UK drug major GSK says that two lots of its respiratory drug Advair Diskus have been stolen from a distribution facility in Richmond, Virginia in the US.
Philips Home Healthcare Solutions has had a busy week, acquiring an Italian aerosol therapy business from Medel and a manufacturing facility in Guandong, China.
As the December 31 deadline for the removal of CFC albuterol inhalers in the US approaches, a new report by Kalorama Information forecasts big changes in the global $36bn (€26bn) a year respiratory products market.
The impending ban on albuterol inhalers that use chlorofluorocarbon
(CFC) propellants will see branded hydrofluoroalkane (HFA)-based
products completely dominate the US market as, to date, no generic
HFA albuterol has been developed.
West Analytical Services says it has introduced a testing platform
to help customers testing pulmonary and nasal drug products and
their delivery devices.
UK researchers have started developing a 'lung in a test tube',
that could aid research into respiratory diseases such as asthma
and allergy and reduce the need for animal testing.
Spanish firm Almirall is working on a new chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment combined with a hi-tech easy use
inhaler, creating what it hopes will be another competitive product
from its in-house pipeline.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given stakeholders an
extra month to get their views in on scrapping epinephrine inhalers
containing CFCs.
There are lessons to be learned about the importance of rigorous due diligence of pharma contractors, now that Inyx' customers are facing possible supply issues and a scramble to find alternative manufacturers after the firm's collapse.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed plans to
phase out chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in metered dose inhalers that
contain epinephrine, but the decision could spell the end for some
asthma treatments.
ALK-Abello will be funding a new DKK 300m (€40.3m) production line
dedicated to its oral grass pollen allergy vaccine at Catalent
Pharma Solutions' UK facility.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has suffered a blow in the advance of its top
selling pharma drug Advair after US regulators issued a not
approvable letter for an increased strength in the treatment of
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Swedish researchers have solved the crystal structure of the enzyme
that plays a pivotal role in the asthma biocascade, providing
information that could lead to more efficient asthma therapies.
Biopol Laboratory is acting to meet the demand of sneezes, itchy
eyes and running noses as it consolidates its five allergen
production facilities into one main building in Idaho.
Teva Pharmaceuticals has licensed a drug that could offer new hope
for both treating and preventing allergic reactions, according to
its award-winning developers.
US pulmonary drug delivery specialist Respirics has decided to sell
its assets relating to its MD Turbo product to focus on its
Acu-Breathe powder inhaler platform.
The market's first nebulized form of formoterol fumarate for
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been given the go
ahead by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Active packaging specialist Multisorb Technologies is in the midst
of developing a new desiccant product that will offer a novel
built-in solution to producers of dry powder and metered dose
inhalers.
Vectura and Innovata have announced they are merging in a deal
worth £128.8m with the objective of becoming UK's number one in the
pulmonary drug development sector.
BioWa has announced it is to commence Phase 1 clinical trials
anti-IL-5 receptor monoclonal antibody (Mab), which is being
developed for the treatment of asthma, a respiratory disorder that
is on the rise, particularly in children.
Curalogic, a Danish biotechnology company, has appointed SAFC's
Pharma business segment to provide protein isolation, extraction
and purification services as part of its product development to
treat Allergic Rhinitis.
A new dry powder inhaler that may cost less than a syringe and
deliver 40 per cent more active drug than current inhalers has been
unveiled by its maker, Cambridge Consultants.
The world's most prescribed product for chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) could soon be formulated with a new
propellant-free device following an observational study on a soft
mist inhaler (SMI) that Boehringer Ingelheim...
Researchers believe that the effectiveness of from a commonly used
asthma medicine may be compromised by a gene variation, which is
present in around 13 per cent of the city's population.
India's Ranbaxy Laboratories has stepped up its efforts to dominate
the domestic novel drug delivery system (NDDS) market, in-licensing
two new drugs from Europe in as many weeks.
