Stephanie Sutton

Elan and the University of Cambridge have launched a center for innovation and drug discovery that will focus on translational research into therapies for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The Cambridge–Elan Center will be located at the University of Cambridge, and the agreement between the two will last for 10 years. Its goal is to discover novel compounds that can alter the behavior of proteins associated with neurodegenerative disorders and be developed into new treatments.

The breast cancer indication for Avastin has been revoked after FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg concluded that the drug has not been shown to be safe and effective for this use.

The European Commission has unveiled a comprehensive action plan against antimicrobial resistance that includes provisions to promote R&D as well as the possibility of establishing fast-track procedures for marketing authorizations.

GlaxoSmithKline is looking to advance the commercialization of scientific innovation in Canada with its launch of the GSK Canada Life Sciences Innovation Fund, which was announced at a GSK-hosted event in Toronto last week. The $50-million national fund will identify strategic investment opportunities in Canada's life-sciences industry, including academic and health institutions, translational research centers and start-up companies.

Seeking to review the regulatory and scientific challenges in developing ophthalmic medicines, the European Medicines Agency has recently, and for the first time, brought together eye-disease experts from Europe, Asia, and the US for a two-day workshop.

Eli Lilly and Amylin Pharmaceuticals have mutually agreed to end a 10-year alliance relating to the diabetes medication exenatide.

GlaxoSmithKline has come to a tentative agreement with the US government to conclude ongoing investigations relating to sales and marketing practices. The settlement is still subject to negotiation, but GSK expects to pay around $3 billion, which is covered by existing legal provisions. The final amount and terms of the settlement are expected to be finalized in 2012.

The European Commission has launched an antitrust investigation to examine whether contracts between Johnson & Johnson and Novartis were designed to delay the market entry of generic versions of Fentanyl in the Netherlands.

Switzerland's Acino Pharma has agreed to buy Cephalon's combined Middle East and African business in a transaction worth approximately EUR 80 million ($110 million). Acino will pay 60 million Euro ($82.5 million) in cash and an additional EUR 20 million ($27.5 million) will come through shares.

AstraZeneca will invest $200 million in a new manufacturing facility in China that will produce both intravenous and solid medicines. The facility will be located in China Medical City (CMC) in Taizhou (Jiangsu province) and construction is due to finish at the end of 2013.

The European Commission has adopted revised proposals clarifying the information that industry can supply to the public on prescription-only medicines, while maintaining a strict ban on direct-to-consumer advertising.

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company has completed its acquisition of Nycomed for EUR 9.6 billion ($12.9 billion) on a cash-free, debt-free basis. In addition, Takeda has named Frank Morich, Takeda's executive vice-president of internal operations (Americas/Europe), as Nycomed's CEO.

Servier and the Belgium-based biotechnology company Galapagos are embarking on a multiyear strategic alliance to develop new cancer therapies. As a result of the alliance, Galapagos could receive milestone payments of more than EUR 250 million ($332 million).

The latest meeting of the EMA's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has concluded with more than 15 positive opinions for new and generic drugs and the adoption of key concept papers.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is looking to racecar technology as it seeks to improve its manufacturing, R&D, and consumer-healthcare areas. The company has formed a long-term partnership with the UK-based McLaren Group, which is best known for its expertise in the Formula 1 motor sport.

The European Commission has released a concept paper for public consultation that provides details about implementing pharmacovigilance measures, which will be necessary as part of the Commission's 2010 amended pharmacovigilance legislation.

Pfizer has completed its cash tender offer for the biopharm company Icagen after extending its initial deadline.

GlaxoSmithKline has taken a stake worth £1.25 million ($2.06 million) in its biotech spin out company, Autifony Therapeutics, which aims to develop new treatments for hearing disorders.

Bayer HealthCare has agreed to support the Stop TB Partnership in the fight against multidrug-resistant tuberculosis by making 620,000 tablets of the antibiotic moxifloxacin available to WHO.

Pfizer has partnered with the University of California's San Diego Health Sciences in a drug discovery collaboration that could see Pfizer invest up to $50 million over the next five years in the development of new therapies.

Companies in the life sciences industry are struggling to accurately predict their spending for clinical development, according to a survey conducted by US-based software provider ClearTrial.

Bristol-Myers Squibb has signed an agreement to acquire Amira Pharmaceuticals, a small-molecule company with a focus on treatments for inflammatory and fibrotic diseases, for $325 million.

The European Medicines Agency has updated the template for package leaflets to make the information easier for patients to understand.

A public consultation has opened in Europe for the revised guideline on the good distribution practice of medicinal products for human use.

Members of the public will soon be able to access data in the EudraVigilance database-EMA's central repository for reports of suspected adverse reactions related to authorized medicines in the European Economic Area.

An FDA panel has voted unanimously to withdraw approval for Roche's Avastin for use in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer because there is not enough data to support that the benefits outweigh the risks.

Pharma's drive for manufacturing efficiency is bolstering particle-characterization technologies.

Industry analysts have highlighted the pharma industry's high rate of Phase III drug terminations and significantly reduced R&D spending.

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has published a guidance that suggests best practices for managing adverse events and other pharmacovigilance data from the internet and social media tools.

Novartis has commenced construction of a new manufacturing plant in Russia that represents the company's most significant investment in the country to date.