Takeda Pharmaceutical (TYO:4502) has been on a partnership spree lately, inking at least 65 collaborations and deals in the last 18 months. Fueling those agreements is a fundamental belief that to reinvigorate the pharmaceutical industry, access to innovative science is crucial, according to Daniel Curran, SVP & head of the Japan-based company’s Center for External Innovation. The […]
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GSK’s triple-med COPD inhaler wins recommendation for approval in EU
GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) and Innoviva (NSDQ:INVA) said today that a European Medicines Agency panel recommended marketing authorization for the Trelegy Ellipta triple-combination inhaler for adults with COPD. The device uses fluticasone furoate, umeclidinium and vilanterol to help adults with COPD who are not adequately treated by a combination of an inhaled corticosteroid and a long-acting beta2-agonist. It’s also […]
Summit Biosciences wins EU nod to manufacture prescription nasal sprays
Summit Biosciences said today that it won a certificate of GMP compliance from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency on behalf of the European Medicines Agency. The decision comes after a successful inspection of the company’s manufacturing plant in Kentucky. The certificate allows Summit to produce prescription nasal spray products to be exported to […]
Livongo buys diabetes management company Diabeto
Livongo Health said yesterday that it bought digital diabetes management company, Diabeto, for an undisclosed amount. Diabeto sells a connectivity technology called Birdie that plugs into more than 40 different glucose meters, connecting them to Diabeto’s mobile apps and to Livongo’s newly-released apps. “We’ve heard from the market that, in addition to a comprehensive solution […]
Study: 30% of T2D patients don’t start insulin therapy when recommended
Research from Brigham & Women’s Hospital, supported by Sanofi (NYSE:SNY), found that 30% of people with Type II diabetes don’t begin insulin therapy when it’s first recommended to them. On average, these patients are delaying treatment by two years, the researchers reported. The team’s work was published in the journal of Diabetic Medicine. “Unfortunately this isn’t uncommon, […]
Sanofi touts patient-driven dose titration of Toujeo insulin glargine injection
Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) today touted data from the Take Control trial of its Toujeo insulin glargine product in patients with Type II diabetes. The study compared patients using Toujeo with a titration algorithm managed by the patient, compared to patients whose dose adjustment was decided by their physicians. The 631-patient trial revealed that after six months, patients […]
KemPharm tackles pediatric ADHD using ligand-activated drug
Travis Mickle’s work developing better drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is deeply personal – he has ADHD and so do his children. After receiving his PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Iowa, Mickle went on to work at New River Pharmaceuticals, where he developed the leading treatment for ADHD, Vyvanse. Now he […]
Ocular continues personnel shakeup with new CMO | Personnel Moves – Sept. 13, 2017
After Ocular Therapeutix‘s (NSDQ:OCUL) founder & CEO, Amar Swahney, stepped down earlier this year, pharma executive Antony Mattessich stepped in to assume the corner office. He signaled some major changes to the company’s business strategy in a call with analysts last month, including an attempt to ‘aggressively seek new partnerships’ and ‘enhance [the company’s] credibility’. As […]
Oral drug delivery startup raises $39m for robotic pill
San Jose, Calif.-based Rani Therapeutics has some seriously big-name backers: Alphabet (NSDQ:GOOGL), Novartis (NYSE:NVS) and AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) have all invested in the startup. This month, the company raised $38.7 million as part of a $126.5 million offering of equity and options or warrants, according to an SEC filing. So far, 12 investors have contributed to the offering. Rani […]
Adherium launches next-gen monitor for AstraZeneca’s Turbuhaler
Adherium Ltd. (ASK:ADR) said today that it launched a next-gen version of its SmartTurbo adherence monitor for AstraZeneca‘s (NYSE:AZN) Turbuhaler. The company’s monitor features usability improvements to make the device’s installation and removal easier for older patients with COPD. It also includes larger buttons to help patients access features like audio and visual reminders, battery monitoring […]