Vivus Has a Hit in Qnexa

Obesity has a high prevalence in the US and is now frequently cited as being a national health issue. It is on the rise in almost every industrialized and some industrializing nations. There are currently no blockbuster weight loss drugs due to lack of efficacy, though many have failed due to unwanted side effects. Some […]

Investment Opportunities in Women’s Health

The next several months will be an exciting time for the women’s health space, with several important events that may represent an opportunity for investors. Most notably, Pfizer (PFE) has completed data collection for it’s 2186-patient study of Pristiq for the treatment of vasomotor symptoms, more commonly known as hot flashes. Wyeth, now part of […]

Roche- Leading the Way in Personalized Medicine

(Featured in TheBigRedBiotechBlog) This Swiss pharma is the third largest pharmaceutical company both by revenue and market cap. It is one of the fastest growing companies in its peer group, with sales growth of 7% in 2009. This compares to approximately 4% YoY growth for Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis, and Johnson & Johnson. With the purchase of […]

Incyte Pharmaceuticals: JAK it Up

Incyte Pharmaceuticals: JAK it Up Incyte Pharmaceuticals has one of the most promising pipelines in the small to mid-cap space. It has two very promising compounds in development, INCB18424 for the treatment of Myelofibrosis (MF), a disease classified under the Myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) family, and other oncology indications, and INCB28050 for the treatment of Rheumatoid […]

Biotech’s One-Trick Pony

The One-Trick Pony We’ve heard this many times- never bet on that one-trick pony. Risky bet. You’ll lose your shirt. So what does this one-trick pony thing look like? What should we be looking out for? Where do we find this three-horned beast? But seriously, what defines a biotech as a one-trick pony? Here I […]

The Promise Behind Celldex- ASCO 2010

The Promise Behind Celldex Celldex shares climbed steadily in the months leading up to the release of its ASCO abstracts, rising from $4.71 at the start of the year and hitting a high of $9.43 on May 18. Shares 9% the day the abstracts were released on May 21, closing at $6.97. Share prices have […]

Bionovo: novel approach, challenges ahead, but poised to move higher

The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), a study that demonstrated several lethal side-effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), has left many pharmaceutical companies scrambling to advance alternative therapies to meet the unique market demand created by the drop in hormone sales. Although several therapies have advanced to late-stage clinical studies, few represent a truly novel approach. […]

Weight loss, as easy as taking a Qnexa pill

Vivus Pharmaceuticals shocked the health-care industry earlier this year when it announced positive phase III results for it’s new obesity miracle drug. The drug, dubbed Qnexa, is a combination of two, already approved therapies, phentermine and topiramate. Qnexa, combines phentermine, the stimulant that boost the metabolism, with topiramate, an anti-convulsant that also interferes with binge-eating […]

Warner Chilcott to devour Proctor & Gamble drug unit

Pharmaceutical M&A is still robust. Rumors are spreading that Warner Chilcott (NASDAQ:WCRX) will purchase Proctor & Gamble’s (NYSE:PG) prescription drug unit as early as tomorrow. The price tag is rumored to be around $3 Billion USD. If the deal is completed, Warner Chilcott will double it’s annual revenue, making it a resounding force in the […]

Black Cohosh, Red Clover not effective for Hot Flashes

Women who are experiencing menopausal symptoms have few treatment options. According to two studies conducted by researchers at Northwestern University and University of Illinois, two commonly used over-the-counter (OTC) remedies do not relief menopausal hot flashes. In the studies, black cohosh and red clover were compared to hormone replacement therapy and placebo. The study included […]

Depomed’s new Parkinson’s drug shows promise

Depomed (NASDAQ:DEPO), a specialty pharmaceutical company, reported positive updates in it’s most recent 10Q regarding it’s phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease with DM-1992, a novel sustained-release formulation of LevoDopa/Carbidopa. According to the company’s 10Q, Depomed completed the study in early August of 2009. “In the study, DM-1992 extended coverage above […]

Metformin lowers risks of diabetes… and pancreatic cancer

Metformin, a first-line diabetes treatment, lowers the risk of pancreatic cancer by 62%. According to a study conducted by Donghui Li, Ph.D from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, drugs like Glumetza, Fortamet, and Glucophage were associated with a significantly reduced risk of pancreatic cancer. The study was a hospital-based, case-control […]

Pharma companies looking to Women’s Health for growth

During menopause, women experience many symptoms associated with the natural change in hormone levels. Hot flashes and sexual dysfunction are the most prevalent symptoms, and if untreated can lead to sleep deprivation and even depression. Before the Women’s Health Initiative, women were effectively treating their menopausal symptoms with hormone replacement therapy. Since then, the medical […]

Wyeth drug shows promise in treating hot flashes

Today, Wyeth (NYSE:WYE) announced that their compound, bazedoxifene/conjugated-estrogens, significantly reduces the severity and frequency of menopausal hot flashes. Although the use of hormones has been associated with several potentially lethal side effects, Wyeth says that in this study, uterine bleeding was not statistically different from placebo and the rate of endometrial hyperplasia was less than […]

Merck beefing up diabetes pipeline

Merck acquires non-exclusive license for Acuform technology from Depomed Merck plans to use technology to expand it’s diabetes portfolio Signifies the extended release diabetes market is growing more competitive Pharmaceutical pipeline weaknesses will spur more deals. Today, Merck (NYSE:MRK) signaled that it will be expanding it’s diabetes pipeline. Merck announced that it has licensed certain […]

Pfizer expanding into emerging markets: Turkey

Rumors are buzzing in the pharma sector. Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) may be considering a takeover of Abdi Ibrahim, Turkey’s largest pharmaceutical company, demonstrating Pfizer’s shift from domestic markets to emerging markets. After it’s merger with Wyeth (NYSE:WYE), Pfizer’s executives organized at Castle Gray Skull and set it’s course to find it’s partners in the Middle East. […]

Noven: Mesafem is tackling the heat of hot flashes

Earlier this month, I suggested that there is a huge unmet need, and substantial market opportunity, for a potential product that will treat menopausal symptoms. We recommended several Women’s Health companies. Today, one of those companies, Noven (NASDAQ:NOVN) announced positive phase 2 trial results for Mesafem, a drug that treats vasomotor symptoms, known as “hot flashes”. […]