Quote of the day

Opdivo is a magic!!!

A trial of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s immune system booster Opdivo has been stopped early after a survival benefit for patients with advanced kidney cancer was demonstrated.

An Independent Data Monitoring Committee put an early stop to the Phase III study after interim analysis concluded that it met its primary endpoint, showing that the PD-1 inhibitor beat Afinitor (everolimus) in improving overall survival. 

 

Opdivo (nivolumab) has already caused quite a stir as a treatment for advanced skin cancer and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, but according to BMS this is the first time an immuno-oncology agent has shown a survival advantage in advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), “a patient group that currently has limited treatment options”.

Read more at: http://www.pharmatimes.com/Article/15-07-20/Opdivo_trial_halted_early_on_survival_benefit_in_kidney_cancer.aspx#ixzz3galrSzSV

Quote of the day.

“From the AbbVie situation, I understand that one opportunity cost is time. The longer something takes, the longer you wait, the greater the likelihood that you may not get it done,” Dr. Ornskov says.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/shire-deepens-push-into-biotech-after-abbvie-drops-bid-1436821429?mod=yahoo_hs
 

For only the third time, an Indian drug maker is seeking to win a compulsory license in order to make and sell a generic version of a brand-name medicine. And the effort is likely to be closely watched as the global pharmaceutical industry looks for signs that the Indian government will alter its approach toward protecting patent rights.


http://blogs.wsj.com/pharmalot/2015/07/09/will-india-issue-a-compulsory-license-for-an-astrazeneca-diabetes-pill/?mod=WSJBlog

 

Market based medicine development

• Sembragiline, a joint development project for Alzheimer's disease from Roche and Evotec, did not demonstrate cognitive benefit in treated patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) after 52 weeks. 
• This is the second AD drug failure for Roche in the last two years, including gantenerumab, which failed late last year.
• Evotec is still dedicated to CNS R&D, and has more than 70 CNS-related products at various stages of development in their portfolio, according to Evotec CEO Werner Lanthaler. 

http://www.biopharmadive.com/news/another-roche-alzheimers-drug-disappoints/401788/