News

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Menactra, a vaccine to prevent invasive meningococcal disease, for use in children as young as nine months old. The vaccine was developed by Sanofi Pasteur.

The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has approved escitalopram (Lexapro) to treat patients with depression, according to the drug’s developer, H. Lundbeck A/S. The Danish company’s partner in Japan is Mochida Pharmaceutical.

A Phase 3 trial of a combination vaccine intended to protect children against six infectious diseases is being launched at multiple sites in the US according to its sponsors, Merck & Co and Sanofi Pasteur. The trial will involve 1,440 infants.

The Stanford University School of Medicine, together with privately-held SanBio Inc, have started a Phase 1/2a trial of an allogeneic cell therapy on patients with stable deficits resulting from a stroke.

Elan Corporation Plc more than trebled its operating income in the 2011 first quarter following settlement of a patent suit. Revenue however was only slightly ahead as brisk Tysabri sales were nearly offset by the divestment of three legacy products.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Rituxan (rituximab), in combination with glucocorticoids, to treat patients with Wegener’s granulomatosis and microscopic polyangiitis, two rare disorders that cause blood vessel inflammation.

NicOx SA has decided to withdraw its European marketing authorisation application for naproxcinod, a candidate drug for osteoarthritis, following feedback from the CHMP that more data would be required in order to get a positive opinion.

Bavarian Nordic A/S announced that it has prevailed in a two-year-old arbitration case involving a German research institution regarding rights to the technology underpinning its vaccine portfolio.

Novartis generated $3.1 billion in net sales from recently launched products in the 2011 first quarter, a period that was otherwise marked by a flat operating income and a decline in the company’s operating margin.

Privately-held Circassia Ltd of the UK has raised £60 million to be paid over two years from Imperial Innovations Group Plc and other investors in order to finance the development of its T-cell vaccines to treat a range of allergies.