Company*
(Country;
Symbol)

Product

Description

Indication

Status (Date)


AUTOIMMUNE

Amgen Inc.
(AMGN)
and Wyeth

Enbrel
(FDA-
approved)

Etanercept; tumor
necrosis factor inhibitor

Psoriatic
arthritis

European Commission approved the marketing authorization application for Enbrel (12/17)

Dimethaid
Research
Inc.
(Canada; TSE:DMX)

Pennsaid

Product that uses
Dimethaid's patented
transcellular technology; topical solution

Osteoarthritis
of the knee

Company received an approvable letter from Health Canada (12/3)

Genelabs
Technologies
Inc.
(GNLB)

Prestara

Prasterone, GL701; the
synthetic equivalent of
dehydroepiandrosterone

Systemic lupus erythematosus

Genelabs submitted a marketing authorization application in Europe (12/23)

CANCER

Adherex
Technologies
Inc.
(Canada; TSE:AHX)

Exherin

Member of a new class
of drugs called angiolytics

Cancer

Company received Canadian regulatory approval to begin a Phase I trial (12/9)

Aphton Corp.
(APHT)

G17DT

Anti-gastrin immunogen

Gastric cancer
and pancreatic
cancer

Australian authorities granted orphan drug status for Immunogen, which automatically gives the drug priority evaluation (12/19)

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM

Cephalon
Inc.
(CEPH)

Provigil
(FDA-
approved)

Modafinil tablets; oral
formulation of the synthetic
compound

Excessive
daytime
sleepiness

Company received marketing approval from the UK to expand the label of Provigil to treat excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (12/3)

Orphan
Medical

Inc.
(ORPH)

Xyrem
(FDA-
approved)

Sodium oxybate oral
solution

Narcolepsy

The Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products recommended orphan drug designation in Europe for Xyrem (12/13)

INFECTION

Avant
Immuno
-
therapeutics
Inc.
(AVAN)

Cholera-
Garde

Cholera vaccine

Cholera

Company began a Phase II trial in about 70 adult and 280 pediatric subjects in Bangladesh (12/12)

MISCELLANEOUS

Pain
Therapeutics
Inc.
(PTIE)

--

Drug to test the idea
that IBS patients may be
suffering from intestinal
neuronal dysfunction

Irritable
bowel
syndrome

Company initiated a pilot study in Israel with 50 patients (12/18)


Notes:

Unless otherwise noted, the stock symbols listed for public companies are on the Nasdaq market.

TSE = Toronto Stock Exchange