Nexavar® Becomes First and Only Approved Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Europe
Bayer HealthCare AG and Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorization to Nexavar® (sorafenib) tablets for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or liver cancer. Nexavar, an oral anti-cancer drug, is the first and only approved systemic drug therapy for liver cancer and the only drug therapy shown to significantly improve overall survival in patients with the disease. 
Nycomed today announced the entry into a definitive agreement to acquire Bradley Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company focused on niche therapeutic markets in the USA. The acquisition will add further branded dermatologics to the PharmaDerm division of Nycomed US and will provide an enhanced platform for in-licensing and co-promotion of dermatology products. The transaction is subject to the receipt of Bradley shareholder approval and approval by competition authorities. It is expected to close in the first quarter of 2008. 
Pfizer Inc said that the Federal Patent Court in Munich, Germany has revoked the companyâs patent covering atorvastatin calcium, the active ingredient in Lipitor. The patent at issue in the lawsuit (EP 409,281) expires in July 2010. 
Commenting on the performance in the quarter and GSK's new Operational Excellence programme, JP Garnier, Chief Executive Officer, said: "GSK remains on track to meet its earnings guidance for the year, despite significant challenges. We continue to strengthen our product portfolio with 15 products launched, approved or filed so far this year, and we remain very focused on delivering more from our late-stage pipeline. 
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) reported financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2007 and updated earnings guidance for the full year. The company posted third quarter 2007 net sales of $5.1 billion, an increase of 22% over the same period in 2006. 
Abbott (NYSE: ABT) announced continued positive results from ABSORB, the world's first clinical trial evaluating the safety and performance of a fully bioabsorbable drug eluting stent platform for the treatment of coronary artery disease.