Johnson & Johnson's hepatitis C virus (HCV) drug Olysio (simeprevir) reached blockbuster status during the second quarter, clocking about $1.2 billion in sales for the first six months of the year. Read More
Restorgenex Corp., a public specialty biopharma built from four small biotechs on the shell of a defunct sports and entertainment promoter, has closed the fifth and final round of a $35.6 million private placement. Read More
HONG KONG – A Guangzhou-based biotech company is working with one of the most prestigious universities in China to build a new institute and raise a fund to drive the development of stem cell and regenerative medicine projects. Read More
LONDON – The row over European governments sanctioning off-label use of drugs to cut their pharmaceuticals bills is escalating after the lower house of the French parliament voted in favor of a law that would allow off-label use even if on-label treatments are available. Read More
Although approvals for orphan drugs have increased at a blistering pace in the U.S. and Europe, the cost of those drugs represents a growing challenge for patients and payers, according to a study conducted by the Center for the Study of Drug Development (CSDD) at Tufts University. Read More
SHANGHAI – In March 2014, the Chinese government set an ambitious target of privatizing 20 percent of hospital beds by the end of 2015. For most, the target seems unrealistic and unlikely to be met in time, while a few are wading into this unknown territory and finding opportunity. Read More
It might act like a biopharmaceutical firm, but Wuxi Apptec remains a contract research organization, with aims of fostering innovation by offering an open access platform to the biopharma industry. Read More
Merrion Pharmaceuticals plc, of Dublin, and the Lisbon, Spain-based contract manufacturer Hovione agreed to allow Hovione clients to use Merrion's patented GIPET absorption enhancing technology for converting injection-only medicines into tablets or capsules. Read More
Clementia Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Montreal, said it started a phase II trial of palovarotene, a retinoic acid receptor gamma agonist, for the treatment of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressive (FOP), a rare, genetic disease characterized by painful, recurrent episodes of soft tissue swelling and abnormal bone formation in muscles, tendons and ligaments. Read More
Codexis Inc., of Redwood City, Calif., said it signed a platform technology license agreement with Glaxosmithkline plc, of London, in which Codexis grants a license to its Codeevolver protein engineering platform technology in the field of human health care. Read More
Novartis AG, of Basel, Switzerland, is partnering with researchers from the Banner Alzheimer's Institute in a medical trial to determine whether two investigational anti-amyloid drugs – an active immunotherapy and an oral medication – can prevent or delay the emergence of symptoms of Alzheimer's in people at particularly high risk for developing the disease at older ages. Read More
