Pharma News

Fecal matter transplants are more successful in treating Clostridium difficile infections than previously thought, new research has found. The research shows that healthy changes to a patient's microbiome are sustained for up to 21 weeks after transplant, and has implications for the regulation of the treatment.

An important bacterial protein called UmuD may help prevent antibiotic resistance, scientists say. Penny Beuning from Northeastern University's college of science and colleagues are studying UmuD that regulates mutagenesis and may provide important clues about how to sto the process that eventually results in antimicrobial resistance.

Multitasking may hamper your performance and even damage your brain, new research has claimed. A study conducted at Stanford University found that people who are regularly bombarded with several streams of electronic information cannot pay attention, recall, or switch from one job to another as well as those who complete one task at a time.

Deerfield, Ill., U.S., April 28, and Osaka, Japan, April 29, 2015 – Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc., today announced that they have reached an agreement expected to resolve the vast majority of ACTOS (pioglitazone HCl) product liability lawsuits pending against Takeda in the U.S. Takeda will take a $2.7 billion charge against earnings in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2014 to cover the settlement and the costs associated with defending remaining cases and for other related litigation. The settlement will become effective if 95 percent of current litigants and claimants opt into the settlement. Once that threshold is achieved, Takeda will pay $2.37 billion into a settlement fund. However, that figure will rise to $2.4 billion if 97 percent or more of the current litigants and claimants opt to participate in the settlement.

European Commission has granted marketing authorization in Europe for Toujeo® (insulin glargine [rDNA origin] injection, 300 U/mL), a next-generation basal insulin for the treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults.

(Business Wire India); Biocon Ltd, Asia's premier biopharmaceuticals company, today announced that its Contract Research subsidiary Syngene International Ltd (“Syngene”) has filed the Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on April 22, 2015, seeking approval for an Initial Public Offering (IPO). This is an offer for sale (OFS) by Biocon of a part of its shareholding in Syngene. Biocon along with its subsidiary Biocon Research Limited (BRL) currently holds an 84.5% equity stake in Syngene.

Novo Nordisk, a world leader in insulin and diabetes care,  has launched Saxenda (liraglutide 3 mg), the first glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist the United States.  Saxenda is a drug used to treat obesity.  Saxenda has approved in the US, EU and Canada.

Bioplastics made from protein sources such as egg albumin and whey may have significant antibacterial properties, scientists, including those of Indian-origin, have found. The findings could eventually lead to their application in plastics used in medical applications such as wound healing dressings, sutures, catheter tubes and drug delivery. The bioplastic materials could also be used for food packaging, researchers said.

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Mylan Pharmaceuticals Private Limited, a subsidiary of Mylan N.V.,  has launched generic sofosbuvir 400 mg tablets under the brand name MyHep in India. The product is used for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C,which is a long-lasting infection with the hepatitis C virus. Chronic hepatitis C is a blood-borne infectious disease that affects more than 100 million people in the developing world, including approximately 12 million people in India.