Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd., of Mumbai, India, said the International Centre for Dispute Resolution ruled in Glenmark's favor on the arbitration claim filed in August 2011 against Napo Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Francisco, seeking, among other things, a ruling that Glenmark's exclusive rights to develop, commercialize and distribute Crofelemer in 140 countries for treatment of diarrheal diseases includes the exclusive rights to distribute through relief agencies in those countries and an

Merck KGaA, of Darmstadt, Germany, said its EMD Millipore division entered definitive agreements to acquire Biochrom AG, a Berlin-based firm that specializes in the production and marketing of cell culture media and buffer solutions

Optison is indicated for use in patients with suboptimal echocardiograms to opacify the left ventricle and to improve delineation of the left ventricular endocardial borders...The FDA determined that additional data analyses recently submitted by Pfizer constituted a major amendment to the application and will require additional time to review

Zushima spray is designed to relieve pain and topical swelling, joint pain due to rheumatic conditions and helps improve blood circulation near affected areas

Pioglitazone is sold by Takeda under the brand name Actos as an adjunct to diet and exercise in patients with Type II diabetes mellitus...In separate news, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., of Jerusalem, also launched an authorized generic of Actos in the U.S

Renaissance Pharma Inc., of Newtown, Pa., acquired the U.S...rights to manufacture, market and sell Denavir (1 percent penciclovir cream) from investment funds managed by Deerfield Management Co...and New American Therapeutics Inc., of Cranford, N.J. Renaissance established a new subsidiary, Prestium Pharma, to commercialize the prescription antiviral indicated for the treatment of recurrent cold sores in adults and children 12 years and older

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., of Mumbai, India, will acquire Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., of Hawthorne, N.Y., for $39.50 in cash per share paid to shareholders other than Sun Pharma and its affiliates, which currently own about 66 percent of outstanding ordinary shares and 100 percent of founders shares

said its subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals, of Pittsburgh, received FDA approval of its abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) for lithium carbonate extended-release tablets USP, 450 mg, to treat manic episodes of manic depressive illness...Mylan will immediately launch its 100- and 200-mg tablets of modafinil, indicated to improve wakefulness in adults with excessive sleepiness associated with narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea and shift work disorder

The pharma company agreed to offer additional benefits to employees directly affected by the restructuring, including a minimum guaranteed severance pay of CHF25,000 (US$25,600), additional severance pay for employees 50 or older and full severance pay for employees who resigned in the three months preceding their severance date

BMS exercised its right under the merger agreement to purchase additional Amylin shares at $31 each so it can complete the acquisition...The approval will allow the company to continue operations and focus on restructuring its financial obligations. (See BioWorld Today, Aug. 7, 2012...Pfizer Inc., of New York, licensed the exclusive rights to Pittsburg-based Mylan Inc.'s next-generation EpiPen Injection 0.3/0.15 mg in Japan

Pfizer Inc., of New York, will pay more than $60 million to resolve Department of Justice (DOJ) and SEC investigations into improper payments made by two of its subsidiaries outside the U.S. Pfizer H.C.P. Corp...All the conduct was investigated first by Pfizer, which then voluntarily disclosed it to the U.S

The approval was granted to Apotex Inc., Aurobindo Pharma, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Glenmark Generics, Kudco Ireland Inc., Mylan Inc., Roxane Laboratories, Sandoz Inc., Teva Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Torrent Pharmaceuticals...In other news, the FDA approved an abbreviated new drug application from Mylan for a genetic version of Amidate Injection (etomidate injection, Hospira) for general anesthesia

It plans to apply for marketing authorization for trametinib in Europe in the coming months...In a collaboration with GSK, BioMerieux SA, of Marcy l'Etoile, France, developed a companion diagnostic to detect BRAF V600 mutations...for the test, which is being used to identify appropriate patients for a Phase III trametinib-dabrafenib combination program

For the 12 months ending May 31, Pulmicort Respules, approved to control and prevent asthma symptoms in children, had total U.S...sales of $1.1 billion, according to IMS Health data

Intellipharmaceutics International Inc., of Toronto, said it reached an agreement with London-based AstraZeneca plc to settle all outstanding patent litigation concerning its abbreviated new drug application to commercialize a generic version of AstraZeneca's Seroquel XR (quetiapine fumarate extended-release) tablets...The settlement provides, in part, that the company is permitted to launch generic versions on Nov. 1, 2016, or earlier under certain circumstances, subject to FDA approval

The first product to be promoted under the agreement is Almirall's new, long-acting antimuscarinic (LAMA) delivered via a multidose inhaler to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD...Quintiles conducted part of the COPD clinical trial program and provides commercialization services to Almirall in several other European countries

AMPA receptors, widely present in almost all excitatory neurons, are believed to play a role in central nervous system diseases...Otsuka is working with the supplier to resolve the issue as quickly as possible...Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Marlborough, Mass., a subsidiary of Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co

Merck Serono SA, of Geneva, said it decided not to accept the recommendation issued by the Geneva Chamber of Collective Labour Relations further to the conciliation process, which was held from July 3 to July 18, between the management of Merck Serono and the representatives of the employees and the union

Almirall SA, of Barcelona, Spain, said the European Commission granted marketing approval to Eklira/Bretaris Genuair (aclidinium 322 mcg twice daily) in European Union member states, plus Iceland and Norway, for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease...It will be used as a maintenance bronchodilator treatment to relieve symptoms of the disease...The study showed that FY101C was significantly superior to conventional NSAIDs in efficacy and safety, with cumulative reductions in severity of arthritis