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First French case of COVID-19 occurred in December, a month earlier than previously thought

A French patient who suffered from pneumonia in December actually had COVID-19, it has been revealed.




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Portola Pharmaceuticals to merge with Alexion in $1.41bn cash deal

Alexion has announced it is to acquire Boston-based blood disorder specialist Portola Pharmaceuticals in a transaction to the value of $1.41 billion in cash.




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AZ's Farxiga becomes first FDA-approved SGLT2 inhibitor for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction

The FDA has moved to approve an oral tablet formulation of AstraZeneca’s Farxiga (dapagliflozin) to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalisation in adult patients with New York Heart Association’s functional class II-IV heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.




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South Korea says Ebola drug remdesivir may not be suitable for all coronavirus patients

South Korea says that remdesivir, traditionally used in treating Ebola, may not be effective enough in treating COVID-19 patients.




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UK becomes first European country to pass 30,000 deaths from COVID-19

Britain has become the first European nation to pass 30,000 deaths from the coronavirus, putting it only behind the US as the worst hit country in the world in terms of fatalities.




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NICE gives thumbs-up to Roche's Kadcyla in HER2+ breast cancer sub-population

NICE has revealed that it has recommended the NHS use of Roche’s Kadcyla (trastuzumab emtansine) for HER2+ breast cancer in patients who have residual invasive disease in the breast or lymph nodes after receiving neoadjuvant treatment including a HER2-targeted agent.




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Imperial College London to lead major coronavirus home testing programme

Aims to track the progress of the infection across the UK




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AstraZeneca partners with Oxford University on UK’s lead coronavirus vaccine

AZ has pledged to make the vaccine at cost for the duration of the pandemic




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EMA starts rolling review of Gilead’s COVID-19 hope remdesivir

New crop of data suggests drug can speed recovery from COVID-19




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US clears emergency use of Gilead’s remdesivir

Move comes after drug showed preliminary efficacy in clinical trial in late April




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Novartis’ asthma triple heads CHMP’s latest meeting

Eight new medicines recommended for approval




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World leaders donate to COVID-19 vaccine funding drive

Experts says $20bn needed to vaccinate global population




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FTC clears AbbVie’s $63bn Allergan takeover

US regulator satisfied that antitrust concerns are remediated




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Regeneron says antibody for COVID-19 could be ready this year

Two antibody cocktails for COVID-19 could be available as early as this autumn




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Endo, Allergan Nearing Deals to Limit Ohio Litigation Over Opioids - Report

Click to view a price quote on AGN.




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Elanco to Buy Bayer's Animal Health Business for $7.6 Billion

Click to view a price quote on ELAN.




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Lannett to Be U.S. Distributor of Posaconazole Delayed-Release Tablets

Click to view a price quote on LCI.




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Rick Simpson Oil (RSO): Benefits, Effects and Research

Click to view a price quote on TLRY.




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AstraZeneca and Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute initiate Phase III DARE-19 trial with Farxiga in COVID-19 patients

AstraZeneca and Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute have initiated a randomised, global Phase III trial to assess the potential of Farxiga (dapagliflozin) as a treatment in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 who are at risk of developing serious complications, such as organ failure.




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Researchers identify four possible treatments for COVID-19

While COVID-19 has infected millions of people worldwide and killed hundreds of thousands, there is currently no vaccine. In response, researchers have been evaluating the effectiveness of various antiviral drugs as possible COVID-19 treatments.




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Study reveals most critically ill patients with COVID-19 survive with standard treatment

Clinicians from two hospitals in Boston report that the majority of even the sickest patients with COVID-19 - those who require ventilators in intensive care units - get better when they receive existing guideline-supported treatment for respiratory failure. The clinicians, who are from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, published their findings in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.




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Vitamin D linked to low virus death rate

A new study has found an association between low average levels of vitamin D and high numbers of COVID-19 cases and mortality rates across 20 European countries.

The research, led by Dr Lee Smith of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and Mr Petre Cristian Ilie, lead urologist of Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust, is published in the journal Aging Clinical and Experimental Research.




