Tag:
Chiron
Latest Headlines
Latest Headlines
How Novartis Vaccines turned fear into function
To hear Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics' head of technical ops tell it, fear was the enemy when Novartis swept into its newly acquired vaccine company, Chiron. And conquering that fear was what
Bayer plans to beef up biotech pipeline
Bayer Healthcare says it will aggressively expand its biotech pipeline in the year ahead, concentrating on new development pacts in cardiology, hematology and oncology. The company is looking to strike new deals similar to the ones it has reached with Nuvelo and Onyx Pharmaceuticals. Hans Bishop, the former senior v.p. for Chiron's UK operations, will likely head up many of these new ventures. Bishop is expected to be tapped as the next president of the company's hematology and cardiology …
Chutes & Ladders: Wheeler tapped to run Momenta
Momenta Pharmaceuticals has tapped Craig Wheeler, the former president of Chiron BioPharmaceuticals, to be its next CEO. Alan Crane, who's stepping down from the post, will stay on the board.
- here's the report on Wheeler from the Boston Globe
ALSO: Fresh from raising $60 million in new venture funds, Prestwick Pharmaceuticals has named George F. Horner III president …
FDA OK's flu vaccines, projects 100M doses
The FDA has signed off on the flu vaccines to be made for the upcoming season by GlaxoSmithKline, Chiron, MedImmune and Sanofi-Pasteur. Those four manufacturers are intended to supply 100 million doses of vaccine to the U.S. market, which is expected to be enough to satisfy demand. Federal officials have been working hard to try to even out the kinks in the supply of flu vaccines to the country, working to prevent the kind of supply snafus that have snarled treatment programs over recent …
Novartis posts lower-than-expected profit
Novartis posted a 4 percent rise in profit to $1.71 billion for the second quarter, falling short of analysts' expectations. The company blames the cost of integrating vaccine maker Chiron for the lower-than-expected numbers. But due to strong pharmaceutical sales growth, the drug maker predicts double-digit full year growth. "Investors will likely be disappointed about earnings, but the fact that the core business performs well and even managed to improve in some areas should compensate …
North Carolina on short list for $400M vaccine plant
Novartis CEO Daniel Vasella has told MarketWatch that North Carolina is on its short list of three states as a site for a new, $400 million facility to manufacture avian-flu vaccine. The new plant will utilize cell-based culturing technologies to speed production of vaccines. The current process uses eggs to make vaccines and takes six to nine months. Novartis won a $221 million contract from the U.S. government to develop new vaccine technology. Novartis is investing billions in …
U.S. hands out $1B in vaccine contracts
Five pharmaceutical companies won a billion dollars worth of government contracts in the race to develop new technology to make flu vaccines needed to combat a human pandemic. U.S.-based MedImmune and DynPort Vaccine along with Europe's GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis and Solvay Pharmaceuticals will divvy up the money. Novartis plans to do its vaccine work at the newly acquired Chiron facilities in California.
For MedImmune, it's a welcome bit of good news for its beleaguered FluMist …
ALSO NOTED: Isis touts Phase II data; Neurocrine upbeat on trial outcome; and much more...
> Isis Pharmaceuticals reports that a mid-stage trial of ISIS 301012 produced rapid and prolonged reduction of cholesterol in patients with high cholesterol. Report
> Neurocrine Biosciences has reported positive results for a Phase II trial of NBI-56418 for endometriosis. Release
> Aradigm has gained …
ALSO NOTED: Elusys, MedImmune in collaboration; FDA fast-tracks Schering-Plough therapy; and much more...
> Elusys Therapeutics has struck up a collaboration with MedImmune to develop new therapies for infectious diseases. No word on the details of the deal, but Elusys gains venture funds, an up front fee and more. Report
> The FDA has fast-tracked Schering-Plough's experimental therapy, SCH 530348. The therapy is in development to treat blood clots that cause heart attacks …
Vaccine industry regains its luster for investors
With Novartis poised to win control of Chiron on Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal takes a look at the sudden popularity of the vaccine business. Long considered a marginal endeavor, new fears of a possible pandemic have boosted government spending and helped make vaccine makers look more attractive than ever. Also driving this trend are new technologies that promise to make manufacturing vaccines much less complex. New investments should help avert any repeats of Chiron's …
