Company* | Product | Description | Indication | Status (Date) |
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AUTOIMMUNE |
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SangStat Medical | RDP58 | An anti-inflammatory peptide designed to inhibit the synthesis of TNF-alpha, gamma interferon and interleukin-12 | Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis | Company began enrollment in two Phase II trials in Europe (8/13) |
CANCER | ||||
AltaRex Corp. | OvaRex MAb | Oregovomab; a fully foreign monoclonal antibody that targets CA125 | Ovarian | Company received European orphan medicinal product status (8/2) |
Amgen Inc. | Aranesp | Darbepoetin alfa; a recombinant erythropoietic protein; and pegfilgrastim | Anemia and neutropenia in cancer patients | European Commission granted marketing approval to Aranesp and Neulasta (8/28) |
Cell Therapeutics | Trisenox | Arsenic trioxide | Acute promyelocytic leukemia | Trisenox is now available in Austria, Sweden, Denmark and Finland following marketing authorization from the European Commission (8/27) |
FeRx Inc.* | MTC- | Doxorubicin released through Magnetic Target Carriers, microparticles composed of elemental iron and activated carbon | Primary liver | Company received European orphan medicinal product status (8/1) |
CARDIOVASCULAR |
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Forbes Medi- | FM-VP4 | Cholesterol-lowering pharmaceutical | High | Company will begin a Phase II trial in the Netherlands (8/8) |
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM |
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Alkermes Inc. | Risperdal | Risperidone; injectable form of the anti-psychotic drug Risperdal | Schizophrenia | Alkermes received approval in in Germany for Risperdal Consta (8/1); it received approval in the UK (8/9) |
Cephalon Inc. | Provigil | Modafinil; oral formulation of the | Excessive | Regulatory authorities approved modafinil in Australia, New Zealand and Korea (8/30) |
INFECTION |
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Immtech International Inc. (IMMT) | DB289 | Oral anti-infective | Malaria | Company plans to begin in Thailand later this year a Phase IIa trial to treat malaria (8/29) |
Trinity Medical | Remune | Vaccine; HIV-1 | HIV | Clinical results indicated that HIV-positive patients in Thailand taking highly active antiretroviral therapy drugs in conjunction with Remune maintained key clinical markers one year after HAART was halted (8/22) |
MISCELLANEOUS | ||||
BioTissue | BioSeed-S | Autologous skin replacement product | Chronic venous leg ulcers | Clinical data showed the product was superior to control both in wound healing and healing time required; the study will be expanded to include 240 patients at 27 centers in Germany and other parts of Europe (8/27) |
QLT Inc. (Canada; QLTI) and Novartis Ophthalmics (unit of Novartis AG; | Visudyne | Verteporfin therapy | Occult subfoveal choroidal neovas- | European Commission granted marketing approval (8/28) |
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Notes: |
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* Privately held. |
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Unless otherwise noted, the stock symbols listed for public companies are on the Nasdaq market. |
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OTC BB = Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board; TSE = Toronto Stock Exchange |
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