Pharma News

Novartis announced the signing of an exclusive option, collaboration and license agreement with Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the development of novel medicines to treat liver disease. This agreement will enable Novartis and Conatus to jointly develop emricasan. Emricasan is an investigational, first-in-class, oral, pan-caspase inhibitor for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with advanced fibrosis (scarring) and cirrhosis. This collaboration has the potential to expand treatment options for people in various stages of fatty liver disease, where no approved medicines currently exist.

Novartis has entered into a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Encore Vision, Inc., a privately-held company in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, focused on the development of a novel treatment in presbyopia. This acquisition would add a first-in-class disease modifying topical treatment for presbyopia to the Novartis ophthalmology pipeline, providing a potentially disruptive innovation to patients in a new therapeutic area of high unmet need and high prevalence. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval. The financial details of this transaction are not disclosed.

Vernalis plc and Tris Pharma, Inc. are pleased to announce that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") has accepted the CCP-08 New Drug Application ("NDA") for full review. This triggers a milestone payment from Vernalis to Tris. The FDA has set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act ("PDUFA") target date for conclusion of its review of 4 August 2017.

Cipla Ltd, a global pharmaceutical company which uses cutting edge technology and innovation to meet the everyday needs of all patients, has received final approval for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Fenofibrate Tablets USP 48mg and 145mg, from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd and includes its subsidiaries or associate companies today announced its plans to acquire a branded oncology product, Odomzo, from Novartis. The agreement has been signed between subsidiaries of both the companies and will close following anti-trust clearance and further closing conditions. The agreement has been signed for an upfront payment of US$ 175 million and additional milestone payments.

Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. Announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to TNX-102 SL* for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Pain Therapeutics, Inc. announced it plans to meet with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in person on Monday, February 13, 2017 to discuss the regulatory path forward for REMOXY ER.  The Company will provide details of this FDA meeting after receipt of final meeting minutes.

Novelion Therapeutics  announced that subsidiary Aegerion Pharmaceuticals completed the first commercial shipment of JUXTAPID® (lomitapide) to a patient in Japan. In September 2016, JUXTAPID was approved by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor & Welfare (MHLW) for patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH).

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced that Keytruda (pembrolizumab), the company’s anti-PD-1 therapy, has been approved in Japan for the treatment of certain patients with PD-L1-positive unresectable advanced/recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the first- and second-line treatment settings at a fixed dose of 200 mg every three weeks. MSD will manufacture and market Keytruda in Japan and will promote it with Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

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Government is aware of the sale and advertisement of Ayurvedic medicines through TV channels which are required to adhere to the Advertising Code prescribed under the Cable TV Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and Rules framed thereunder. Presently, there are no regulatory provisions for pre-censorship on advertisements. Action is taken whenever violation of Advertisement Code is brought to the notice of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting or the advertisement is found to be in contravention of the provisions of Drugs & Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 and Rules thereunder.