News in Brief

Published: 1-Mar-2003


  • Bristol-Myers Squibb has agreed to pay US$670m (€626m) to settle numerous lawsuits after it was accused of using illegal tactics to keep lower-priced versions of its medicines, cancer-fighting Taxol and the anti-anxiety drug BuSpar, out of the market for many months. Both drugs are now available as generic medicines.

  • The EU has initiated formal talks ; the first stage of disputes proceedings at the World Trade Organisation ; over import restrictions imposed by the Indian government on a range or products including penicillin, its salts, and derivatives, rifampicin, streptomycins or their derivatives, and first aid boxes or kits.

  • The European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) has announced that the EU marketing authorisation for hepatitis B treatment Hepacare has been withdrawn by the European Commission. The decision followed manufacturer Celltech Pharmaceuticals' commercial decision to abandon plans to sell the medicine. Alternative vaccines are available in Europe.

  • An EU-funded research project has identified four strains of lactobacilli that could help treat intestinal inflammations and infections. The aim of the Deprohealth scheme, which has received €1.4m ($1.5m) in Brussels money; is to develop oral probiotic bacteria vaccines to counter conditions such as rotavirus, which causes infant diarrhoea, and Crohn's disease. Participating researchers from France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, the UK and Australia have had to identify strains that not only prevented inflammation, but also could withstand human digestive acids.

  • A US federal judge has ruled that an approval letter with a delayed effective date given by the FDA should be considered merely a tentative approval and does not give a manufacturer the legal right to begin marketing a medicine. The judge was ruling against Barr Laboratories' bid to market a generic version of tamoxifen tablets, which the company had expected to release last August. He quashed a bid by Barr to overturn FDA restrictions on selling a product ahead of its release. The FDA had stressed that Barr should wait until the original patent currently held by AstraZeneca had expired.
    See more

    • You may also like

    Manufacturing

    Replacing discontinued OEM degasser modules

    Read more
    Biotech Fluidics introduces direct replacement OEM degasser modules based on upgraded vacuum technology to support continued fluidic instrument supply without costly redesigns

    Trending Articles

    1. FDA approves AstraZeneca's FASENRA for hypereosinophilic syndrome AstraZeneca's FASENRA has received FDA approval for hypereosinophilic syndrome in adults and adolescents aged 12 and above, based on Phase III NATRON trial data showing a 65% reduction in the risk of first HES flare compared to placebo
    2. MHRA approves every-four-week dosing regimen for Chiesi's Elfabrio in stable adult Fabry disease patients The firm has received MHRA approval for an additional 2 mg/kg every-four-week dosing regimen for pegunigalsidase alfa, halving the number of annual infusions required for eligible adult Fabry disease patients from 26 to 13
    3. FDA issues first cGMP warning letter citing AI misuse in pharmaceutical manufacturing A Michigan-based lab has become the subject of the FDA's first dedicated enforcement action on artificial intelligence misuse in drug manufacturing — a landmark event with far-reaching implications for cGMP compliance across the pharmaceutical supply chain
    4. embecta completes £100m acquisition of UK-based Owen Mumford to bolster drug delivery portfolio US diabetes care company embecta has finalised its acquisition of Owen Mumford, gaining access to the Aidaptus next-generation auto-injector platform as it accelerates its transition into a broad-based medical supplies company
    5. You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
      Click here to find out more.
      Wearable pumps and subcutaneous delivery: a new frontier in heart failure management Two recent developments are reshaping how drug delivery technology can move treatment out of the clinic and into patients’ everyday lives — with implications for both formulation science and device manufacturing

    Upcoming event

    Cleanroom Technology Conference UK

    20-21 May 2026 | Conference and Exhibition | Birmingham, UK     See all

    You may also like

    Manufacturing

    Replacing discontinued OEM degasser modules

    Biotech Fluidics introduces direct replacement OEM degasser modules based on upgraded vacuum technology to support continued fluidic instrument supply without costly redesigns
    Cell & Gene Therapy

    NGI Stockholm becomes first certified service provider for Epigenica's EpiFinder platform

    Epigenica has signed an agreement with the National Genomics Infrastructure in Stockholm to offer end-to-end EpiFinder workflows for histone and DNA methylation profiling, establishing the first certified service provider in what the company describes as a growing global partner network
    Manufacturing

    etherna's mRNA and LNP platforms advance Dropshot Therapeutics' renal disease programme to clinical stage

    etherna has announced that partner Dropshot Therapeutics has validated its platforms in preclinical renal disease research and will now progress to IND-enabling studies, with etherna providing GMP manufacturing support ahead of planned Phase I clinical trials in 2027
    Manufacturing

    CARBOGEN AMCIS introduces SPRINT for early-phase development

    A new, phase-appropriate approach designed to accelerate early-phase progression while maintaining scientific rigour
    Manufacturing

    FUJIFILM Cellular Dynamics opens new iPSC manufacturing facility in US

    The new site will serve as the company's headquarters and will increase Fujifilm's capacity for induced pluripotent stem cell development and manufacturing, as demand increases with new approach methods in research
    You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
    Click here to find out more.
    Manufacturing

    From bespoke to scalable: closing the manufacturing gap in advanced therapeutics

    Dr Kevin Robinson (KSR) spoke to Cytiva’s Nicolas Pivet (NP), Vice President of Manufacturing and Digital Solutions, to find out how digitalisation and scalable manufacturing platforms are shaping the next phase of advanced therapeutics

    Shimadzu launches integrated HPLC/UHPLC systems

    These compact, robust instruments feature Analytical Intelligence with auto-diagnostics and auto-recovery, reducing downtime and operator workload
    Subscribe now