Featured Story Wednesday, February 15, 2017 A couple of analysts recently addressed Bristol-Myers as a takeover target for some rival pharma giant. Now, street rumors say Roche, Novartis, Pfizer and others are actively looking at a deal. And billions of dollars of repatriated cash could soon land on U.S. pharma's doorstep to fuel big deals. But a megamerger? That's the question.
Top Stories Of The Week Wednesday, February 15, 2017 Merck has halted a phase 2/3 Alzheimer’s disease trial after an interim analysis found it was destined to fail. The failure of the BACE inhibitor to move the needle in the trial of 2,000 patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s dented Merck’s stock price after hours and dealt another blow to the amyloid hypothesis. Monday, February 13, 2017 A fresh pharma pricing controversy has led to congressional scrutiny for Marathon Pharma on its Emflaza, a decades-old med that only recently won FDA approval to treat the rare Duchenne muscular dystrophy. And it appears the launch didn’t last long, as Marathon told those present at a conference Monday it would “pause” the rollout, according to reports. Tuesday, February 14, 2017 Gilead has posted upbeat phase 2 data on its next-generation integrase inhibitor bictegravir in HIV patients. The drug more than held its own against GlaxoSmithKline’s dolutegravir, setting the stage for a larger-scale comparison in phase 3 and potential scrap for a multibillion-dollar market. Monday, February 13, 2017 PTEN is often called an “anticancer” protein, because it prevents tumor cells from growing out of control. Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have discovered that another protein protects PTEN, and that a deficiency in this protective mechanism could be the driving force behind some cases of prostate cancer, lung cancer and other tumor types. Friday, February 10, 2017 After nearly 10 years at the CEO post for GlaxoSmithKline, Andrew Witty is handing over the reins to a company that has been reshaped with a vaccines focus. And during Witty’s final full year at the drugmaker, that business segment outgrew each of GSK’s other units. Wednesday, February 15, 2017 Integra LifeSciences has made a binding offer to acquire Johnson & Johnson’s Codman Neurosurgery business for about $1.05 billion in cash. Wednesday, February 15, 2017 AMAG Pharmaceuticals has big ambitions for its women’s health business, so it’s snapped up the rights to a new med, Intrarosa, to beef up that portfolio. And it’s bringing on 150 new reps to detail the med. Wednesday, February 15, 2017 After announcing a never-before-seen deal last fall that saw contract research organization PRA Health integrate itself into Takeda’s research business, the original pact has been expanded as the CRO will now also work with the Big Pharma in its native Japan under a joint venture deal. Monday, February 13, 2017 Eli Lilly is rethinking plans to add a manufacturing line to a plant in Ireland. The announcement comes on the heels of President Trump’s recent call on drugmakers to invest in the U.S., leading some in the government to warn that Ireland needs to take steps to prevent other pharma companies from doing the same. | 