Industry Blog

14
Mar 10

AstraZeneca & Torrent Pharmaceuticals join together.

Torrent Pharmaceuticals & AstraZeneca are coming together to make their selves more known in the markets.

Astra are to purchase 18 products from the Indian common drugs producer to sell them after branding them in 9 countries. There could be other places included in the future as well as more medicines. “The emerging markets are forecast to contribute 70% of pharmaceutical industry growth in the next five years, and branded generics represent approximately 50% by value in these emerging markets” was said by Brian White (Shore Capital).

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25
Feb 10

AstraZeneca To Cut Up To 1,200 Pharmaceutical Jobs.

AstraZeneca has chosen to close a study centre in the UK, consequently in a loss of up to 1,200 pharmaceutical jobs.

The business said it had shared with its employees additional information of proposals intended to advance the productivity of its global research and development organisation.

“The proposed changes, first outlined at the end of January, include focusing research efforts on a smaller number of disease areas and consolidating activities on to a reduced global footprint through the merger of some sites. Some of our sites will close,” stated the company.

The Loughborough site is anticipated to close by the end of 2011. A smaller facility in Cambridge is also to shut, the company said.

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23
Feb 10

AstraZeneca ends pharmacy-based adherence scheme

AstraZeneca has ended the adherence programme it provides through community pharmacies because its effects on compliance are inconclusive and pharmacist participation in the scheme has dwindled.

The “Making the most of your medicines” initiative was launched two years ago (PJ, 22 March 2008, p327) in a bid to improve adherence with AstraZeneca medicines Arimidex, Crestor, Nexium and Symbicort. Over 1,200 pharmacists were trained to take part in the scheme but only 51 sites remain engaged in the programme.

The company says that feedback from pharmacists via its advisory board suggests that time challenges and concern about paperwork could explain why the transition from training to active participation in the scheme has been challenging.

A total of 1,297 patients have taken part in the scheme, 245 of whom have completed three consultations consistent with programme requirements.

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30
Jan 10

AstraZeneca To Cut 8000 Pharmaceutical Jobs.

AstraZeneca, the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical group, is setting up for one of the biggest shake-ups to be known in the industry.

The company have plans to remove 8,000 morepharmaceutical jobs all over the world by 2014. The new cuts follow the loss of 12,600 roles at the group since 2007

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12
Jan 09

AstraZeneca: Nasal Flu Vaccine submitted for European Approval

An recent article on Pharmaceutical Business Review states that MedImmune, the global biologics unit of AstraZeneca, has submitted a Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) for its nasal spray live-attenuated seasonal influenza vaccine (LAIV) with the European Medicines Agency (EMEA). The vaccine is already marketed in the US under the brand name FluMist. The proposed indication in the MAA is for prevention of seasonal influenza and is based on data from 73 global clinical and US post-marketing studies of more than 141,000 subjects ranging in age from seven weeks to 97 years and conducted in 38 countries. However, MedImmune has not communicated the age range it is seeking approval for with the EMEA.

LAIV is a trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine which was first approved in the US in 2003 for use in individuals aged five to 49 years of age. In September 2007, the age range of the vaccine was extended by the FDA for use in children aged two to five years. However, this still only represents a small proportion of the key target population for seasonal influenza vaccination. The lack of approval in the elderly, the target group showing the highest seasonal flu vaccine coverage rates, has restricted the overall commercial potential of the vaccine, which only achieved sales of $53m in 2007.

The seasonal influenza vaccine market is a highly competitive field which is becoming increasingly commoditized as a result of the increasing number of available vaccines. Due to its intranasal mode of administration and very good efficacy in this age group, FluMist’s largest opportunity lies in the infant segment. However, it is questionable whether the cost-conscious European payers will opt to introduce FluMist readily following its European approval, if AstraZeneca decides to pursue a similar strategy as in the US, where the vaccine is marketed at a premium price compared to conventional seasonal influenza drugs.

In addition, seasonal flu vaccination in most European countries is currently largely restricted to the elderly population and does not cover the age group of two to 49 year olds, for which LAIV is approved in the US. Unless LAIV is approved for a wider age group than in the US, Datamonitor expects the overall commercial opportunity for the product in Europe to be limited.
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