Five medicinal products, including a generic version of olanzapine, have been recommended for licensing in Europe by the main scientific committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA). At the same time, a proposed treatment for Crohn’s disease from Elan Pharma, was turned back.
Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have described the structure of a human membrane protein that is understood to have a major influence on the development of asthma.
UK universities created 187 spin-off companies in the 2005-06 academic year, according to a government survey.
Cambridge Research Biochemicals (CRB) is preparing to investigate a new method for validating antibodies using technology based at Newcastle University and funded by one of the UK’s regional development authorities.
From 7 July 2007, pharmaceutical companies holding European Community marketing authorisations could be fined at up to 5% of their Community turnover if they infringe their licensing obligations or give false information to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA).
Vivalis, a French company that has developed a stem cell technology for the manufacture of vaccines, has made an initial public offering of shares on the mid-cap section of the Euronext Paris stock exchange, worth about €46.4 million.
The Netherlands has updated the rules governing the dispensing of pharmaceuticals, as well as the responsibilities of the national regulator, the Medicines Evaluation Board (MEB), in a major revision of its medicines legislation.
Silence Therapeutics Plc, which specialises in the technology of RNA-mediated interference for the treatment of disease, has begun a three-year research and development collaboration with AstraZeneca Plc valued at up to £200 million.
The European Medicines Agency and the US Food and Drug Administration have agreed to exchange information from companies about their proposed studies of paediatric medicines in order to avoid unnecessary trials involving children.
Zeta Biotech, which specialises in products for the separation of molecules through the use of gel electrophoresis, is raising about €1 million with an initial public offering of 206,065 shares on the Euronext’s Marché Libré in Paris.