By Sarah Faulkner NovoCure (NSDQ:NVCR) announced yesterday that its ‘tumor treating fields, combined with the drug paclitaxel, are effective against ovarian cancer, the 5th most-common cause of cancer death in women in the US. The St. Helier, N.J.-based company won FDA approval in July for the Optune device to treat a type of brain cancer called glioblastoma. TTFields […]
PharmaJet inks pact with World Health Organization for polio vaccine
By Sarah Faulkner PharmaJet said yesterday that it inked a multi-year partnership as part of the World Health Organization’s effort to eradicate polio, using the Colorado-based company’s needle-free technology. Their Tropis device administers medication through the skin, without the use of needles. Although polio has been eradicated from the Americas, Europe, South East Asia and the Western […]
MIT, Singapore Univ. dev 3-D-printed structures that “remember” their shapes
By Sarah Faulkner Engineers from MIT and Singapore University of Technology and Design are using light to create 3D structures that remember their shape when triggered by external stimuli like temperature. These structures, also known as shape-memory polymers, could be useful as delivery vessels for drugs in the human body. Get the full story at […]
Mylan cuts EpiPen price in half after criticism
By Sarah Faulkner Mylan (NSDQ:MYL) said today that it would reduce the out-of-pocket patient cost for its EpiPen product, after being widely criticized for raising the price nearly 500% since 2009. Although the list price for the epinephrine injector remains the same, Mylan said it would increase eligibility for its patient assistance program, which eliminates out-of-pocket costs for uninsured […]
FDA request delays timeline for Sanofi’s iGlarLixi drug-device combo for diabetes
By Sarah Faulkner The FDA’s request for more data on the iGlarLixi drug-device combination for treating Type II diabetes pushed the timeline for a decision back 3 months, Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) and Zealand Pharma (CPH:ZEAL) said last week. Sanofi said August 19 that it submitted a new data package for iGlarLixi, an injection pen designed to […]
Researchers debut digestible battery
By Sarah Faulkner Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University unveiled an ingestible battery that could eventually power medical devices, including drug-delivery mechanisms. The inspiration came when Christopher Bettinger, PhD, and his team noted that melanin pigments bind and unbind metallic ions. “We thought, ‘This is just like a battery,’” Bettinger said. The melanin pigments are encapsulated […]
Sirtex Medical jumps on surging sales, profits for fiscal 2016
By Sarah Faulkner Shares in Sirtex Medical (ASX:SRX) closed up nearly 12% today after the Australian medical device company posted huge boosts to both the bottom and top lines. Sydney-based Sirtex Medical makes targeted liver cancer therapies using resin microspheres called SIR-sphere Y-90. Sirtex said profits were $40.8 million (A$53.6 million), or 70¢ (A92.2¢) per share, on sales of […]
Senators press Mylan on EpiPen price hike
By Sarah Faulkner UPDATED August 24, 2016, with comment from Hilary Clinton. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) are pressing Mylan (NSDQ:MYL) for information on its 400% price increase for the EpiPen epinephrine auto-injector, which went from $100 in 2008 to more than $500 despite stable manufacturing costs. The pressure comes amid a nationwide […]
Amgen 2nd-quarter profit tops Street view, raises 2016 forecast
(Reuters) – Amgen (NSDQ:AMGN) on Wednesday reported higher-than-expected 2nd-quarter profit on increased sales of its blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis drug Enbrel and newer medicines, and the company again raised its full-year forecast. The forecast appeared to signal management’s confidence in the 2nd half of the year. The company is on track to meet or exceed its long-term objectives,” Chief […]
Struggling GlaxoSmithKline bets big on neural implants to fuel turnaround
GlaxoSmithKline‘s (NYSE:GSK) interest in tiny neural implants is stronger than ever, even amid declining earnings and flopped drug candidates that have turned CEO Andrew Witty into a lame duck who will step aside in 2017. Despite the turmoil, the British pharma giant is investing $50 million in so-called bioelectronics via Action Potential Ventures, aiming to fund companies […]
