
New Inversion Rules in U.S. Could Threaten Deal with Pfizer and Allergan
The Treasury Department in the U.S. took additional steps Monday to curb the corporate inversion set up to avoid taxes, with a possibly casualty being the pending merger between Allergan and Pfizer. These changes, which are less than... More of this article »
Decline in Number of Settlements with Big Pharmaceuticals in U.S.
The amount of big money from U.S. pharmaceuticals coming from settlements for violating healthcare laws has dropped sharply in the past few years. This has prompted a watchdog, non-profit group to call for enforcement efforts to increase. In... More of this article »
Study Finds Results that are Irregular in Theranos Medical Tests
Blood tests using the finger performed by Theranos, the startup in the medical industry, produced more results that were irregular than the conventional tests that are offered by the two biggest clinical labs in the nation, said researchers... More of this article »
UK’s NICE Changes Mind, Recommends Prostate Drug Zytiga
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence or NICE issued its final guidance that recommended Zytiga made by Janssen for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer prior to chemotherapy. The decision by NICE, follows the... More of this article »
Cannabis Drug Treats Epilepsy Successfully
An experimental drug that is cannabis based has treated successfully children that have a rare type of severe epilepsy in a clinical trial that was highly anticipated. The news helped to double the value of GW Pharmaceuticals the maker... More of this article »
GlaxoSmithKline Ends One Relationship with Five Prime
GlaxoSmithKline the pharmaceutical giant based in the UK has cut its ties with Five Prime Therapeutics in cancer therapy development backing out during an ongoing mesothelioma trial. GSK handed a 180-day notice to Five Prime that it... More of this article »
Victoza Lowers Number of Cardiovascular Adverse Events
Novo Nordisk announced on Friday that people who have type 2 diabetes and take Victoza are less prone to have a major cardiovascular adverse event, according to a large study that looked at data from over 9,000 people over a period... More of this article »
Sun Pharma Ending Venture With Merck
Sun Pharmaceuticals the drug maker based in India and Merck, Sharp & Dohme’s or MSD have decided mutually to wind down a joint venture because of changes in the strategic priorities of both parents companies. The just taken decision... More of this article »
Sanofi: Earnings in 2016 Will Be Stable
Sanofi announced that it expects its per share earnings to be stable during 2016 after it reported lower income during the fourth quarter on Tuesday. Income was hurt by a drop in sales of its cancer and diabetes treatments, as well... More of this article »
Pfizer Beats Estimates for Earnings on Sales Growth
Pfizer Inc has reported earnings for the fourth quarter that beat estimates made by analysts helped by Ibrance the new cancer treatment as well as the Prevnar vaccine. Earnings reached 53 cents per share, said the company in a prepared... More of this article »
Roche Profit Disappoints, Outlook is Muted
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche posted net profit for the full year of 2015 that came up short of Wall Street expectations. The forecast of the company of an improvement in 2016 met a skeptical response by the market. Roche is relying... More of this article »