Industry News

Lupin Limited announced the launch of Sevelamer Hydrochloride Tablets, 800 mg, having received an approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The product will be manufactured at Lupin's facility in Nagpur, India.

Sevelamer Hydrochloride Tablets, 800 mg is a generic equivalent of Renagel® Tablets, 800 mg of Genzyme Corporation.

Medicago, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Quebec City, and GlaxoSmithKline announced that Health Canada has granted approval for COVIFENZ, COVID-19 vaccine, (plant-based virus-like particles [VLP], recombinant, adjuvanted). This vaccine is indicated for active immunization to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) in individuals 18 to 64 years of age.

Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced in a European worksharing procedure (WSP) an extension to the label for metformin products in the EU - Glucophage (metformin hydrochloride [HCL] immediate release), Glucophage XR (metformin HCL extended release) and Stagid® (metformin embonate immediate release) - for use throughout pregnancy.

CTI BioPharma Corp announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved VONJO (pacritinib) for the treatment of adults with intermediate or high-risk primary or secondary (post-polycythemia vera or post-essential thrombocythemia) myelofibrosis with a platelet count below 50 × 10⁹/L. VONJO is a novel oral kinase inhibitor with specificity for JAK2 and IRAK1, without inhibiting JAK. The recommended dosage of VONJO is 200 mg orally twice daily.

The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved CARVYKTI™ (ciltacabtagene autoleucel; cilta-cel) for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) after four or more prior lines of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory agent, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody.

Bharat Biotech is in the process of bringing out a vaccine against tuberculosis and soon the firm will sign a MoU with another firm for technology.

"Our honourable Prime Minister has got an agenda of 2025 for the eradication of tuberculosis. I think we are in that direction. But we don't have the technology so we are partnering with somebody else. On that matter we should be announcing soon," Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director said in BioAsia 2022.

Kolkata-based TABLT Pharmacy has raised USD 1.5 million in pre-series A round from investors like JITO Angel Network, Tech Innovation, Lets Venture, Seeders Syndicate, Angel Bay and other angel investors. Also, the founders have themselves participated in this round.

Tablt online pharmacy is launched in 2018 and it is dealing in medicines, OTCs and other healthcare products.

Biocon Biologics Ltd., a subsidiary of Biocon Ltd announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement with its partner Viatris Inc.  . Accordingly, Biocon Biologics Ltd will acquire Viatris’ biosimilars business to create a unique fully integrated global biosimilars enterprise. Viatris will receive consideration of up to USD 3.335 billion, including cash up to USD 2.335 billion and Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares  in BBL, valued at USD 1 billion.

A large number of Indian made medicinal products illegally imported in Switzerland were seized by Swissmedic and the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security. These contained COVID-19 medicines like ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine or antibiotics and erectile stimulants from India.

Swiss government agency along with customs had secured 9,421 packages containing illegally imported medicinal products during 2021. This is a significant increase on the previous year, when there were 6,733 such packages.