Drugs
BancBoston Robertson Stephens senior biotechnology analyst, Michael G. King, Jr., has upgraded Immunex Corp. to a Buy rating from a Long-Term Attractive, citing the strength of the company's "early rheumatoid arthritis (RA)" study data. The study showed that Enbrel, Immunex's blockbuster arthritis drug, was
Drugs
Peter Sears, a renowned expert in corporate investing and venture capital, has joined the board of directors of AVANT Immunotherapeutics, Inc. Sears has an impressive track record of investing in emerging biomedical companies, with S.R. One, the venture capital fund he founded in 1985, investing nearly a quarter of
Drugs
Scientists at Roche and Gilead Sciences are on the cusp of a major medical breakthrough with the submission of a new drug application to the FDA for a pill designed to treat all common strains of the flu. The innovative medication, GS4104, targets the neuraminidase protein, a key site of
Drugs
Watson Laboratories, a generic drug maker based in Corona, California, faced a critical inspection in December 1998, which resulted in a recommendation for approval. However, a warning letter was issued in January 1999, demonstrating the complexities of the regulatory environment in the pharmaceutical industry. The inspection, conducted by investigators Virgilio
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FDA inspections of Alpha Therapeutic's plasma collection facilities in Seattle, WA, reveal ongoing concerns about donor screening and plasma fractionation, echoing previous issues with contamination and inadequate SOPs. The agency's letter in July 1998 criticizes Alpha's handling of unsuitable units and lack of documentation,
Drugs
SmithKline Beecham, a pharmaceutical company, has secured exclusive access to Affymetrix's GeneChip arrays and a license to use the technology for internal research purposes. This significant partnership enables SmithKline Beecham to leverage Affymetrix's cutting-edge technology for gene expression monitoring, advancing their pharmaceutical research and development activities.
Drugs
A new study has found that pre-operative use of Bactroban Nasal (mupirocin calcium ointment, 2%) significantly decreases the risk of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) nosocomial infections among surgical patients. The study, which included 4,030 surgical patients, demonstrated a nearly 50% decrease in the risk of S. aureus nosocomial infection
Drugs
Genelabs Technologies and SmithKline Beecham have partnered to develop a system for regulating critical bacterial genes, leveraging unique strengths in both organizations. This collaboration, funded by an additional one-year DARPA grant, targets sites in bacterial DNA for small molecule, sequence-specific DNA-binding drugs. The program builds on existing research under the
Drugs
Santa Clara Family Health Plan (SCFHP) has been recognized for its outstanding achievements in improving access to quality health care for low-income families in Santa Clara County. The organization has successfully leveraged two State-funded health coverage programs, Healthy Families and Expanded Medi-Cal for Children, resulting in a 13 percent increase
Drugs
Pharmaceutical companies must take regular water sampling and validation of water systems seriously, as emphasized by FDA experts at the 1998 West Coast Chapter meeting of the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA). This emphasis comes as part of a broader effort to standardize and clarify regulations surrounding water control, both for
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The FDA inspection of Coulter's retrovirology facility in Hialeah, Florida, uncovered several deficiencies, including issues with validation records and product validations. The audit, conducted from April to June 1997, revealed a lack of justification for not using production runs to demonstrate reproducibility and assess variability over time. Additionally,
Drugs
SmithKline Beecham, a leading healthcare company, announced the winners of the 1999 SmithKline Beecham National Gynecologic and Medical Oncology Fellows Forums. Eight medical and gynecologic oncology fellows were awarded grants to present their research at a national medical oncology meeting. The program, now in its third year, aims to recognize
