SPOTLIGHT -
Mixed Criticism on Avandia Effectiveness
GSK's blockbuster diabetes drug Avandia was the subject of a number of studies this week offering good and bad news. But the company's big challenge is going to be FDA's advisory review panel set to meet in two short weeks.
Pfizer Pulls Leukemia Treatment
Pfizer was forced (voluntarily) to put the kibosh on a fast-tracked Wyeth drug after some not-so-favorable postmarket data. Was this a good catch or an endemic problem with expedited drugs?
Sanofi-Aventis Cuts 400 Jobs
Sales reps faced another round of layoffs last week as Sanofi-Aventis restructures its sales force due to looming generic competition and a dip in sales.
GSK and Pfizer to Discount Pneumonia Vaccines for the Poor
Proving that one good turn deserves another, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline announced that they would provide millions of doses of pneumonia vaccines to some of the world's most impoverished countries at massive discounts.
Emerging Markets to Account for Half of Market Growth by 2013
A new report from IMS Health bumps the number of emerging markets to 17 and predicts that these nations will account for $90 billion in sales in the next four years. How will pharma take advantage of the opportunity?
Sanofi Gets a Bad Batch of H1N1 Vaccines
Sanofi-Aventis is recalling hundreds of thousands of doses of the childrens' version of its H1N1 vaccine. Conspiracy theorists are going to have a field day.
GSK Makes Physician Payments Public
Transparency can be a double-edged sword - especially if you are a doctor receiving money to speak on behalf of a drug company. Sure the pay day is nice, but does the public outing open you up to scrutiny?
