Content about Pharmaceutical companies

NEW YORK — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new cancer drug made by Pfizer, the drug maker said.

The FDA approved Pfizer's Xalkori (crizotinib) capsules, a treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer that has advanced locally or spread to other parts of the body, also known as metastasis. The drug specifically is designed to target NSCLC containing the enzyme anaplastic lymphoma kinase, as determined by a companion test also approved by the FDA.

The final outcome of the battle between Israel’s Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Canada’s Valeant Pharmaceuticals International to buy Cephalon serves as a good illustration of why it helps to have a plan B.


In May, Teva beat out Valeant’s $5.7 billion offer to buy Frazier, Pa.-based Cephalon with a $6.8 billion offer of its own, acquiring Cephalon’s hefty pipeline in the process. And last month, Teva bought Taiyo Pharmaceutical Industry, Japan’s third-largest generics company, for $934 million.


PRINCETON, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a chemotherapy drug made by Sandoz, the drug maker said Tuesday.

Sandoz, the generics division of Swiss drug maker Novartis, announced the approval and launch of docetaxel, an injectable chemotherapy drug that the company said was the 11th cancer drug it has launched in the United States.

NEW YORK — Generic drug maker Sandoz is suing Danish drug maker Novo Nordisk over a generic version of a drug used to treat diabetes, according to published reports.

Bloomberg reported that Sandoz, the generics arm of Swiss drug maker Novartis, was suing Novo Nordisk in a Detroit federal court, hoping the court would find that the Sandoz generic version of Novo Nordisk's Prandin (repaglinide) did not infringe on the latter company's patent covering the drug.

ALLEGAN, Mich. — Perrigo is planning to launch more than 45 new products in fiscal 2012 that will translate into approximately $190 million added to annual Perrigo sales, Perrigo chairman, president and CEO Joe Papa told analysts during the company's fourth-quarter conference call Tuesday.

And while none of these new over-the-counter private-label products will help reduce cholesterol levels, Papa did set the stage for a future store-brand equivalent to Pfizer's blockbuster statin Lipitor.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Watson Pharmaceuticals will build a drug warehouse and distribution center in Mississippi, the drug maker said Thursday.

Watson said its Anda Distribution division would the $23.5 million, 234,000-sq.-ft. center in Olive Branch, Miss. The plant will employ 70 workers.

LONDON — Drug makers GlaxoSmithKline and XenoPort are seeking expanded approval for their restless legs syndrome treatment.

The drug makers this week announced the submission of a supplemental new drug application to the Food and Drug Administration, requesting approval for Horizant (gabapentin enacarbil) extended-release tablets as a treatment for postherpetic neuralgia, a nerve pain that commonly is seen in patients with shingles. GSK submitted the sNDA on behalf of the two companies.

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — Sanofi on Wednesday announced the introduction of Allegra's new Allergy Adventures contest on Facebook. Allergy sufferers are invited to upload a short video showing their daily challenges with allergies for a chance to win $5,000 toward a vacation package.

CHADDS FORD, Pa. — Profits for Endo Pharmaceutical Holdings rose to $54.6 million during second quarter 2011, up 6% from $51.5 million in second quarter 2010, the drug maker said.

Sales for the quarter were $607.5 million, compared with $396.5 million in second quarter 2010. Sales of branded drugs were $398.3 million, an 8% increase over last year, which the company attributed to better sales of the pain drug Opana ER and the joint pain drug Voltaren Gel.

PITTSBURGH — GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare on Monday named John Graham chief marketing officer for Consumer Healthcare, North America.

JERUSALEM — The Food and Drug Administration has accepted an approval application for a drug made by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries for treating allergies, Teva said.

The Israeli drug maker said the FDA accepted its application for BDP Nasal HFA (beclomethasone dipropionate hydrofluoroalkane) for the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis and perennial allergic rhinitis. The drug is a nasal aerosol corticosteroid.

NEW YORK — The world's top-selling drug may become available over the counter, if its manufacturer has its way, according to published reports.

The New York Times reported that Pfizer may be looking for Food and Drug Administration approval for an OTC switch for Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium), a cholesterol-lowering medication. The Times quoted an unnamed source as providing the information, though Pfizer declined to comment.