Astrazeneca

AstraZeneca announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation for the investigational MEK 1/2 inhibitor, selumetinib (AZD6244, ARRY-142886) for adjuvant treatment of patients with stage III or IV differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). AstraZeneca acquired exclusive worldwide rights to selumetinib from Array BioPharma Inc. in 2003.

AstraZeneca has fulfilled the deal of the core respiratory business of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. The agreement, announced in December 2015.  Agreement includes the expansion of rights to roflumilast (marketed as Daliresp in the US and Daxas in other countries), the only approved oral PDE4 inhibitor for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. AstraZeneca marketed Daliresp in the US in the first quarter of 2015.

AstraZeneca  announced that it has handover global rights of  Imdur, outside the US, to China Medical System Holdings Ltd and its associated company, Tibet Rhodiola Pharmaceutical Holding Co. Under the agreement,

AstraZeneca announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has issued a positive opinion, recommending the approval of a new antibiotic, CAZ AVI 2g/0.5g powder.

AstraZeneca announced that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Ironwood Pharmaceuticals for the exclusive US rights to Zurampic® (lesinurad). Zurampic was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)in December 2015, in combination with a xanthine oxidase inhibitor (XOI), for the treatment of hyperuricemia associated with uncontrolled gout.

Astrazeneca announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved Bevespi Aerosphere (glycopyrrolate and formoterol fumarate) inhalation aerosol indicated for the long-term, maintenance treatment of airflow obstruction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema.

AstraZeneca and its global biologics research and development arm, MedImmune, announced an integrated genomics initiative to transform drug discovery and development across its entire research and development pipeline.

AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly and Company announced that AMARANTH, a Phase II/III study of AZD3293, an oral beta secretase cleaving enzyme (BACE) inhibitor currently in development as a potential treatment for early Alzheimer’s disease, will continue into Phase III of the Phase II/III seamless trial.

AstraZeneca and its global biologics research and development arm, MedImmune, announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has issued a positive opinion recommending the conditional approval of Pandemic Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (P/LAIV). P/LAIV is indicated for the prevention of influenza in an officially declared pandemic in children and adolescents from 12 months to less than 18 years of age.

AstraZeneca confirmed that the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) have released a treatment guideline on the duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). Brilinta (ticagrelor) is now preferred over clopidogrel for the management of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who have received a coronary stent and in non-ST Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome (NSTE-ACS) patients treated with medical therapy alone (Class IIa LoE: B-R). This update is the first time the ACC/AHA has recommended Brilinta over clopidogrel for patients who have experienced an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).