Pharmalot... Pharmalittle... Good Morning

Hello, everyone, and how are you today? Another steamy morning is unfolding here on the Pharmalot corporate campus, where we are trying to keep cool with a hot cup of stimulation (this may appear counterintuitive, but we enjoy the results). Meanwhile, another busy day lies ahead. In fact, we will be speaking at an

industry conference later - wish us luck - but will do our best to maintain the usual flow of items. Here, in fact, are a few tidbits to get you going. Hope your day goes well and do stay in touch...

AstraZeneca's MedImmune To Shed 200 Jobs (San Francisco Business Times)

Fire At Merck Plant Under Investigation (Montgomery News)

Unions Complain About Former AstraZeneca CEO Pay (Manchester Evening News)

Novartis Gets FTC Approval To Buy Fougera (Reuters)

AstraZeneca To Study Brilinta Against Plavix (Bloomberg News)

Alnylam Hereditary Disease Drug Shows Promise (Reuters)

Teva MS Pill Accepted For Review In Europe (Pharma Times)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Please check this post for updates during the day

5 Comments

Jul 17, 2012 - 8:48am
I'm trying to follow the logic. AZ is about to launch a multimillion dollar trial to study a brand name anticlotting drug with dangerous side effects against a drug which is now generic, costs less and has a much better safety profile.

If I had ever proposed such a trial I would have deserved to be fired. My guess is that is was a Phase IIIB trial that should have started three years pre LOE for Plavix but was delayed over uncertainty whether Brilinta would get approved. The approval delay left them no time to do the study, but they are doing it anyway. This study will be a negative ROI, a flat one at best.

Jul 17, 2012 - 9:51am
They are doing it because the uptake of Brilinta is extremely low and will remain low unless they can somehow prove a major benefit over clopidogrel. It has been almost exactly a year since approval and the product isn't moving. PAD is a large market. I agree that it is unlikely to be a positive ROI but maybe they will be able to definitively explain the weird-assed issue with concomitant aspirin use in North America.
Jul 17, 2012 - 12:29pm
Ed, break a leg!

(Just think twice if they want to scan it afterward....)

Jul 17, 2012 - 8:13pm
How would this trial even benefit AZ? They are comparing a twice a day branded product with once a day drug that is generic !!!!!!