Ipsen

Tercica shares skyrocket following takeover bid

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 06:59:54 -0400

Moving fast, investors swiftly bid up the value of Tercica's stock yesterday afternoon after hearing that France's Ipsen would pay $9 a share to acquire all the stock in the company it didn't already own. That was more than $4 a share above what Tercica has been trading at. One unexpected mover was Vertex, which jumped after an analyst predicted that its closely watched hepatitis C drug telaprevir would be approved earlier than expected.

- read the AP story

Ipsen inks a string of deals in expansion effort

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 06:59:58 -0400

France's Ipsen is buying out Tercica in a $404 million deal, one of three new pacts designed to make Ipsen a billion-dollar a year player in the U.S. Ipsen will pay $9 a share for every share of Tercica it doesn't already own. That's more than double Tercica's $4.41 a share close yesterday. Like a lot of developers, Tercica's been losing money. But the biotech recently launched Somatuline for acromegaly, a pituitary gland disorder.

In a separate deal, Ipsen is buying out Vernalis' U.S. subsidiary, gaining the North American rights to Apokyn. And it inked a deal to acquire Octagen's OBI-1, which is being developed to treat hemophilia. The Octagen deal includes $10.5 million upfront and up to $26 million in milestones.

Taken together, Ipsen says the new acquisitions will position Ipsen to become a significant commercial player in the U.S.

- read Ipsen's release for more

Ipsen clears FDA hurdle, gains $25M for Reloxin BLA

Mon, 19 May 2008 06:59:55 -0400

France's Ipsen gained $25 million from Medicis Pharmaceutical on the news that the FDA has accepted the BLA filing for Reloxin, a next-gen competitor to Allergan's Botox. And analysts say the therapy could be launched in the second quarter of 2009--provided the FDA review goes without a hitch. An approval would be worth an additional $75 million milestone payment from Medicis, the U.S. partner for the cosmetic therapy. Reloxin is already approved in 23 countries.

The therapy is botulinum toxin type A, which is used to erase frown lines. That market was worth $1.2 billion in Botox sales last year. Temporarily paralyzing the nerves in the face is worth $400 per injection in the U.S., with big annual increases in sales. Analysts, though, are wondering if a recession might bring the frown lines back among hard-pressed consumers.

- read the AFX report

ALSO NOTED: Ipsen files new BLA;Amgen selects Vectibix test; and much more...

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 07:59:50 -0400

> Ipsen says it has submitted a new BLA for Reloxin, addressing concerns raised by the FDA when the agency declined to file its BLA in January. Release

> Amgen says it will use Lab21's diagnostic test to see which patients are suitable for its cancer drug Vectibix. Report

> NanoBio Corporation reported that a Phase IIb study of NB-001, a topical lotion to treat cold sores, met its primary and secondary endpoints by demonstrating clear efficacy and safety in 482 patients. Release

> The FDA is hustling up new programs designed to shore up confidence in drug safety--and in its own ability to ensure it. Report

> Pay for the CEOs of Wyeth and Pfizer was down in 2007. Report

> The wrestling match in Biovail's boardroom is getting ugly. Founder and former CEO Eugene Melnyk called for a housecleaning on the company's board. Report

> Rumor Mill: Less than 10 days after CEO Jeffrey Kindler pooh-poohed big acquisitions, U.K. markets are awash with rumors that Pfizer is on the hunt for British pharma group Shire. Report

And Finally... A fresh controversy over tainted drugs may be just what the FDA needs to win new federal funding. Article

Medicis shares sink as FDA rejects BLA

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:59:56 -0500

Medicis Pharmaceutical earned an "incomplete" grade on its latest BLA. The FDA has refused to accept the application for Reloxin--botulinum toxin type A--for a variety of shortfalls, including a gap in how it would live up to its responsibilities as a manufacturer. Another red flag: the application "included letters of authorization supporting a separate BLA submitted by Ipsen." For its part, Medicis, which makes wrinkle-fillers and other products, says it believes its application is strong, adding they will continue to work with the agency. Medicis also noted that the denial was likely to delay any product launch. Investors responded to the fiasco by bidding down company shares by 11 percent.

- check out the AP report

Related Article:
Medicis wins anti-wrinkle drug Reloxin in licensing pact. Report

Pfizer inks $25M research deal

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 06:59:58 -0500

Continuing the hot trend of biopharma companies partnering with research institutions, Pfizer has signed a $25 million, five-year deal with St. Louis-based Washington University. The move extends a previous relationship between the two that stretches back to 1982. As part of the deal, Washington University and Pfizer researchers will identify, design and execute projects focused on immuno-inflammatory disorders such as arthritis, asthma and diabetes. In addition, a fellowship program will allow students and post-docs to experience corporate life.

"This innovative model of partnership intimately links the scientific talent of Washington University with the extraordinary expertise of a pharmaceutical company like Pfizer," said Washington University Chancellor Mark Wrighton. "We believe it will serve as a new paradigm for other academic-industry collaborations." Recently, Pfizer also signed a large research pact with the Scripps Research Institute, and other drug developers have followed suit.

- here's the release on the deal
- see this article for more

Related Articles:
Scripps inks $100M research pact with Pfizer. Report
Ipsen halts study on new drug formulation. Report
Pfizer's future rests with biotech. Report

Ipsen, Salk Institute ink research pact

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 06:59:58 -0500

Paris-based Ipsen and the nonprofit Salk Institute have teamed up to create the Ipsen Life Sciences Program at The Salk Institute. Over the next three to five years, Ipsen will pay Salk $10 million dollars to research three disease areas: cancer biology, degenerative diseases and maladies associated with metabolic syndrome.

Declining funding from the National Institutes of Health to nonprofit research centers has made the nonprofits more likely to ink deals with paying companies. But critics say these research agreements can cause problems. They contend that companies reap the benefits of research paid for by taxpayers, and that scientist may be encouraged to pursue the most economically beneficial targets rather than discoveries with the most medical benefit for patients. In a similar recent deal, Pfizer agreed to pay the Scripps Research Institute $20 million a year for five years to help develop new therapies for diabetes, cancer, mental diseases and other conditions.

- check out this release on the deal
- see this report for more

Related Articles:
Scripps inks $100M research pact with Pfizer. Report
Ipsen halts study on new drug formulation. Report
Roche licenses Ipsen diabetes drug. Report
Ipsen inks deal with Galderma. Report

FDA approves Tercica's growth disorder drug

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 06:59:54 -0400

The FDA has approved Tercica's Somatuline Autogel, an injectable treatment for adult patients with acromegaly. Acromegaly is a rare disorder caused by too much growth hormone, resulting in enlarged body tissues of the face, jaw, hands, feet and skull. The approval is good news for Ipsen; last year the company granted Tercica development and commercialization rights to the drug, and Ipsen will gain a $41 million milestone payment from Tercica.

- see this press release for more