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US-Swiss partnership takes aim at rare heart condition

A new collaboration targeting rare heart diseases has been formed between California’s BioMarin Pharmaceutical…



  • BioMarin Pharmaceutical/Biotechnology/Cardio-vascular/Deals/DiNA-001/DiNAQOR/Licensing/Rare diseases/Research/Switzerland/USA

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European progress in long path for Lokelma

The European medicines regulator has OK’d a label update for AstraZeneca’s Lokelma (sodium zirconium…



  • AstraZeneca/Biotechnology/Cardio-vascular/Drug Trial/Europe/European Medicines Agency/Focus On/Lokelma/Regulation/Research/UK

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COVID-19 leading to shortage of orphan drugs in Russia

The ongoing spread of COVID-19 in Russia is leading to shortages of drugs against orphan diseases in…



  • Anti-virals/Coronavirus/Focus On/From our correspondent/Hydroxychloroquine/In Depth/Pharmaceutical/Public health/Rare diseases/Russia/Russian market

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Firms ready RNAi candidate for COVID-19 development

A collaboration in COVID-19 between immunology specialist Vir Biotechnology and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals…



  • Alnylam Pharmaceuticals/Anti-virals/Biotechnology/Cell and Gene Therapy/Coronavirus/Focus On/Public health/Research/USA/Vir Biotechnology/VIR-2703

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US FTC clears AbbVie’s buy of Allergan, but with divestments

Almost a year after the original announcement, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has accepted the…



  • AbbVie/Allergan/Companies
  • mergers and acquisitions/Endocrinology/Federal Trade Commission/Ireland/Legal/Management/Pancrelipase/Pharmaceutical/USA/Viokace/Zenpep

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Gilead plans to meet rising tide of remdesivir demand

California’s Gilead Sciences has outlined a plan to ramp up production of newly USA-approved COVID-19…



  • Anti-virals/Coronavirus/Focus On/Gilead Sciences/Pharmaceutical/Production/Public health/Remdesivir/USA

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FDA approval for Farxiga in new indication in heart failure patients

Farxiga (dapagliflozin) has been approved in the US to reduce the risk of cardiovascular (CV) death and…



  • AstraZeneca/Cardio-vascular/Diabetes/Farxiga/Focus On/Glucosides/Pharmaceutical/Regulation/SGLT2 inhibitors/UK/US FDA/USA

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Alexion exceeds earnings estimates but drops guidance

US drugmaker Alexion Pharmaceuticals fared better in its revenue and adjusted earnings figures in the…



  • Alexion Pharmaceuticals/Autoimmune Disorders/Biotechnology/Financial/Immunologicals/Management/Rare diseases/Soliris/Strensiq/Ultomiris/USA

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Bausch Health and partners settle Xifaxan IP litigation

Canada-based Bausch Health Companies, along with its wholly-owned subsidiary, Salix Pharmaceuticals and…



  • Alfasigma/Bausch Health Companies Inc./Canada/Deals/Legal/Licensing/Nephrology and Hepatology/Patents & Trademarks/Pharmaceutical/Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd/Sandoz/Switzerland/USA/Xifaxan

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Assessing the long-term impact of COVID-19 on clinical research

The fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for many life sciences companies due to a…



  • Anti-virals/Cell and Gene Therapy/Coronavirus/CRA/Feature/Focus On/Global/In Depth/Pharmaceutical/Regulation/Research/Vaccines

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Teva soars as 1st-qtr beats expectations

Israel-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries today reported results for the quarter ended March 31, 2020,…



  • Ajovy/Analgesia/Austedo/Copaxone/Financial/Generics/Israel/Musculoskeletal/Rare diseases/Teva Pharmaceutical Industries/Treanda

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BetterLife Pharma inks licensing deal for AntiCovir

Canada-based BetterLife Pharma, previously known as Pivot Pharmaceuticals, has entered into an agreement…



  • Altum Pharmaceuticals/Anti-virals/AntiCovir/BetterLife Pharma/Biotechnology/Canada/Coronavirus/Deals/Focus On/Licensing/Research

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Recordati 1st-qtr revenues rise 12% as income leaps more than 20%

Italian drugmaker Recordati has reported consolidated revenues for the first quarter of 2020 are 429.2…



  • Financial/Italy/Pharmaceutical/Recordati/Signifor

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jCyte out-licenses rare vision disorder treatment for $252 million

US biotech firm jCyte Inc has entered into a licensing agreement with Japanese ophthalmology specialist…



  • Biotechnology/Deals/Japan/jCell/jCyte Inc/Licensing/Ophthalmics/Rare diseases/Santen/USA/Vision disorder

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Gilead in talks to expand COVID-19 hopeful remdesivir supply chains with outside partner

Gilead Sciences scored a massive win earlier this week with its first positive data readout for investigational candidate remdesivir in treating patients with severe COVID-19. Gilead already has its own supply of the drug humming in anticipation of high demand, but opportunities are out there for a partner to join in. 




