Industry News

Amazon pharmacy is expanding its working outside US and potentially in India, Canada, U.K. and Australia. Recently, Amazon has filed to trademark “Amazon Pharmacy” in Canada, the U.K. and Australia, signaling a potential move into selling prescription drugs outside of the U.S. reported by CNBC.

Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited (hereafter, Daiichi Sankyo) announced that ENHERTU® (fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki), a HER2 directed antibody drug conjugate, is now available by prescription in the U.S.

MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced an exclusive worldwide research collaboration and license agreement with Taiho Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd., (“Taiho”) and Astex Pharmaceuticals (UK), a wholly owned subsidiary of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (“Astex”), focused on the development of small molecule inhibitors against several drug targets, including the KRAS oncogene, which are currently being investigated for the treatment of cancer.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA (Glenmark) has been granted final approval by the United States Food & Drug Administration (U.S.FDA) for Deferasirox Tablets for Oral Suspension, 125 mg, 250 mg and 500 mg, the generic version of Exjade®1 Tablets for Oral Suspension, 125 mg, 250 mg and 500 mg, of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.

The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced the completion of the acquisition of all rights to the investigational compound bermekimab, which has multiple dermatological indications, along with certain employees, from XBiotech Inc., for $750 million. Should Janssen pursue bermekimab indications outside of dermatology, XBiotech may be eligible to receive additional payments upon the receipt of certain commercialization authorizations. Janssen Research & Development, LLC will develop bermekimab. The agreement was executed through Janssen Biotech, Inc. The transaction will be accounted for as a business combination.

University of Houston associate professor of pharmacology Bradley McConnell is helping usher in a new age of cardiac pacemakers by using stem cells found in fat, converting them to heart cells, and reprogramming those to act as biologic pacemaker cells. He is reporting his work in the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology. The new biologic pacemaker-like cell will be useful as an alternative treatment for conduction system disorders, cardiac repair after a heart attack and to bridge the limitations of the electronic pacemaker.

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group  announced the Phase III IMspire150 study, in people with previously untreated BRAF V600 mutation-positive advanced melanoma, met its primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS). The study showed adding Tecentriq® (atezolizumab) to Cotellic ® (cobimetinib) and Zelboraf® (vemurafenib) helped to reduce the risk of disease worsening or death, compared to placebo plus Cotellic and Zelboraf.

Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Ltd. (SPARC) announced that Abraxis Bioscience LLC. has dismissed the patent infringement complaint filed against SPARC regarding SPARC's New Drug Application for PICS (Paclitaxel Injection Concentrate for Suspension).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned Liveyon Labs Inc. (Liveyon Labs) and Liveyon LLC, of Yorba Linda, California, and their presidents and chief executive officers, Roya Panah and John W. Kosolcharoen, for processing and distributing unapproved products derived from umbilical cord blood. They have also been warned regarding significant deviations from current good tissue practice (CGTP) and current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) requirements, including deficient donor eligibility practices, inadequate aseptic practices to prevent contamination and deficient environmental monitoring. These deviations create potential significant safety concerns that put patients at risk. The companies’ unapproved products derived from umbilical cord blood are PURE and PURE PRO.