Chiron

Bayer plans to beef up biotech pipeline

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 19:01:37 -0500

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 business after Joe Akers retires.

- here's the report on Bayer from the East Bay Business Journal

Related Articles:
Bayer sells subsidiary in €1.2B deal. Report
Bayer Schering outlines global R&D restructuring. Report
Bayer outbids Merck KGaA for Schering. Report

Chutes & Ladders: Wheeler tapped to run Momenta

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 20:01:35 -0400

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 and CEO. Release

PLUS: Howard D. Goldstein has accepted the top position at Arcxis Biotechnologies, signaling the company's move into commercial development of its technologies for rapid, diagnostic gene and protein identification. Release

FDA OK's flu vaccines, projects 100M doses

Wed, 02 Aug 2006 20:01:36 -0400

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 years. But in a country of 300 million people, experts also note that they never see enough vaccine to satisfy the country's full needs. Given the limited shelf life of vaccines, though, manufacturers are reluctant to manufacture more than they can sell, leading to the balancing act that is undertaken each year.

- check out the report on flu vaccines from The New York Times

Novartis posts lower-than-expected profit

Sun, 16 Jul 2006 20:01:37 -0400

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 for this," a Zuercher Kantonalbank analyst told Forbes.

- read this Forbes report

PLUS: Rumors that Novartis is eyeing AstraZeneca appear to be unfounded. Report

North Carolina on short list for $400M vaccine plant

Wed, 10 May 2006 20:01:37 -0400

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 vaccines and completed the acquisition of Chiron in April. Interestingly, Vasella ruled out California and Massachusetts as site options.

- here's the report on the plant from MarketWatch

ALSO: A new study indicates that two generic drugs could prove useful in combating avian flu. Article (WSJ sub req.)

U.S. hands out $1B in vaccine contracts

Thu, 04 May 2006 20:01:39 -0400

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 program that relies on a weakened live virus to protect people from flu. MedImmune is converting a Maryland plant to produce cell-based vaccine, which is a much more efficient process than the traditional manufacturing method that relies on eggs. If all works according to plan, the five companies will be able to produce 300 million doses of vaccine in six months. The downside is that the work will take five years, and no one is sure when or if the deadly H5N1 virus that is circulating around the globe will mutate into a virus that is readily transmitted among people.

- read the report from the Washington Post

ALSO: A serious bird flu pandemic would not only sicken a third of the population, it would seriously destabilize the U.S. economy. The government's plan estimates that a pandemic could cost the country $600 billion in lost income. Article

ALSO NOTED: Isis touts Phase II data; Neurocrine upbeat on trial outcome; and much more...

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 20:00:50 -0400

> 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 more time and money to develop a treatment for anthrax. Report

> InterMune has launched a Phase III trial of pirfenidone, a small molecule p38-gamma inhibitor, as a treatment for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Release

> A week after its merger with Chiron, Novartis is laying off 111 workers in Emeryville, CA, a fraction of the employees it now has there. Report

> Doctors Without Borders has accused Abbott Laboratories of failing to fill an order for the HIV/AIDS drug Kaletra. Report

> Biotie Therapies has signed a marketing and distribution agreement with Britannia Pharmaceuticals Limited for nalmefene in the UK and Ireland. Release

And Finally… A significant minority of Pfizer's shareholders demonstrated their displeasure with the pay packages handed out to top executives, but had zero net effect on the election of 13 directors. Article

ALSO NOTED: Elusys, MedImmune in collaboration; FDA fast-tracks Schering-Plough therapy; and much more...