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AbbVie CEO: Don't worry, Allergan's aesthetics clients still have money—and 'strong desire' for treatment

AbbVie may be working through COVID-19, but it's pressing ahead with its Allergan merger, too—and taking stock of products hit by pandemic lockdowns. That puts Allergan’s aesthetics business top of mind, but AbbVie CEO Rick Gonzalez figures customers are ready and able to return quickly for treatment.




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Gilead's remdesivir scores emergency FDA nod in COVID-19 days after big data reveal

Days after U.S. officials reported the first positive controlled data for Gilead's remdesivir in COVID-19, the FDA has given the drug an emergency use authorization.




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Novartis taps real-life Cosentyx patients to thank healthcare workers, pledge patient support

Novartis is using familiar faces—real patients from its Cosentyx TV commercials—to thank healthcare workers and promise support for patients. It’s a shift away from product-centered TV ads as Novartis adjusts its Cosentyx DTC effort during the COVID-19 crisis to highlight resources for patients, the drugmaker said.




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Fair price for Gilead's COVID-19 med remdesivir? $4,460, cost watchdog says

While Gilead has yet to present a marketing plan for remdesivir—much less a price—ICER figures the COVID-19 drug could be cost-effective at up to $4,460 per patient. That means it could easily rake in blockbuster sales this year, at least theoretically.




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Remdesivir, check. Now, analysts are looking ahead to 'several' COVID-19 drugs to come

Gilead made waves on Friday with its emergency FDA approval for remdesivir quickly on the heels of a controlled trial data release. But while it’s an important first step, other COVID-19 medicines will likely be coming down the line, analysts wrote.




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Seattle Genetics, Astellas' bladder cancer med Padcev blows early expectations out of the water

Even a pandemic can’t slow down Seattle Genetics and Astellas' new bladder cancer treatment Padcev, which "blew out sales expectations" for the first quarter, analysts said. And now, they're jacking up their long-term sales estimates for the drug as a result.




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AstraZeneca's Farxiga scores landmark FDA nod in heart failure patients with or without diabetes

AstraZeneca has watched superstar SGLT2 diabetes med Farxiga nail trial after trial in highly coveted kidney and heart failure indications, with the FDA expediting reviews to back them up. The one thing AstraZeneca was missing? The agency taking Farxiga across the finish line. 




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Can the price be right? With the world watching, Gilead faces a no-win decision on remdesivir

The world is waiting for Gilead Sciences to set a price tag for remdesivir, the first brand-new med authorized to treat COVID-19. Its choice will affect Gilead's reputation and bottom line, set a tone for follow-up meds—and either help polish up the pharma industry's image or create a new flashpoint for criticism.




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Biogen gears up Swiss manufacturing facility for potential aducanumab rollout

Biogen has had a rocky road with its controversial Alzheimer's disease candidate aducanumab, resurrected late last year. But despite postponing the drug's FDA filing half a year, Biogen is still moving forward with plans to scale up production if aducanumab eventually passes muster.




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GBT chief blames COVID-19 for 'clear' slowdown in Oxbryta launch, but analysts are still impressed

Global Blood Therapeutics' sickle cell disease medicine Oxbryta got off to a hot start after a November FDA approval. But early in its launch, execs now say they're seeing a "clear headwind" from the COVID-19 pandemic. Lately, new patient starts have tanked by 60%, CEO Ted Love said.




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FiercePharmaAsia—Gilead's Japanese remdesivir nod, licensing talks; Lilly-Junshi COVID-19 antibody pact

Gilead Sciences' remdesivir, now called Veklury, has won a fast Japanese nod in SARS-CoV-2. The Big Biotech's scouting licensing partners to ramp up supply around the world. Eli Lilly has signed on China's Junshi Biosciences to develop neutralizing antibodies against the novel coronavirus. And more.




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Early missteps, transparency questions dog U.S. government's remdesivir rollout: reports

When Gilead Sciences scored a groundbreaking FDA emergency use authorization for COVID-19 therapy remdesivir, the company made the unusual move of handing distribution rights to the U.S. government. But the federal rollout has gotten off to a rocky start. 




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Roche's Kadcyla wins NICE backing in early breast cancer use

Unlike its first U.K. reimbursement negotiations, Roche’s HER2 antibody-drug conjugate has won quick National Institute for Health and Care Excellence backing for routine NHS coverage to prevent HER2-positive breast cancer from returning after surgery in the so-called adjuvant setting.