Industry news

Big Pharma's cardiovascular sales ain't what they used to be

Emily Wasserman / FiercePharma

Slumping sales for cardiovascular drugs isn't exactly a new phenomenon for Big Pharma, with some of the industry's top drugmakers suffering from recent patent expirations. But a new report shows which CV franchises have been hurt the most.

Rusnano launches Nuclear Medicine Centers Network

MarchMont Innovation News

Central Russia’s first Nuclear Medicine Centers Network has opened in the Lipetsk region. A sizable private-public partnership, the Network has the capacity to deliver y-tracers to neighboring regions, the Rusnano website announced. This $24+m effort is being pushed by PET-Technology, a portfolio company of Rusnano.  

RPT-Under pressure, FDA to hold public meeting on off-label use

Toni Clarke / Reuters

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will hold a public meeting this summer to address drug company concern that restrictions on what they can say about off-label use of drugs violate their First Amendment right to free speech.

Varian launches 'cloud community' to encourage information exchange among oncologists

Varun Saxena / FierceMedicalDevices

As the conversation shifts from collecting Big Data to what to do with it, Varian Medical Systems ($VAR) is focusing on efficient data sharing. The company hopes users of its just-launched OncoPeer platform will benefit from oncologists' collective intelligence by leveraging other practitioners' knowledge to the benefit of their own patients.

Building value via regional licensing; global dealmakers get guidance on Japan

Michael Fitzhugh / BioWorld

With international dealmaking often a key element of the biopharma asset development adventure, the path to success in Japan took center stage during the first day of Allicense, an annual pilgrimage for the industry's top business development pros.

Tiny drugmakers top list of most profitable, but Shire and Gilead are there, too

Tracy Staton / Fierce Pharma

Who are the most profitable companies in healthcare? Drug companies, with 7 out of 10 slots on a ranking by profit margin. Who are the most profitable drug companies? You might scratch your heads at all but a couple of names.

Head of FDA's device arm says agency aims to be first in the world to improve devices

Varun Saxena / FierceMedicalDevices

The head of the FDA's device arm (CDRH) acknowledged that the division is failing to live up to its vision that "patients in the U.S. have access to high-quality, safe, and effective medical devices of public health importance first in the world" because advanced devices like trans aortic valve replacements are regularly approved in Europe 5 years earlier than the U.S.

11 May 2015

Marinus Pharmaceuticals Provides Business Update and Reports First Quarter 2015 Financial Results

Marinus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:MRNS), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of innovative epilepsy and other neuropsychiatric therapeutics, today provided a business update and announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2015.

Australia budget is a showdown on cancer drug funding, safety net reach

EJ Lane / FeircePharmaAsia

An Australia government proposal to trim the national drug-coverage budget for innovative drugs by 5%, or U.S.$2.36 billion, has invited a juggernaut of industry opposition already descending on the parliament. The reductions are aimed at the nation's leading drugs, including those for cancer.

China plans first-ever rules on animal testing in medical research by year end

EJ Lane / FeircePharmaAsia

Chinese authorities are drafting a national standard expected to be implemented by the end of the year to cover humane treatment of animals used in medical research, including for drug testing. The nation currently has no general rules governing animals in clinical research.