| Seattle Genetics Leads the Way in Next Generation Antibody Technologies Jason Chew submits: Monoclonal Antibodies have revolutionized medicine. Since 1986, more than 20 Antibody drugs have been approved, with sales of $26 Billion in 2007 alone and expected to nearly double to $49 Billion in 2013. Sales are highly concentrated, with the top five drugs - Avastin, Rituxin Herceptin, Humira, and Remicade accounting for 78% of 2007 sales. It is rather amazing that Avastin and Herceptin has maintained such strong sales in the face of a deluge of cheaper small molecule competitors for their respective targets: VEGF and HER2.Rituxin and Herceptin look to have patents expire in 2015 and will be vulnerable to generic biosimilars - Teva (TEVA) is currently running clinical trials on a Rituxin biosimilar and is already selling one in India. To that end, Roche has looked to new technologies to extend the life of its multi-billion dollar Anti-CD20 and Anti-HER2 franchises.Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |
Targacept: Ready to Take Off Jason Chew submits: Targacept (TRGT) is a company focused on CNS diseases and disorders, targeting Neuronal Nicotinic Receptors (NNRs). As a company spun off from R.J Reynolds and still located in Winston-Salem, it knows a thing or two about this subject.NNRs are ion channels that open in response to the binding of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine allowing the flow of sodium and potassium ions across the cell membrane. NNRs have effects on learning, memory, reward, and other functions. Neuronal Nicotinic Receptors are called such because they are bound and activated by nicotine as well as acetylcholine. Two of most abundant NNR subtypes are α4β2 and α7. These two subtypes are thought to be involved in a host of disorders ranging from Alzheimer’s Disease, nicotine addiction, schizophrenia, and Parkinson’s Disease, among others. Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |
Medco to Buy Drug Researcher Pharmacy company Medco Health said it will buy closely held drug and device researcher United BioSource for about $730 million. online.wsj.com |
Sysmex America Announces LabCorp Hematology Automation Agreement [PR Newswire] - Sysmex America, Inc. , a leading medical diagnostic instrument manufacturer and information systems developer, today announced that Laboratory Corporation of America® Holdings has signed a five-year agreement for Sysmex America, Inc. to provide fully automated hematology systems for LabCorp's primary testing laboratories.  Implementation of the systems has been completed.  us.rd.yahoo.com |
Arena Investors Still Look for Silver Lining Pharmalot submits: The intense bickering leading up to the FDA decision to reject - for now - Arena Pharmaceuticals' (ARNA) Lorqess diet pill has some angry investors looking for the proverbial silver lining. For instance, in discussing the complete response letter issued by the agency late last week, investors have noted on blogs and message boards that the drugmaker will soon report preliminary data from a clinical trial in obese diabetics and that an independent third-party will be retained to review tumor data in rats.For weeks, some investors have been railing that the FDA conducted a biased, or at least flawed review, after agency staffers released a report prior to an advisory committee meeting last month that focused on tumors in rats. To press their point, an online petition was begun. Since then, the FDA has confessed that having a toxicologist on the panel would have been helpful, but continues to believe the Arena pill has “marginal efficacy” (back story).Complete Story » seekingalpha.com |