Top Ten most popular articles on Pharmafile.com this week!
pharmafile | March 22, 2019 | News story | Business Services, Manufacturing and Production, Medical Communications, Research and Development, Sales and Marketing | AstraZeneca, Biogen, Eisai, FDA, Merck, NICE, Pfizer, Roche, Sandoz
This week was a bad week for clinical trials. While the FDA put Roche and AbbVie’s multiple myeloma trial on hold after a number of patient deaths; Biogen and Eisai pulled a study of an Alzheimer’s drug after forecasts showed it wasn’t likely to succeed. Pfizer and Merck then discontinued a Phase 3 trial of avelumab as a treatment for advanced ovarian cancer in combination with chemotherapy.
Meanwhile Sandoz CEO Richard Francis announced his decision to step down as Pfizer CEO Ian Read saw his pay packet cut by more than $8 million. Check out this week’s top 10 most popular stories!
10. Daiichi Sankyo show positive results for atrial fibrillation treatment Lixiana
Japanese firm Daiichi Sankyo has announced positive results of the first randomised controlled trial of uninterrupted Lixiana (edoxoban) in atrial fibrillation patients undergoing catheter ablation.
9. NICE to set out new opioid prescription guidelines for GPs
NICE is set to develop new guidelines for GPs and healthcare professionals setting out rules for doctors regarding opioids and other potentially addictive prescription drugs.
8. Pfizer and Merck discontinue Phase 3 avelumab ovarian cancer trial
Pfizer and Merck KGaA have chosen to discontinue the Phase 3 JAVELIN trial looking into avelumab in combination with chemotherapy as a treatment for advanced ovarian cancer.
7. Sandoz CEO Richard Francis to step down
Richard Francis is set to step down his role as Chief Executive of Novartis’ generics arm Sandoz after five years’ in the role, citing “personal reasons” for his departure, its parent company announced in a statement.
6. Venezuela relaunch pharmaceutical industry with Chinese and Russian backing
President Maduro has pledged to relaunch Venezuela’s pharmaceutical industry as part of an effort to address shortages of medicines in the Latin American country.
5. Pfizer CEO Ian Read’s pay packet cut from $27.9m to $19.5m
Ian Read has seen his total compensation cut from a sum of $27.9 million in 2018 to $19.5 million this year.
4. Roche scores two EU approvals in haemophilia and rare autoimmune disease
The European Commission (EC) has approved Roche’s haemophilia treatment Hemlibra (emicizumab).
3. AZ’s Farxiga reduces major adverse cardiovascular event risk in type 2 diabetes, new data shows
AstraZeneca has lifted the curtain on new Phase 3 data for its sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor Farxiga (dapagliflozin), reinforcing the drug’s efficacy in reducing the relative risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with type-2 diabetes (T2D) who had a prior heart attack.
2. Biogen and Eisai discontinue Phase 3 Alzheimer’s trial
Biogen and Eisai have announced their decision to discontinue a Phase 3 trial looking into the efficacy and safety of aducanumab in patients with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease.
1. FDA puts multiple myeloma trial on hold after patient deaths
The FDA has placed a partial clinical hold on studies of multiple myeloma treatment Venclexta/Venclyxto (venetoclax) following a number of patient deaths in a late stage study.
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