News bites

Gilead's Indian partnerships

Gilead Sciences is partnering with Mylan Laboratories, Ranbaxy Laboratories and Strides Arcolab to enhance access in developing countries to generic versions of its anti-HIV medicine, emtricitabine. Gilead will be providing technology transfer to its partners for the manufacture of emtricitabine.

AstraZeneca restructuring

AstraZeneca's biologics arm, MedImmune, is restructuring its infectious disease and vaccines R&D and operations, resulting in the closure of MedImmune's sites in Mountain View and Santa Clara in California (US). The company estimates that 300 jobs will be affected. Of those, around 100 will move to other MedImmune locations.

http://PharmTech.com/AZRestructure

Sanofi in antitrust lawsuit

A District Court in the US is moving forward to hear an antitrust suit filed by a group of doctors against Sanofi. The suit alleges that Sanofi is attempting to monopolise the US meningococcal vaccine market. The physicians filing suit alleges that Sanofi wrote language into their contracts to stifle competition within the childhood vaccine market.

http://PharmTech.com/SanofiLawsuit

Merck Serono Spinoff

Merck Serono is using €2.1 million to fund a new start up called Prexton Therapeutics. The funding is part of an initiative to aid start ups and was launched following the company's recent restructuring activities. Prexton Therapeutics will employ scientists to work around Merck Serono's R&D portfolio in the field of Parkinson's disease.

http://PharmTech.com/MerckSpinOff

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Emerging markets

Generics rising in Brazil

With more drug patents reaching expiry, more generic-drug products have entered the Brazilian market in the past two years. Brazil's generic-drug market grew by 32.2% in terms of sales volume between 2010 and 2011 alone, reaching R$8.7 billion (approximately €4.09 billion).

http://PharmTech.com/BrazilGenerics

Russia aims for APIs

The Russian government is hoping that investments by multinational drug companies will help modernise drug production in the country. Initially, the government expects foreign companies to help bolster innovation in drugs, but ultimately wants those companies to assist in giving the country a platform for becoming a major producer of APIs.

http://PharmTech.com/RussiaAPIs

India's pricing controversy

India's government recently announced plans to exercise stricter control over drug pricing in its domestic pharmaceutical market. However, questions have been raised by the World Health Organisation about the plan to base ceiling prices for products within individual therapeutic groups on the group's biggest seller.

http://PharmTech.com/IndiaPricing

China improves distribution

China's drug-distribution system has undergone development in recent years as the government directs efforts to encourage reorganisation and mergers and acquisitions to improve the existing network. One of the main challenges however is that drug distribution remains unregulated and users often obtain drugs from unknown or unauthorised sources.

http://PharmTech.com/ChinaDistribution

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