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 20:00:50 -0400

> 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 and strokes. Report

> Nanogen is buying the diagnostics arm of Amplimedical SpA for about $10 million. Report

> As expected, shareholders at Chiron approved its takeover by Novartis. Chiron was one of the oldest biotechs in the business. Report

> A court has ruled against Apotex's petition to deny Teva a 180-day exclusive for a generic version of Pravachol. Report

> Shares of BioSante jumped after the company announced that the FDA had accepted its experimental therapy for treating women's hot flashes for review. Report

> Alteon has agreed to buy HaptoGuard for $8.8 million in stock. Report

> The European publisher Reed Elsevier has struck a deal to buy Gold Standard, an online provider of pharmaceutical data. Report

> Roche has asked the FDA for approval to market CERA for renal anemia. Amgen has sued Roche over the drug, saying CERA infringes patents held for its own anemia treatment epogen. Article

> Lipid Sciences has been cleared to begin a human trial of a process for removing cholesterol from human plasma. Report

> Researchers say that the hypertension drug hydralazine appears to reverse the cell damage associated with spinal cord injuries, cancer and Parkinson's. Report

> GlaxoSmithKline has inked a licensing deal for the worldwide rights to a preclinical compound developed by Japan Tobacco. Report

> Alexza Pharmaceuticals has initiated a Phase IIa clinical trial with AZ-002 in patients with panic disorder. Release

And Finally... A new study says that the use of steroids for advanced respiratory distress syndrome doesn't improve survival and may in fact raise death rates. Article

Vaccine industry regains its luster for investors

Sun, 16 Apr 2006 20:01:38 -0400

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 debacle two years ago when UK regulators forced the company to temporarily shut its UK facility.

- here's the Wall Street Journal report on vaccines (sub. req.)

ALSO: The government's nearly completed bird flu pandemic plan is calculating that up to 90 million Americans could be infected and two million could die from a potential outbreak. Article

Gilead sinks $25 million into Corus

Wed, 12 Apr 2006 20:01:38 -0400

Gilead Sciences is investing $25 million into Corus Pharma, a private biotech company that's been developing candidates for respiratory and infectious diseases. In the deal, Gilead will become Corus' second-largest investor and will have an option to acquire the remaining shares in the company for a pre-set price. Corus' lead candidate is an inhaled antibiotic. Chiron has sued Corus over the antibiotic, claiming the misappropriation of trade secrets.

- read the AP report on the deal

ALSO NOTED: Schering-Plough to develop Pharmacopeia compound;Epsilon purchases shares of Cellegy; and much more...

Mon, 10 Apr 2006 20:00:50 -0400

> Schering-Plough will develop a compound identified by Pharmacopeia as part of the companies' ongoing collaboration, triggering milestone payments for Pharmacopeia. The compound is being evaluated as a potential treatment for respiratory disease. Release

> Epsilon Pharmaceuticals has acquired the shares of Cellegy Australia in exchange for $1.25 million in cash. Release

> Chiron has initiated a Phase I trial for CHIR-265 in melanoma. Release

> The FDA has ruled out RU-486 in one of two deaths in women who had taken the drug and subsequently contracted a rare infection. Report

> Consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen wants GlaxoSmithKline's Xenical removed from the market, saying that the drug's risks outweigh its benefits. Report

> Some researchers are accusing drug companies of "disease mongering," a tactic that raises awareness of non-existent diseases or exaggerates mild problems to boost profits. Article

And Finally... If you're afraid of needles, help may be on the way. A "nanopatch" in development could render injections obsolete. Article

ALSO NOTED: XTL raises $28M; Wex to cut jobs; hedge fund resists Chiron acquisition;and much more...

Sun, 19 Mar 2006 19:00:50 -0500

> Israel's XTL Biopharmaceuticals has raised $28 million from a private placement. Report

> Canada's Wex Pharmaceuticals is handing out pink slips to about half of its 100 workers as it moves to shave about a million dollars in annual expenses. Earlier this month Wex announced unfavorable interim results for a study of its cancer-pain therapy Tectin. Report

> A hedge fund that owns 9 percent of Chiron refused to meet with the drug developer as Chiron works to woo shareholders for their support of Novartis' offer to buy the 56 percent of Chiron shares it doesn't already own. ValueAct says the $45 bid, a discount on Chiron's $45.77 Friday close, was woefully inadequate. Report

> Eli Lilly and Biosite have agreed to collaborate on a trial of Lilly's Xigris. Report

> Antisoma has completed patient recruitment into a Phase II trial of AS1404 in ovarian cancer. Release

> Tm Bioscience has acquired sepsis biomarkers from Sirius Genomics. Release

> Roche shares surged on Genentech's announcement late last week that it was raising its earnings forecast. Report

And Finally... An Internet game that tracks the journey of U.S. currency could prove invaluable in tracking the spread of a U.S. pandemic. Seventy-nine million bills have been registered so far. Article

ALSO NOTED: Chiron pulls MMR vaccine off the market; Targacept sets IPO price; and much more...

