Business

North Carolina specialty pharma company Inspire Pharmaceuticals has announced that it is cutting 27% of its workforce (65 jobs) after its denufosol inhalation solution for the treatment of cystic fibrosis failed a Phase 3 trial. The company says that it will drop pulmonary drug development altogether in order to focus on its opthalmic products. Read the company's … [Read more...] about Inspire drops respiratory drug program after failure of CF drug

A group of investors led by LSP Life Sciences Partners of Amsterdam has put together €5 million that device company Activaero will use for continued development of its inhalation systems. Activaero recently initiated clinical studies involving the delivery of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) using its Akita Jet nebulizer system. Read the company's press release. … [Read more...] about Activaero gets €5 million in new funding

According to MannKind Corporation, it remains committed to gaining approval for its Afrezza inhaled insulin despite continuing requests from the FDA for additional data. The company announced that it is restructuring in order to focus on the Afrezza approval, resulting in a layoff of 41% of its workforce. MannKind's net loss for 2010 was more than $170 million. Read … [Read more...] about Mannkind cuts more than 40% of workforce

According to Teva, its worldwide sales of respiratory drugs, including the Pro-Air albuterol and QVAR beclomethasone inhalers, were down 3% from 2009, to $875 million. Of that amount, $556 million is attributable to sales in the US, where ProAir has a nearly 50% market share and QVAR is the 2nd place inhaled ICS. Read the company's press release … [Read more...] about Teva respiratory drug sales down slightly in 2010

Isis Pharmaceuticals has reportedly closed down Altair Therapeutics, which it had spun off in 2007 to develop AIR645, an inhaled IL-4 and IL-13 inhibitor for the treatment of asthma. The drug, which was the only one in Altair's pipeline, failed its latest trial in the fall of 2010. Altair had seven employees. Read an article. … [Read more...] about Altair Therapeutics is no more

Assuming that MAP Pharmaceuticals' Levadex inhaled dihydroergotamine for the treatment of migraine receives FDA approval, Allergan will market the product to pain specialists and neurologists in the US. MAP will handle marketing to primary care physicians in the United States and will retain all rights outside the US. MAP plans to submit an NDA for Levadex by the … [Read more...] about Allergan to co-promote Levadex with MAP

California-based biotech company Ligand Pharmaceuticals has acquired CyDex Pharmaceuticals and its Captisol solubility-enhancing technology. CyDex's pipeline includes a Captisol-enhanced budesonide/azelastine nasal spray. Ligand will operate CyDex as a wholly-owned subsidiary. Read the company's press release. … [Read more...] about CyDex acquired by Ligand Pharmaceuticals

A court in The Hague has ruled in favor of Sandoz and Hexal, both units of Novartis, agreeing that the Dutch portion of GSK's European patent for Advair is not valid. GSK may appeal the ruling. Read a Reuters article. … [Read more...] about Dutch court rules against GSK in Advair patent case