Content about Eli Lilly and Company

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Novo Nordisk has launched a diabetes awareness sweepstakes in which the winners get a free trip to the 2013 IndyCar finale, the Danish drug maker said Friday.

The company announced that it had hired IZOD IndyCar Series Charlie Kimball as spokesman for its Race with Insulin contest. Kimball, the first licensed driver with diabetes to race at the highest level of the series, was diagnosed with the disease during a routine doctor visit in 2007 while racing in Europe and is a user of Novo Nordisk's NovoLog (insulin aspart [rDNA origin]).

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Disease relapse rates and worsening of disability were low among patients taking a drug made by Genzyme for multiple sclerosis, the company said.

Genzyme, a division of French drug maker Sanofi, announced results of an extension study of the drug Lemtrada (alemtuzumab). The study was a follow-up to two other late-stage clinical studies of the drug, finding that relapse rates and sustained accumulation of disability remained low among patients who had previously received the drug.

PITTSBURGH — Mylan and Biocon have a deal to develop and sell generic insulin-analog products for diabetes, Mylan said.

Under the deal, Mylan will have the rights to develop and market Biocon's Glargine, Lispro and Aspart, respectively generic versions of Sanofi's Lantus, Eli Lilly's Humalog and Novo Nordisk's NovoLog.

SILVER SPRING, Md. - The Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic diabetes drug made by Macleods Pharma, according to agency records.

The FDA approved Macleods' pioglitazone hydrochloride tablets in the 15 mg, 30 mg and 45 mg strengths.

The drug is a generic version of Takeda's Actos, branded and generic versions of which had sales of about $2.7 billion during the 12-month period that ended in August 2012, according to IMS Health.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved three new drugs for Type 2 diabetes made by Takeda, the agency said Friday.

The FDA announced the approval of Nesina (alogliptin), Kazano (alogliptin and metformin) and Oseni (alogliptin and pioglitazone) tablets.

Alogliptin is a new active ingredient, while metformin and pioglitazone are drugs already on the market.

BAGSVÆRD, Denmark — A Food and Drug Administration panel has voted to support two experimental insulin treatments made by Novo Nordisk, the Danish drug maker said Thursday.

Novo Nordisk said the FDA's Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee had voted 8-to-4 in favor of approval for insulin degludec and a combination treatment containing insulin degludec and insulin aspart.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. – The Food and Drug Administration has approved a Type 2 diabetes drug made by Watson Pharmaceuticals, the company said, following a federal court's order for the agency to approve the drug.

Watson announced the launch of pioglitazone hydrochloride tablets in the 15-mg, 30-mg and 45-mg strengths. The drug is a generic version of Takeda's Actos, branded and generic versions of which had sales of about $2.7 billion during the 12-month period ended in August, according to IMS Health.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — A federal court has ordered the Food and Drug Administration to approve a generic diabetes drug made by Watson Pharmaceuticals, the drug maker said.

Watson said the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted summary judgment in favor of Watson, ruling that the FDA would have to approve its generic version of Takeda's Actos (pioglitazone hydrochloride) tablets in the 15-mg, 30-mg and 45-mg strengths.

INDIANAPOLIS — Eli Lilly has ceased ongoing clinical studies of an investigational treatment for schizophrenia.

The drug maker said that after recently conducting an independent futility analysis, it concluded that the second of Lilly's two pivotal studies "was unlikely to be positive in its primary efficacy endpoint if enrolled to completion." Additionally, the recently completed phase-2 study, which investigated pomaglumetad methionil (also known as mGlu2/3) as an adjunctive treatment with atypical antipsychotics, did not meet its primary endpoint.

PRINCETON, N.J. — Ranbaxy Labs has launched an authorized generic version of a diabetes drug made by Takeda Pharmaceutical, Ranbaxy said Friday.

Ranbaxy announced the launch, through subsidiary Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals and under an agreement with Takeda, of pioglitazone hydrochloride tablets, an authorized generic version of Takeda's Actos. An authorized generic is a branded drug marketed at a reduced price under its generic name, typically by a third-party company operating under contract with the original branded drug's manufacturer.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Watson Pharmaceuticals is suing the Food and Drug Administration, alleging that an agency decision would improperly delay its release of a generic drug for diabetes, the company said Wednesday.