Wed, 15 Mar 2006 19:00:50 -0500

> Chiron is pulling Morupar, its vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella, off of the market after determining that it was linked to a higher rate of adverse effects than other vaccines. Chiron revised its projected earnings for 2005 down three cents a share as a result. Adverse reactions include fever, swelling of the glands and allergic responses. Sales of Morupar were $10 million last year, a tiny fraction of the company's overall revenue. Report

> Targacept set its planned IPO at 5 million shares at $11 to $13 a share. Report

> Roche says that its capacity to produce Tamiflu now exceeds government orders for the drug, which is seen as a possible protection against bird flu. Report

> Researchers say that a new type of immune cell found in the lungs of asthma patients offers a new target for drug makers looking for more effective therapies. Report

> The FDA wants stronger warnings on the risk of side effects posed by ADHD drugs. Report

> South San Francisco-based Titan Pharmaceuticals says it will raise $10 million in a stock offering. Release

> Chutes & Ladders: La Jolla Pharmaceuticals has named Deirdre Y. Gillespie, M.D. as its new CEO in the wake of the resignation of Steven Engle. Report

> Conor Medsystems has licensed pimecrolimus from Novartis Pharma for use with Conor's vascular drug delivery technologies. Release

> Metabasis Therapeutics reviewed Phase II results for the oral antiviral pradefovir. Report

And Finally… A new study found that seniors benefit more from antidepressants than psychotherapy when recovering from depression. Article

ALSO NOTED: Revlimid gets priority review; Endrate linked to deaths;and much more...

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 19:00:50 -0500

> The FDA has agreed to give priority review for Revlimid as a treatment for cancer of the plasma cells found in bone marrow. Report

> The lead-poisoning drug Endrate has been linked to the death of two children. Report

> A hedge fund that holds nine percent of Chiron's stock says it will vote against a planned buyout by Novartis. Report

> The FDA has broadened the indication for Medicis Vanos, a Class I corticosteroid launched in April 2005 and originally indicated for the treatment of plaque-type psoriasis. Report

> A study involving mice shows that an experimental compound stopped both forms of brain lesions found in patients suffering from Alzheimer's. Report

> Roche has received its first product patent in India. Report

> Shire has sued Teva for alleged patent infringement involving Adderall XR. Report

> Research indicates that a new vaccine may cut the rate of inner ear infections. Report

> Takeda Pharmaceutical announced it received the exclusive right to use LG474, a substance discovered through its collaboration with Lexicon Genetics in the US. Release

> India's Amabalal Sarabhai Enterprises has closed its manufacturing operations. Report

And Finally… Amgen CEO Kevin Sharer says that biosimilars will first appear in Europe and later gain approval in the U.S. But he says the market for biosimilars will develop in a dramatically different fashion than generic alternatives for pharma's compounds. Article

Chiron submits application for bird flu vaccine

Sun, 26 Feb 2006 19:01:35 -0500

Chiron has submitted a mock-up dossier that seeks outline approval to market a pandemic flu vaccine. Under European guidelines, a drug maker can file a mock-up vaccine in advance of an outbreak. Once the outbreak occurs, the drug maker modifies the application with the strain that is responsible for a pandemic. Chiron is the second biopharma company to file for outline approval. GlaxoSmithKline filed last December.

