Lori Clapper

Roche announced last week that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) approved its lung cancer drug alectinib. Studies showed that over 90 percent of participants in a Japanese clinical study responded to treatment with alectinib.  Continue Reading..

The rapidly growing counterfeit drug epidemic has spurred the EU to unveil an officially-sanctioned internet pharmacy logo that will help consumers verify their authenticity. The design was introduced last week as part of its Falsified Medicinal Products Directive to combat the circulation of fake medicines that pass themselves off as the real products.  Continue Reading..

Recent research performed by the Decision Resources Group found that the immunotherapy market will grow from $1.1 billion to nearly $9 billion by 2022 – showing 23.8 percent annual growth. The organization studied current trends in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, and Japan.  Continue Reading..

In a 272 to 234 vote on Tuesday, French lawmakers amended its social security budget bill to support the use of Roche's cancer drug Avastin as an inexpensive treatment for the eye disease wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). However, this move has raised some eyebrows; drug makers and medical experts believe that allowing this medication (currently unapproved as an AMD treatment) to be used as such could pose a risk to patients’...  Continue Reading..

Hospira, a U.S. based injectable drugs maker, inked a $218 million deal today to officially acquire the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing facility and research and development (R&D) facility from India-based Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals.             Continue Reading..

The Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) petitioned the country’s government last week, in an effort to prioritize innovation incentive policies for pharmaceutical manufacturers in the country’s 2014-2015 budget. India is best known for manufacturing generic drugs, however the IPA feels that a government-based strategy of grants and soft loans would promote increased drug discovery in the private sector, Live Mint reported.  Continue Reading..

Xellia Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company that provides anti-infective treatments, has acquired Fresenius Kabi’s lyophilized (freeze-dried) vial manufacturing facility in Raleigh, North Carolina. The deal also specifies that Xellia will have a continuous manufacturing and supply agreement with Fresenius Kabi USA. Financial details have not been disclosed.  Continue Reading..

India First Group, a strategic advisory organization which assists U.S. companies pursuing business opportunities in India, along with the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), has mobilized the Coalition for Affordable Care. Together the groups aim to fight for high-quality, generic pharmaceutical manufacturing in India and the U.S. and expand global access to affordable, high-quality medicines.  Continue Reading..

Following the release of new regulations issued last week, user fees for pharmaceutical companies are set to rise in Europe. These fees are “intended to fund regulatory activities by offsetting their expense” as well as streamline the collection and evaluation of adverse drug reaction (ADR) information, according to new regulation released this week.  Continue Reading..

The Indian government says it wants to “revive” the country’s active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and bulk drug market. The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) has prioritized research into potential policy to do so, including discussions with stakeholders and a white paper on the topic.  Continue Reading..