Articles By Estel Grace Masangkay
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Novartis To Present New Data For MS Drug Gilenya
9/4/2014
Novartis is preparing to present new analyses and data for its multiple sclerosis drug Gilenya at the upcoming Joint ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS Meeting in Boston this month. Gilenya, an oral disease-modifying therapy (DMT), has been developed by Novartis for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The drug works by targeting both focal and diffuse central nervous system damage. It prevents inflammation from occurring in the brain and defuses harmful cells inside the CNS. The company recently received positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) for the label expansion of Gilenya in RRMS in the EU.
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Knight Acquires Orphan Canada, Rights To Photofrin And ATryn
9/4/2014
Canadian specialty pharmaceutical firm Knight Therapeutics announced that it has signed into an asset purchase agreement to acquire Orphan Canada as well as Canadian rights to two novel pharmaceutical products ATryn(R) and Photofrin(R) (porfimer sodium).
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FDA Finds Drug Relabeling Initiative More Difficult Than Expected
9/3/2014
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has placed its drug relabeling initiative contract with Reed Tech on hold after it ran into unforeseen complications, sources connected to the matter told Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS).
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Novartis' Heart Failure Drug Poised To Earn Blockbuster Status
9/3/2014
Novartis posted top-line, positive results from its much-awaited PARADIGM-HF study showing that its investigational heart failure drug LCZ696 cut 20 percent of cardiovascular deaths and hospital admissions.
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Merck Serono Begins Building Second-Largest Manufacturing Site In China
9/2/2014
Merck’s biopharmaceutical division Merck Serono held the groundbreaking ceremony in Nantong, China for its new pharmaceutical manufacturing site. The new facility will be the company’s second-largest pharmaceutical manufacturing building worldwide.
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Janssen To Acquire Covagen And FynomAb Technology
8/27/2014
Janssen announced that its affiliate Cilag GmbH International has acquired Covagen, a biopharmaceutical form focused on developing multi-specific protein therapeutics through the FynomAb technology platform.
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Hera Therapeutics Presents Antiviral Drug For HPV
8/27/2014
Scientists from Hera Therapeutics, part of the Janssen Labs under the Johnson & Johnson’s external R&D engine, presented results suggesting that its small molecule HTI-1968 has potential as a direct-acting antiviral therapy against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).
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ViaCyte And Janssen R&D Ink Rights Agreement For Diabetes Drug
8/26/2014
Privately-held regenerative medicine firm ViaCyte announced that it has signed into a Rights Agreement with Janssen Research & Development LLC (Janssen), for ViaCyte’s VC-01 combo product for the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes.
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Roche To Acquire InterMune, Promising IPF Drug
8/26/2014
Roche announced that it is acquiring Brisbane-based biotech firm InterMune for $8.3 billion.
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Recipharm To Acquire Corvette Pharmaceutical Group
8/22/2014
Recipharm, a contract development and manufacturing organization, announced that it is acquiring Corvette Pharmaceutical Services Group (Corvette) for SEK 1.1 billion or for more than EUR 120 billion.