- here's the report from AFX for more information

ALSO: Niger has confirmed finding the H5N1 virus in a small village. Health officials believe the virus is likely to spread rapidly in Africa, a continent with few resources to combat the spread of disease. Report

SPOTLIGHT: Baxter, Chiron win H5N1 contract

Thu, 23 Feb 2006 19:01:33 -0500

The UK's Department of Health has handed a £33 million contract to Baxter and Chiron for the delivery of 3.5 million doses of H5N1 vaccine. The vaccine will be used for research and possibly to inoculate front line workers in the event of a pandemic as researchers scramble to produce an exact vaccine for any mutation that may occur. Report

ALSO NOTED: Arqule lays off workers; Nobex to sell assets; EMEA staff supports Myozyme; and much more...

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 19:00:50 -0500

> Two months after Pfizer canceled a major collaboration, Arqule says it will lay off 125 workers and focus on cancer-related products. The Woburn, MA-based Arqule had earned $50 million a year from the partnership and still expects to gain $20 million from the termination. Report

> Weeks after filing for bankruptcy protection, Durham, NC-based Nobex says it will auction off its assets--primarily intellectual property rights--in March. Report

> EMEA staff have recommended approval for Genzyme's Myozyme for Pompe disease. Release

> Inex Pharmaceuticals says it will spin off its targeted immunotherapy assets into a new company, Tekmira Pharmaceuticals. Release

> AVI BioPharma has signed a deal with Chiron granting AVI a nonexclusive license to Chiron's patents and patent applications for the development of antisense therapeutics against hepatitis C virus. Release

> Arena Pharmaceuticals has priced an offering of 9,752,508 shares at $16.90 each. Release

> Canada's Biomira has arranged $16.1 million in financing. Release

> Germany's GPC Biotech's anticancer monoclonal antibody has won orphan drug status from the European Commission. Report

And Finally… About 1 million low-income and disabled seniors who relied on free drugs handed out by big drug companies are being cut off and pointed to the new Part D benefit, which could cost them thousands of dollars a year. Article

Novartis considers opening vaccine plant in US

Wed, 02 Nov 2005 19:01:36 -0500

The CEO of Novartis said that the company would consider building a vaccine production plant in the US. Chiron is the only major US producer of flu vaccines, and Novartis' plan to buyout Chiron could leave the US heavily reliant on foreign companies to provide flu vaccines. Novartis won approval this week to buy the 58 percent of Chiron that it does not already own. If plans are made to open a new factory, Novartis will be looking for incentives from the government such as tax breaks. Given the increased concern of a flu pandemic, Novartis is likely to face pressure from the federal government to move quickly.

- read this article from The New York Times for more information

ALSO: Novartis has received FDA approval for Exjade, its once-daily oral treatment for chronic iron overload due to blood transfusions for adults and children age two and older. It is a novel, new drug that dissolves in water or juice and can be administered to children as young as two. Article

Novartis gains support for $5.1B bid for Chiron shares

Sun, 30 Oct 2005 19:01:39 -0500

Novartis has won over Chiron's board of directors with a sweetened offer of $5.1 billion for the 58 percent of the company's shares it doesn't already own. The bid increases Chiron's offer to $45 per share, up from $40. Novartis plans to inject fresh capital into Chiron's troubled vaccine business, increasing capacity and resolving quality issues once and for all. Chiron has been reeling since British regulators shut down its Liverpool facility after discovering contamination. Chiron was supposed to supply half of the flu vaccine needed in the US last season.

- read this AP report for more

Chiron wins $62M bird flu vaccine contract

Thu, 27 Oct 2005 20:01:39 -0400

Chiron has won a $62 million federal contract to provide an experimental vaccine for bird flu. The contract follows an earlier announcement of a $100 million contract with Sanofi-Aventis. Health and Human Services is scrambling to find a vaccine that can work against the lethal H5N1 virus that is spreading in the world's bird population. While only a small number of people have died from the virus, health officials fear that it could mutate and become an infectious disease that spreads from person to person.

- read this report from the San Jose Mercury News for more

ALSO: Vanderbilt University Medical Center is one of five hospitals that is testing a bird flu vaccine. Report