Akzo Nobel news from FierceBiotech

The FDA has turned thumbs down on GlaxoSmithKline's gepirone ER for major depression. Glaxo had licensed the drug from Fabre-Kramer after Akzo Nobel had bowed out of an earlier partnership. Analysts Read more...

Researchers say that Organon's asenapine was just as effective in controlling episodes of acute mania in two late-stage trials as Eli Lilly's Read more...

As the industry's biggest players wrestle for the upper hand in the competitive drug development world, companies are snapping up small biotechs to fill their pipelines. Check out the Read more...

Press Release: Organon Announces Acquisition of Kadmus Pharmaceuticals' FAAH Inhibitor Technology

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Germany's Merck KGaA has confirmed yesterday's rumor that it is considering the sale of its generics drug business. A sale would net billions of dollars for the drug company, which also announced that it had completed the acquisition of Switzerland's Serono and is focusing on new drug development. Israel's Teva, Sanofi-Aventis and Novartis have been named as potential suitors. …

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Pfizer has decided to drop out of its collaboration with Organon to develop asenapine for schizophrenia and bipolar disease after completing a review of the compound and its place in the pharma giant's "overall portfolio." Last October researchers issued interim Phase III data that suggested they may not have enough evidence to back an NDA. Organon says it will push ahead on its own for now, and may look for another partner to complete work on the drug. In the meantime, Organon parent …

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Press Release: Organon continues with the development of asenapine

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Shares of Akzo Nobel slid after the drug developer announced mixed results in a Phase III trial of asenapine for schizophrenia. The drug's performance in another half of the study devoted to acute mania associated with bipolar disorder was positive. But analysts quickly seized on the uncertain results for the drug in schizophrenia, noting that Akzo needs to clearly distinguish the drug from others in the field.

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Akzo Nobel's NV arm Organon and Schering have announced that they will discontinue their collaboration on the development of a male hormonal contraceptive. In a press release, Organon and Schering noted that while their work together was constructive, they "came to the conclusion that the administration route investigated in the trial, which combined an annual implant with three-monthly injections, would unlikely result in a product that would be acceptable for widespread everyday use." …

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Dutch chemical group Akzo Nobel announced that on September 7, it will ask shareholders to approve a plan to split the company into two. Akzo Nobel will focus on coatings and chemicals and Organon BioSciences will work on developing the pharmaceutical product pipeline. The company had already planned to spin off Organon and hopes the company will go public early next year. A lot of the new company's success will rest on the result of Organon's Asenapine, an anti-depressant drug currently …

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