Pharma News

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and Pfizer Inc. announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization for BAVENCIO® (avelumab) as a monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (mMCC), a rare and aggressive skin cancer. BAVENCIO will have marketing authorization in the 28 countries of the European Union (EU) in addition to Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland. BAVENCIO is expected to become commercially available to patients in Europe by prescription within the coming months, with initial launches in Germany and UK expected as early as October 2017.

Pfizer filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Johnson & Johnson (J&J).

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Sun Pharma and includes its subsidiaries or associate companies) announced that one of its wholly owned subsidiaries has received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a new label for Odomzo® (sonidegib), an oral hedgehog inhibitor indicated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced basal cell carcinoma (laBCC) that has recurred following surgery or radiation therapy, or those who are not candidates for surgery or radiation therapy.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA (Glenmark) has been granted final approval by the United States Food & Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) for Nitroglycerin Sublingual Tablets USP, 0.3 mg, 0.4 mg, and 0.6 mg, the generic version of Nitrostat® Sublingual Tablets, 0.3 mg, 0.4 mg, and 0.6 mg, of Pfizer, Inc.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA (Glenmark) has been granted final approval by the United States Food & Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) for Desonide Ointment, 0.05%, the generic version of Desonide Ointment, 0.05%, of Perrigo New York Inc.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Mvasi (bevacizumab-awwb) as a biosimilar to Avastin (bevacizumab) for the treatment of multiple types of cancer. Mvasi is the first biosimilar approved in the U.S. for the treatment of cancer.

Cadila Healthcare Limited an innovation-driven global healthcare company has entered into an exclusive agreement for the technology know-how for varicella vaccine production in the Russian Federation with Pharm Aid Ltd., headquartered in Russia. The exclusive agreement was signed at the BIOTECHMED conference in Gelendzhik, Russia. Pharm Aid Ltd, has been set up by Nacimbio together with Ishvan Pharmaceuticals Ltd., for the localization of innovative vaccine production in Russia.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to Aliqopa (copanlisib) for the treatment of adults with relapsed follicular lymphoma who have received at least two prior treatments known as systemic therapies.

Scientists at the University of Southampton have made a significant discovery in efforts to develop a vaccine against Zika, dengue and Hepatitis C viruses that affect millions of people around the world.

Artemisinin-ALA co-treatment could kill cancer cells and suppress tumour growth with fewer side effects

Artemisinin, a potent anti-malarial drug, has been widely hailed as a promising alternative cancer treatment. Scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) recently showed that its anti-cancer properties could be enhanced by 10 folds when used in combination with Aminolaevulinic acid (ALA), a photosensitiser or a drug which, upon exposure to light, leads to generation of free radicals that can kill cells.