Company |
Product |
Description | Indication | Status/Date* |
CANCER | ||||
Biomira Inc. (Canada) |
BLP25 vaccine |
Synthetic 25-amino acid | Advanced non-small cell lung cancer sequence of the MUC-1 cancer mucin, encapsulated in a synthetic liposomal delivery system, designed to induce an immune response to cancer cells | Initiated Phase II trial (8/11) |
British Biotech plc (UK) |
Marimastat |
Oral matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor | Gastric cancer | Phase III clinical trial failed to meet survival target but provided benefit (8/24) |
Cangene Corp. (Canada) |
Leucotropin |
Granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor | White blood cell recovery following chemotherapy |
Initiated Phase II trial (8/23) |
The Liposome Co. Inc. |
Evacet |
Liposomal formulation of anticancer drug doxorubicin |
Treatment of metastatic breast cancer, either alone or in combination with cyclophosphamide |
European Medicines Agency (EMEA) accepted the filing of Evacet for marketing clearance in the European Union (8/10) |
Progen Industries Ltd. (Australia) |
PI-88 |
Retailored polysaccharide with a sulfate chain attached, thought to stop action of heparinase (tumor cell enzyme that allows penetration of blood vessles) |
Various cancers including breast, lung, prostate and colon | Received provisional approval from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute's Ethics Committee to commence testing at the Institute under the umbrella of Centre for Developmental Cancer Therapies (8/26) |
CARDIOVASCULAR | ||||
Centocor Inc. | Reopro | Dual receptor glycoprotein and alpha V beta 3 antagonist |
Treatment of heart attack in combination with Retavaseonist | Presented new findings from international clinical trial at the 21st Annual Congress of the European Society of Cardiology (8/30) |
INFECTION | ||||
Abbott Laboratories |
Norvir capsules (ritonavir) | HIV protease inhibitor | HIV infection | The European Union's Committee for Proprietary Medicinal Products adopted a positive opinion on Norvir (8/10) |
BioChem Pharma Inc. (Canada) |
Zeffix (FDA-approved) | Lamivudine, nucleoside analogue (oral dosage) | Chronic hepatitis B | Received marketing approval in the European Union (8/2) |
Cangene Corp. (Canada) | VZIG (Varicella zoster immune globulin) |
Specialized antibody purified from human plasma | Prevention of chicken pox during pregnancy |
Granted fast-track review by the Therapeutic Products Directorate of Health Canada (8/12) |
Chiron Corp. | Agrippal |
Subunit influenze vaccine |
Influenza | Received National Marketing Authorizations in most Western European counries (8/2) |
The Immune Response Corp. |
Remune |
Envelope-depleted, inactivated AIDS virus (emulsified with adjuvant) | HIV infection |
Initiated clinical trial in South America (8/12) |
The Liposome Co. Inc. | Abelcet injection |
Complex of amphotericin B with two phospholipids |
Invasive fungal infections in patients intolerant of conventional amphotericin B |
Received regulatory approval in Belgium (8/24) |
SciClone Pharmaceuticals | Zadaxin (FDA-approved) | Thymosin alpha 1; synthetic version of naturally occurring peptide hormone thymosin |
Hepatitis B |
Received marketing approval in Brunei and Sri Lanka (8/16) |
MISCELLANEOUS | ||||
Biopure Corp. | Hemopure |
Hemoglobin glutamer oxygen therapeutic |
Elimination or reduction of red blood cell transfusions in elective surgeries |
Received fast-track status from South Africa's Medicines Control Council (8/30) |
Cangene Corp. (Canada) |
Deferiprone |
Ferriprox |
Iron-overloading in transfusion-dependent patients with thalassemia major |
Approved in Europe (8/26) |
Centocor Inc. and Schering-Plough Corp. |
Remicade | Tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitor |
Crohn's disease | Granted marketing authorization in the European Union (8/17) |
Ciba Vision Corp. (a unit of Novartis AG, Switzerland) and QLT Phototherapeutics Inc. (Canada) | Visudyne |
Verteporfin; light-activated drug for photodynamic therapy | Treatment of wet age related macular degeneration (AMD) in patients with predominately classic subfoveal choroidal neo vascularization | Filed for marketing clearance with the European Medicines Evaluation Agency in the European Union (8/9) |
Visudyne |
Verteporfin; light-activated drug for photodynamic therapy | Treatment of wet agerelated macular degeneration (AMD) in patients with predominately classic subfoveal choroidal neo-vascularization | Filed for approval with the Swiss regulatory agency, Interkantonale Kontrollstelle fur Heilmittel (8/18) |
|
Isis Pharmaceuticals and CibaVision Corp. (a unit of Novartis AG; Switzerland) |
Vitravene | Antisense inhibitor of cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMV) |
CMV in patients with AIDS | Received marketing approval in the European Union (8/4) |
NexMed Inc. |
Alprostadil (prostaglandin E1) | Topical formulation incorporating the vasodilator alprostadil with the NexACT transdermal penetration enhancing technology | Erectile dysfuction |
Completed multiple-use clinical study in China (8/11) |
QLT Photo therapeutics Inc. (Canada) | Verteporfin |
Light-activated drug for photo dynamic therapy |
Moderate to severe psoriasis | Commenced Phase II trial |
Vivus Inc. |
Muse |
Alprostadil; prostaglandin E1 |
Erectile dysfunction | Received marketing license in Spain (8/27) |
* The dates listed indicate the issue dates of press releases. | ||||
N/A = Not Available | ||||
