In brief: Genmab; Savient; Roche; GSK; Merck
Wednesday, 08 December, 2004
Denmark's Genmab has announced its treatment against cancer of the lymphatic system, HuMax-CD20, had shown positive results in Phase I/II studies.
The company said 55 per cent of trial patients in the study had achieved a clinical response, with a 27 per cent complete response rate for treatment of relapsed refractory follicular Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL).
FDA approves Savient osteoarthritis treatment
US regulators have approved Savient Pharmaceuticals' treatment for pain in the knee of osteoarthritis patients who have failed to respond to conservative non-drug therapy.
More positive data for MabThera
Patients with indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) live longer if treated with cancer drug MabThera (Rituxan in the US) in combination with chemotherapy, Swiss drugmaker Roche has reported to the American Society of Hematology (ASH) in San Diego.
More patients receiving MabThera in combination with chemotherapy survived after two years than those who only received chemotherapy. MabThera is already approved in Europe for first-line treatment of indolent NHL.
GSK, Merck may share cervical cancer vaccine patents
GlaxoSmithKline and Merck & Co are discussing sharing patents related to rival cervical cancer vaccines being developed by the two companies.
Duncan Learmouth, head of investor relations at GSK, Europe's biggest drugmaker, said that the firms were in talks about a cross-licensing deal.
Scientists 'reprogram' tumour-supporting immune cells
The approach, by an Australian team, uses lipid nanoparticles to target a type of immune cell...
Existing medicines could help treat deadly childhood dementia
Australian researchers have identified several existing TGA‑approved medicines that could help...
Statins reduce heart attack and stroke risk in older people
It has previously been unclear whether statins were effective in reducing heart attack and stroke...
