Top of the morning to you. And a fine one it is. There may be cloudy skies above, but our spirits are sunny. And you know why - every brand new day should be unwrapped like a precious gift. So go ahead and tug on the ribbon. Meanwhile, we would like to remind you that we hosting a webinar today at 1 pm ET on what pharma needs to know about the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (look here). Meanwhile, the time has come for a cup of stimulation and a few tidbits. So here you go. Have a great day, everyone...
Xenoport Claims Glaxo Breached Horizant Contract (Reuters)
Abbott Cuts 700 Jobs From Device And Testing Units (Associated Press)
Roche Makes $5.7B Hostile Bid For Illumina (Bloomberg News)
Lonza Dumps CEO As Profits Plunge (Reuters)
FDA Rejects CDK Labeling For Merck's Vytorin (Bloomberg News)
Novartis Profit Falls By Half On Charges (Associated Press)
J&J Won't Reopen Shuttered Plant Until 2013 (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Pfizer Lipitor Strategy May Not Boost Profits: Watson CEO (Bloomberg News)
Roche Denies Settling Raptiva Lawsuit (Bloomberg News)
US Boosts Grants To Pharma For Infectious Diseases (Associated Press)
J&J Lawyers Argues Levaquin Risks Were Not Hidden (Bloomberg News)
Eli Lilly Animal Health Buys Feed Enzyme Maker (Chicago Tribune)
Is BioLineRx A Takeover Target? (Bloomberg News)
Lilly And Jubilant Life End Drug Development Deal (Economic Times)
NICE Backs Pfizer & Bristol-Myers Bloodthinner For VTE (Dow Jones)
Takeda Lung Drug Fails To Win NICE Backing (Bloomberg News)
NICE Rejects Cancer Meds From Merck, Roche And Amgen (Dow Jones)
EDITOR'S NOTE: Please check this post for updates throughout the morning
2 Comments
May I observe that this is a "pretty BIG Little" - and the day is still young yet! Quite a present, Ed, thanks!
"LONDON -(Dow Jones)- The U.K.'s health-care cost-effectiveness regulator Wednesday turned down three oncology medicines for use in treating colorectal cancer that has spread to other parts of the body--Merck KGaA's (MRK.XE) Erbitux, Roche Holding AG's (ROG.VX) Avastin and Amgen Inc.'s (AMGN) Vectibix.
The three drugs' generic names are cetuximab, bevacizumab and panitumumab, respectively.
The final guidance from the U.K.'sNational Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, or NICE, confirms an initial decision announced two months ago, taken on grounds the medicines don't represent value for money for the U.K.'s publicly funded National Health Service."
Not only did Martha Stewart's *inwestment* in Erbitux development land her in jail for - well, wha'ever, probably witch burning entertainment value for the all-boyz club of Big Pharma - it turns out the "medicine" doesn't represent value for the money - go figure....
Buyer beware...