Head-to-head late-stage clinical trials published on Tuesday showed that a Novartis (NYSE:NVS) drug to treat patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration doesn’t need to be injected as frequently as a rival drug from competitor Regeneron (NSDQ:REGN). Analysts reportedly said the data gives Novartis’ treatment, RTH258, a competitive edge compared to its rival therapies. Get the full […]
Roche
Pieris, AstraZeneca ink $45m deal for inhaled respiratory drugs
Pieris Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ:PIRS) inked a $45 million deal with AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) to develop a group of inhaled drugs for respiratory diseases. According to the deal, Pieris will get $45 million up front to bring an experimental asthma drug into human clinical trials. The drug is slated to begin Phase I testing this year, which will […]
Roche warns on bolus advisor issues with Accu-Check Connect app
Roche (PINK:RHHBY) this week warned of potential issues with its Accu-Check Connect diabetes management application which could lead the app to provide inaccurate bolus insulin recommendations. The Swiss company said it recently discovered a software bug in its Accu-Check Connect diabetes management app versions 2.0.0, 2.0.1 and 2.1.0 for Apple (NSDQ:AAPL) iOS and Google (NSDQ:GOOG) Android […]
Cydar lands Roche exec for 3D imaging software play
Cydar EV, a medical software start-up, said this week that it hired several new directors, including Roche’s recently-retired chairman Franz Humer. The U.K.-based company is developing cloud-based software to produce 3D images of a patient’s blood vessels in X-ray guided endovascular surgery. Cydar said Humer will bring a “wealth of commercialization” and key developmental insights […]
Roche denies rumors it will shop diabetes unit, earnings
Roche (PINK:RHHBY) denied rumors that it was considering selling its diabetes unit today, saying that it is “committed” to the business. The company also predicted that competition and spending on new drugs would stall its margin growth in 2017, as patents expire for its blockbuster medications. The Swiss drugmaker’s 3 top-selling cancer drugs, Rituxan, Herceptin and […]
Roche taps Vivonoetics, Great Lakes NeuroTech for wearable respiratory assessment device
Roche (PINK:RHHBY) tapped Vivonoetics and Great Lakes NeuroTechnologies, to provide a wearable respiratory testing device to Roche’s Firefish study. The company’s study aims to evaluate drug efficacy compared to respiratory muscle function and breathing patterns in infants treated for spinal muscular atrophy. Devices traditionally used to measure breathing include masks and mouthpieces, which aren’t always practical for monitoring infants. […]
Senseonics, Roche expand distribution deal for Eversense glucose monitor
Senseonics (NYSE:SENS) said today that it expanded its exclusive distribution agreement with Roche (PINK:RHHBY) for its implantable continuous glucose monitoring system for people with diabetes. The new agreement includes all of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, excluding Scandinavia, Finland and Israel. According to the agreement, Germantown, Maryland-based Senseonics has given Roche exclusive rights to promote, […]
Report: J&J raises the stakes in Actelion pursuit
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has reportedly raised its offer for Swiss biotech firm Actelion Pharmaceuticals (VTX:ATLN), pressuring the company to accept a takeover deal. The companies have been in talks for nearly 2 months but so far have not reached a deal, according to Reuters. The news outlet reported that Actelion wants J&J to become a major shareholder […]
Trump win boosts drug stocks
Pharmaceutical stocks surged today after Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election, as investors concluded the threat of action on drug pricing had lessened. California’s Proposition 61, which would have prevented the state of California from purchasing drugs from a manufacturer for a price higher than that paid by the U.S. Veterans Affairs Dept., failed to […]
FDA approves Genentech’s Lucentis pre-filled ranibizumab syringe
Genentech, a member of the Roche group (PINK:RHHBY), said today that it won FDA clearance for its Lucentis (ranibizumab injection) pre-filled syringes. The anti-VEGF medicine is FDA-approved to treat wet age-related macular degeneration and macular edema after retinal vein occlusion. The pre-filled syringe enables physicians to eliminate steps in preparation and administration process, the company […]
Roche launches next-gen glucose monitor
Roche (PINK:RHHBY) said yesterday it launched its Accu-Check Guide next-generation blood glucose monitoring system, with an initial launch in Denmark, Switzerland and Australia. The new system features the company’s SmartPack” spill-resistant test strip vial designed to avoid strip spillage or contamination. “As the global leader in diabetes management we are dedicated to supporting people with diabetes, in […]
