EuroPharma Today

Season's Greetings (Oh Yes, And A Gift Too!)

We wish all our readers a joyful holiday season and all the best for 2010. EuroPharma Today will resume publishing in the new year. As a small token of thanks for your support this year, we'd like to offer you a complimentary issue of IN VIVO!

NICE To Seek Candidates For New-Tech Evaluation Program In First Half Of '10

Device and diagnostics companies should start thinking about products they would like to offer for evaluation under a new program in the U.K.

The program, called the Evaluation Pathway Programme for Medical Technologies, is being developed by Britain's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) with the goal of more quickly identifying and promoting adoption of innovative new devices and diagnostics. ('The Gray Sheet' July 13, 2009).

EU Pharmaceutical Industry Starting to Incorporate More QbD-Like Elements in Applications

The pharmaceutical industry in Europe is starting to incorporate more quality-by-design elements into its marketing authorization applications and is using various elements of QbD in its development and manufacturing programs. And EU regulators are increasingly looking at whether manufacturers are incorporating QbD into their business practices.

Almirall Signs up Forest for Once-Daily LABA

Spain's mid-sized Almirall has won $75 million up front from Forest Laboratories, granting it U.S. rights to inhaled, once-daily long-acting beta agonist LAS100977, currently in Phase II trials.

The drug will be developed in combination with a corticosteroid for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), using Almirall's multi-dose dry-powder inhaler, Genuair.

A Baker's Dozen: The Top EuroPharma Today Stories Of 2009

It's end-of-the-year time again, and like a lot of publications, EuroPharma Today is taking stock of 2009 - remembering which stories were naughty, and which were nice - and planning ahead for New Year's resolutions in 2010.

EU Pharma Reorg Leaves Questions About How R&D Will Be Supported

Responsibility for setting pharmaceutical policy across the European Union shifted in late November from the European Commission's Enterprise & Industry department to its Health department.

U.K. Tightens Restrictions On Nonprescription Pain Reliever Sales

The U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency recommends retailers restrict sales of nonprescription pain relievers to two packs per transaction to reduce the risk of overdose - a strategy an FDA working group rejected.

Swedish NRT Firm Niconovum Purchased by Reynolds American

Tobacco giant Reynolds American Inc.'s has agreed to purchase Swedish nicotine replacement therapy firm Niconovum for 310 million Swedish kronor ($44 million under Dec. 2 conversion rates). 

Do We Have the Right Managers for the UK Innovation Investment Fund?

The UK government yesterday announced that Hermes Private Equity and the European Investment Fund (EIF) had been selected to manage the technology-focused UK Innovation Investment Fund (IIF).

Novo Nordisk Licenses ZymoGenetics' IP, Antibody

Denmark's Novo Nordisk is paying ZymoGenetics $24 million in up-front cash for rights to a fully-human, pre-clinical anti-IL 21 monoclonal antibody in autoimmune and inflammatory disease, and for broad intellectual property rights in a related area, Novo Nordisk announced Dec. 8.