The European Medicines Agency is recommending approval of a new medicine for haemophilia A developed by Roche that is intended to prevent bleeding or reduce the frequency of bleeding episodes in patients who have developed resistance to existing medicines.
The first patient to be treated with a wireless sub-retinal implant designed to correct for damage caused by dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has responded to the therapy, according to the developer Pixium Vision SA of France.
France-based Adocia SA has reported positive early results from a new formulation of existing diabetes medicines that is intended to act faster and last longer than the current standard of care.
An experimental therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which combines three compounds into single treatment has delivered statistically significant results in a Phase 3 trial, according to AstraZeneca Plc.
Novartis has negotiated commercialisation rights outside the US to Luxturna (voretigene neparvovec-rzyl) – the first gene therapy to be approved in the US for an inherited retinal disease. The therapy was developed by Spark Therapeutics Inc which retains US rights to the drug.
Norgine Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of the specialty pharma company Norgine NV, has announced a €4.5 million investment in a Spanish company with wireless medical device technologies.
Novartis delivered a small 1% increase in net sales in 2017 as it faced more competition from producers of generic versions of its older medicines. But sales were stronger in the fourth quarter and for 2018 as a whole, the company expects a further recovery.
Novartis has reported positive results from a late-stage clinical trial showing that its monoclonal antibody erenumab provided relief to patients with migraine who have been unsuccessful in treating their disease with two to four other therapies.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co has reported positive results for a checkpoint inhibitor combination therapy in patients with a specific type of metastatic colorectal cancer. It combines Opdivo (nivolumab), a PD-1 inhibitor, and Yervoy (ipilimumab), an inhibitor of CTLA-4.
A Phase 3 trial of a novel anticancer drug developed by Spain’s PharmaMar SA for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer failed to reach its primary endpoint of progression free survival compared with topotecan chemotherapy or liposomal doxorubicin. The drug, Zepsyre (lurbinectedin), inhibits RNA polymerase II.