Will a fresh look at pain overcome drug barriers?

2010-03-19T08:30:26Z

<div><p>LONDON (Reuters) - Barriers to understanding pain are starting to fall and scientists and drug firms say a fresh approach is producing potential new drugs to hit where it hurts.</p><p>Millions of people across the world suffer chronic pain -- such as nerve, joint or muscle pain that lasts weeks, months or years -- and many fail to get adequate relief, partly because doctors have a relatively scant g...

Pfizer drug filings on track despite setbacks

2010-03-18T09:45:40Z

<div><p>LONDON (Reuters) - It's been a bad month for Pfizer's <PFE.N> research labs but its head of R&D says the world's biggest drugmaker is on track to hit earlier targets for new drug filings despite the setbacks.</p><p>"We have had some disappointments, there is no getting away from it," FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Israel's Teva <TEVA.TA> has won the battle for German generic drugmaker Ratiopharm, paying an enterprise value of 3.625 billion euros to fix the industry leader's weakness in the world's second-largest generics market.<...

Three-way Ratiopharm auction comes to head: sources

2010-03-17T06:45:08Z

<div><p>FRANKFURT/COLOGNE (Reuters) - The tussle over German generic drugs maker Ratiopharm is drawing to a close as the three remaining contenders square off in the final round of bidding, sources close to the deal told Reuters on Wednesday.</p><p>

Pfizer says Sutent fails in breast cancer studies

2010-03-11T15:32:37Z

<div id="subtitle">Pfizer says Sutent fails to meet key goals in 2 late-stage breast cancer studies</div><div><p>Pfizer Inc. said Thursday the cancer drug Sutent did not meet key goals in two late-stage studies focusing on advanced breast cancer.</p><p>The drug is already sold as a treatment for advanced kidney cancer and gastrointestinal stromal cancer, which aff...

Merck, Sanofi combining animal medicine businesses

2010-03-09T13:30:10Z

<div id="subtitle">Merck, Frontline maker Sanofi-Aventis uniting animal medicine businesses into world's largest</div><div><p>Two of the world's biggest pharmaceutical companies said Tuesday they are uniting their animal health businesses in a deal to become the top dog in the veterinary industry.</p><p>Merck & Co. and France's Sanofi-Aventis S...

Court to rule in military funeral protest case

2010-03-08T13:00:36Z

<div><p>The Supreme Court is entering an emotionally charged dispute between the grieving father of a Marine who died in Iraq and the anti-gay protesters who picket military funerals with inflammatory messages like "Thank God for dead soldiers."</p><p>The court agreed Monday to consider whether the protesters' message, no matter how provocative or upsetting, is prot...

Court to decide if vaccine makers can be sued

2010-03-08T08:30:15Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Supreme Court said on Monday that it would decide whether a federal law protects vaccine manufacturers from lawsuits in state court seeking damages for alleged design defects.</p><p>The high court agreed to hear a Pennsylvania case involving a lawsuit by the parents of a child who suffered seizures after her third dos...

Pfizer CEO got $13.7 million in 2009 compensation

2010-03-05T14:46:43Z

<div id="subtitle">Pfizer CEO Kindler got 2009 compensation worth $13.7 million, down 8%, due to weak economy</div><div><p>The chief executive of drug giant Pfizer Inc., Jeffrey Kindler, received a 2009 compensation package valued by The Associated Press at $13.7 million, down 7.6 percen...

Stocks end mixed as Fed points to slow recovery

2010-03-03T15:15:15Z

<div><p>Early gains in stocks unraveled Wednesday after the Federal Reserve signaled that the economic recovery will be slow.</p><p>Stocks ended mixed after the Fed's announcement that economic activity has improved in nine of its 12 districts but that the gains are "modest."</p><p>The report dampened enthusiasm that followed an upbeat report on services industries and more takeover news. ...

Intra-day action (NOVL,ETH, MDVN, PFE)

2010-03-03T20:00:12Z

US indexes are up about a third of a percent, possibly driven by a better than expected ISM report on the service sector. The Institute for Supply Management's services gauge reading of 53 was higher than the expected reading of 50.5.

Medivation tumbles on Dimebon trial failure

2010-03-03T09:45:20Z

<div id="subtitle">Medivation loses about two-thirds of value on negative study results for Alzheimer's drug</div><div><p>Shares of Medivation Inc. plunged Wednesday after the failure of Dimebon, an Alzheimer's drug the company is developing with Pfizer Inc.</p><p>Medivation stock lost about two-third...

Pfizer to outline Ratiopharm offer this week

2010-03-02T17:15:26Z

<div><p>NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc <PFE.N> is set to present a nearly $4 billion offer for German generic-drug maker Ratiopharm GmbH this week, competing against rival bids from Teva Pharma...

Pfizer's Ringo to retire from senior VP post

2010-02-25T14:00:41Z

<div id="subtitle">Pfizer's William Ringo to retire from senior VP post, to be replaced by Kristin Peck</div><div><p>Pfizer Inc. said Thursday that William Ringo will retire as a senior vice president at the drug maker.</p><p>Ringo will be replaced April 30 by Kristin Peck, who will become senio...

Pfizer says FDA OKs updated infection vaccine

2010-02-24T12:45:16Z

<div><p>Pfizer said Wednesday the Food and Drug Administration has approved an updated version of its best-selling infection vaccine for infants and children.</p><p>Prevnar 13 is intended to reduce the risk of infection by 13 strains of pneumococcal disease in children 5 years old and yo...

Summary Box: FDA OKs Pfizer's updated kids vaccine

2010-02-24T11:00:39Z

<div><p>PREVNAR 13 APPROVED: The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved a new version of Pfizer's best-selling vaccine Prevnar, which protects against pneumococcal disease.</p><p>ADDED PROTECTION: Prevnar 13 adds protection against six additional strains of bacterial infectio...

Dutch find no link between infant deaths and vaccine

2010-02-23T03:45:19Z

<div><p>AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Dutch health authority RIVM said on Tuesday the deaths of three infants last year were not related to a vaccine produced by U.S. pharmaceutical company Wyeth, now part of Pfizer.</p><p>"Careful research showed ther...

U.S. patent office rejects part of Viagra patent

2010-02-22T09:10:59Z

<div><p>LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has partially rejected a patent on Pfizer Inc's impotence drug Viagra because it works in...

Ratiopharm fields decisive takeover bids-sources

2010-02-22T11:04:35Z

<div><p>FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Generic-drug makers Teva and Actavis, backed by Swedish buyout firm EQT, have placed make-or-break bids for German peer Ratiopharm but drug major Pfizer is expected to also be a contender, sources said.<...

Pfizer posts big jump in 4Q sales, profit

2010-02-22T12:14:30Z

<div><p>Drugmaker Pfizer Inc., well into integrating its new Wyeth unit, posted a 34 percent jump in revenue Wednesday, but $3.2 billion in acquisition and restructuring charges and higher costs across the board weighed down profit.</p><p>The maker of Viagra and cholesterol fighter Lipitor, which pa...

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