Amgen

• Amgen - Roche: U.S. court affirms bar on Roche anemia drug launch (Mircera) (10 Oct. 2008)
  • In depth - Victory for Amgen (blog)
  • Amgen and Johnson & Johnson shares fall after study shows their anti-anemia drugs increase risk of blood clots and death in cancer patients (27 Feb. 2008)
• Roche loses U. S. court case against Amgen's EPO patent (23 Oct. 2007)
• Amgen-Roche: Amgen press release (20 Oct. 2006)
  • Related: Amgen's enemies

Aventis

• Sanofi launches hostile takeover bid for Aventis (27 Jan. 2004)
• Rumors of imminent Sanofi takeover of Aventis (23 Jan. 2004)

Baxter

• China plant played role in Baxter heparin  linked to 4 deaths (14 Feb. 2008)

• Transfusion therapies business acquired from Baxter to be named Fenwal, Inc. (17 Jan. 2007)

Bayer

• Bayer's Canadian Gamunex website now online (6 April 2005

bioMerieux

• bioMerieux BacT/ALERT® 3D Microbial Detection System plays role in extending platelet shelf life (1 Apr. 2005)

Biopure

• U.S. Navy rips FDA for blocking clinical trial of Biopure's Hemopure (4 Apr. 2009)
• Ex-Biopure exec pleads guilty to faking cancer to avoid federal lawsuit (12 Mar. 2009)
• FDA puts hold on U.S. Naval Medical Research Center's request for clinical trial of Biopure's Hemopure (30 Dec. 2008)
• Biopure meets with FDA regarding new trial of Hemapure for AML patients who refuse blood transfusion (7 July 2008)
• Biopure's blood substitute assessed in clinical trial
  • Jahr JS, Mackenzie C, Pearce LB, Pitman A, Greenburg AG. HBOC-201 as an alternative to blood transfusion: Efficacy and safety evaluation in a multicenter phase III trial in elective orthopedic surgery. J Trauma 2008; 64 (6):1484–97.
• Biopure seeks compassionate use protocol for treatment of acute anemia (24 Aug. 2007)
• FDA panel recommends against Navy's proposed controversial clinical trial of Hemopure blood substitute (16 Dec. 2006)
• Biopure stocks fall (27 Dec. 2003)
  • Biopure receives 'Wells Notice' from SEC (26 Dec. 2003)

Cangene

• Cangene continues as supplier to CBS and Héma-Québec (10 Apr. 2008)
• Cangene announces approval of liquid formulation of WinRho^® SDF in Canada (28 Nov. 2007)

Immucor

Neoteric Technology

• Olympus and Canada's Neoteric Technology accuse MSoft of breach of copyright of BloodTrack^®, the transfusion safety and management system developed by Neoteric and distributed in the UK by Olympus (18 April 2007)

Northfield Laboratories (Polyheme)

• Northfield Laboratories folds business (15 May 2009)
• Northfield Labs' blood substitute, PolyHeme fails to win FDA approval (1 May 2009)
  • Northfield Labs attempts to boost its stock with rent-an-analyst buzz
• FDA to conduct speedy review of Polyheme before money runs out (30 Dec. 2008)
• Northfield Laboratories turns into a zombie (23 May 2007)

Ortho Biotech

• Amgen and Johnson & Johnson shares fall after study shows their anti-anemia drugs increase risk of blood clots and death in cancer patients (27 Feb. 2008)
• Ortho Biotech statement on JAMA publication regarding erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (27 Feb. 2008)
  • Bennett, CL, etal. Venous thromboembolism and mortality associated with recombinant erythropoietin and darbepoetin administration for the treatment of cancer-associated anemia. JAMA 2008;299(8):914–24.
• Mixed results for epoetin alfa in critically ill patients (5 Sept. 2007)
  • Cook D, Crowther M. Targeting anemia with erythropoietin during critical illness. (editorial) N Engl J Med 2007 Sep 6; 357:1037–9.
• Ex-sales agent alleges improper marketing of Procrit^® (10 May 2007)

Ortho Clinical Diagnostics

• Hospitals allege price fixing in US lawsuit against Immucor & Ortho Clinical Diagnostics (4 June 2009)

Roche

• Amgen - Roche: U.S. court affirms bar on Roche anemia drug launch (Mircera) (10 Oct. 2008)
  • In depth - Victory for Amgen (blog)
  • Amgen and Johnson & Johnson shares fall after study shows their anti-anemia drugs increase risk of blood clots and death in cancer patients (27 Feb. 2008)
• Roche loses U. S. court case against Amgen's EPO patent (23 Oct. 2007)

Talecris

• CSL to Buy Talecris Biotherapeutics for $3.1 Billion (13 Aug. 2008)

General

• IOM : Conflict of Interest in Medical Research, Education, and Practice (Report Brief, April 2009)
  • Recommendations go beyond current guidelines and include payment disclosure on a central website
  • IOM website
• Pricing, regulation squeezed drug industry in 2008 (31 Dec. 2008)
• Drug makers agree to voluntary ban on doctor "freebies" (31 Dec. 2008)
  • PhRMA Code on interactions with health professionals (updated code, Jan. 2009)
• Pharma giants to create databases on gifts to US physicians (CMAJ 2008 Nov 18)
• Health care industry not immune to recession
(5 Nov. 2008)
• Euro drug stocks slide after Obama win (5 Nov. 2008) 
• Global blood banking and blood products market to reach 31.7 billion dollars by 2010, according to new report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. (17 Apr. 2008)
• Australia: Drug companies spent > $30 million on hospitality for doctors at "educational" events in last 6 months of 2007 (27 Mar. 2008)
  • Tidbit: Amgen Australia spent $328,206 on food, alcohol, travel, and accommodation at a Sydney hotel for 2- day symposium attended by 142 hematologists and trainees. (Source: Br Med J April 5, 2008)
  • Also see Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
• Continuing education should no longer be funded by drug industry, says CMAJ (Br Med J 2008 Apr 5;336:742-3.
  • Hébert PC. The need for an Institute of Continuing Health Education (editorial). CMAJ 2008 Mar 25; 178 (7).

• Europe: Anti-corruption – The long arm of international law: US regulators are stepping up their anti-bribery efforts – but European companies are napping (7 Feb. 2008)

• Drug giants see outsourcing as key to staying ahead (Swiss Info, 21 April 2006)
• Medical schools should ban drug company gifts, samples, contributions To continuing education, JAMA paper states
  • Brennan TA, Rothman DJ, Blank L, Blumenthal D, Chimonas SC, Cohen JJ, et al. Health industry practices that create conflicts of interest: a policy proposal for academic medical centers. JAMA 2006 Jan 25;295(4):429–33.
• Medical editors issue guidance on ghost writing