Skyepharma has finally found a partner to license and market its
new asthma drug delivery product after over a year of searching and
one big-pharma partnership that went belly up in 2005 - giving the
company new hope of revamping...
Bang & Olufsen Medicom has joined with specialist device
manufacturer Bespak to co-develop and co-market a new single
increment dose counting inhaler for the expanding asthma and COPD
(chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) market.
Bespak is now ramping up manufacturing of Chiesi Farmaceutici's new
dry powder inhaler (DPI), in preparation for clinical trials of the
device in patients with asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease).
British drug delivery firm Vectura has inked a deal with Boehringer
Ingelheim to develop a dry powder inhaler (DPI) for a range of
proprietary respiratory products of the German company,
intensifying competition in a burgeoning asthma...
Ranbaxy has announced the purchase of Senetek's Autoinjector rights
and assets for its proprietary disposable autoinjector for
self-administration of parenteral drugs, adding to Ranbaxy's
growing presence in the growing...
UK drug development company SkyePharma, which put itself up for
sale last month, has said that several new bidders have expressed
interest in buying some of its assets as well as acquiring the
entire company for cash.
UK drug delivery company Skyepharma has been forced to raise funds
to carry out trials of its combination drug for asthma and chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) after failing to find a
partner for the project.
Germany's Merck KGaA has laid out its plans to take on the market
for generic respiratory medicines, revealing that it is the
previously unnamed company that has licensed UK inhaler company
Innovata's Clickhaler device in...
MAP Pharmaceuticals has broadened its agreement with Elan Corp to
develop improved formulations of respiratory drugs to include
combination asthma treatments and inhaled drugs for other lung
diseases.
Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT) has announced positive results
of its human anti-IL13 monoclonal antibody, to be used as a
potential treatment for severe asthma. The Phase I clinical trial
of CAT-354 represents research towards...
UK pharmaceutical company ML Laboratories has acquired Quadrant
Technologies, a company specialising in drug formulation and
stabilisation, for £46.7 million (€70m), boosting its capabilities
in the development of inhaled medicines,...
According to data presented this week, multiple second-generation
antisense drugs that show potential as new treatments for asthma
could represent the future in treating this disorder that has
soared in worldwide cases, particularly...
Researchers may have found a novel way to fight asthma by targeting
a protein that is centrally involved in the bronchial inflammation
and airway constriction that prompts asthma's hallmark symptoms.
The antibody treatment is...
Patients suffering from conditions as diverse as asthma and
diabetes could benefit from research at Cardiff University to
improve the effectiveness of drugs taken through spray inhalers.
Isis Pharmaceuticals is developing its first inhaled antisense drug
for the treatment of asthma and related pulmonary diseases. The
drug represents a potentially effective therapy for these diseases
that continue to see cases rising...
Novartis has announced the formation of an alliance between Vectura
Group and Arakis to develop and commercialise AD 237, a novel, long
acting, antimuscarinic agent, for the treatment of chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Novartis has acquired a global license to a combination drug and
inhaler device for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in
one of the largest deals signed by the UK biotechnology sector,
reports Phil Taylor.
The US Food and Drug Administration's decision to ban the use of
chlorofluorocarbon propellants in albuterol metered-dose inhalers
(MDIs) from the end of 2008 will effectively mean the market will
revert to one of branded rather...
Shares in German group Altana advanced at the end of last week on
the re-emergence of rumours that it is planning to separate its
pharmaceuticals and chemicals businesses via a spin-out.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set the end of 2008 as
its deadline for the complete phase-out of albuterol inhalers using
ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as propellants,
reports Phil Taylor.
Theravance has announced that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has exercised
its option to license Theravance's inhaled bifunctional, muscarinic
antagonist/beta2 agonist (MABA) program under the terms of their
2004 agreement. The compounds...
French company Valois has developed a new dose counter that should
improve the safety of inhalers used to delivery drugs to asthmatics
and people with chronic bronchitis.
