> Australia's Avexa has been wooing investors recently over the prospects of its late-stage HIV therapy, and the added attention has paid off with a spike in its stock price. Avexa shares jumped 23 percent, rising to 19 cents, as it readies a presentation on a Phase III trial of its apricitabine HIV treatment. "We've just been talking to people about that, and that's created some interest within the market," Avexa CEO Julian Chick told Bloomberg. Report
> The European Commission has approved Boehringer Ingelheim's once-daily version of its Parkinson's drug Mirapexin (pramipexole), which has also been submitted to the FDA. And the pharma company noted that the new version carries fewer fluctuations in plasma levels for patients than the three-times daily version of the therapy. "Being able to reduce their pill burden without foregoing the effectiveness...can improve patient adherence to their treatment regimen," said Mary Baker, president of the European Federation of Neurological Associations. Boehringer release
> Allos has successfully raised $93 million from the sale of 14 million shares. The developer plans to use much of the money to beef up its marketing arm as it starts to sell the newly approved drug Folotyn. Allos report
> Based on the successful outcome of an early-stage trial for an addiction therapy, Alkermes says it is preparing to go into Phase II with the oral opioid. Alkermes release
> NexMed is touting the results of a post hoc analysis of late stage data for the nail fungus therapy NM100060. "With the lessons learned from the Novartis studies, we are convinced that additional Phase III studies can be successfully conducted which, we believe, will generate significant results," says CEO Vivian Liu. "Toward that end, we are currently sharing, on a confidential basis, NexMed`s highly extensive and proprietary clinical database with potential partners interested in licensing NM100060 for further development." NexMed release
> Japan's Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma and Sepracor announced the successful completion of the tender offer by DSP subsidiary, Aptiom, to acquire all outstanding shares of common stock of Sepracor for $23 per share in cash. Release
Pharma News
> The TV ad that changed the drug world. Article
> The jury has spoken, and it's not good news for GlaxoSmithKline. In the first trial of claims that the antidepressant Paxil caused birth defects, a Pennsylvania jury awarded $2.5 million to the plaintiffs. Article
> Insulin drugs could lose $6.1B to biosimilars Insulin drugs could lose $6.1B to biosimilars. Report
> Inquiring Senate minds are wondering why Medicare shut the door on payments for ophthalmologic use of the cancer drug Avastin. Report
> Joe Jimenez, head of pharmaceuticals for Novartis, is aiming to halve his company's rate of cash conversion--the time between production of a product and receipt of payment--from its current 200-plus days. Article
Manufacturing News
> Although noncompliance with good manufacturing practices led to the contamination of heparin injections from late 2007 to early 2008, an inability to cope with supply chain complexities is to blame for the time required to track the problem and issue a recall. Report
> the more than 10,000 traders in the streets and markets of portions of Africa, sold counterfeit drugs to 85 percent of the population, says Laurent Assogbathe, head of the state health protection agency, in Benin, West Africa. ArticleTracking troubles stalled recall
> Open-pore ion-exchange chromatography capsules in a re-usable format have been unveiled by Pall Life Sciences. The Mustang Q XT capsules can be used for high-flow-rate contaminant removal and the removal of large molecules. Report
> An opioid drug for cancer pain has been made available in the U.S. through a controlled distribution program called FOCUS, for Full Ongoing Commitment to User Safety. FOCUS is an FDA-mandated Risk Evaluation and Management Strategy (REMS) program. Article
> SAFC Pharma, under the Sigma-Aldrich (SIAL) umbrella, has added 8,000 square feet to its 44,000-square-foot Carlsbad, CA, site for two viral product manufacturing suites, to be outfitted with disposables. Item
Special Report: The top 15 Women in Pharma. Start slideshow ⇒
And Finally...There's fresh evidence that adolescents and young adults are among the most vulnerable to the new flu that's hitting the U.S. this fall. Report