Astrazeneca News & Latest Astrazeneca Headlines

Shockingly Few Pharma Ads Comply With FDA Guidelines

1:30PM 8/25/2011

Health Care, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Astrazeneca

Officially, it's the FDA's job to ensure that pharmaceutical ads adhere to guidelines. But the agency's annual compliance budget is $9 million, while drug companies spend $58 billion a year on marketing. So it comes as no surprise that only 18% of ads are in compliance with the rules. But it's still disturbing: This is your health.

The Dark Cloud Over Growing Antidepressant Prescriptions

4:00PM 8/10/2011

By Melly Alazraki

Health Care, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Astrazeneca, Consumer Ally

They call it the Great "Recession," but there's no question that these are depressing times. And doctors are writing scripts for antidepressants at an alarming rate -- especially given that many of these doctors aren't psychiatrists. What are the effects on patients who haven't been properly screened?

WHO's Swine Flu Pandemic Response Wasn't Influenced by Vaccine Makers

3:30PM 3/10/2011

By Melly Alazraki

Health Care, Sanofi Aventis, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Astrazeneca

During the H1N1 swine flu pandemic, much criticism was leveled at World Health Organization officials, accusing their response of being too heavily influenced by the pharmaceutical industry. But according to a panel of independent experts, that wasn't the case.

The 10 Biggest-Selling Drugs That Are About to Lose Their Patent

8:00AM 2/27/2011

By Melly Alazraki

Company News, Investing, Health Care, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, Eli Lilly, Astrazeneca

The pharmaceutical industry is ready to fall off a cliff -- a "patent cliff." Over the next few years, some of the world's most popular and lucrative medicines will go off patent, and generic competition will siphon an estimated quarter of a trillion dollars from drugmakers' bottom lines.

Pfizer Joins Other Pharmas in Giving a Cautious Outlook

3:41PM 2/01/2011

By Melly Alazraki

Company News, Health Care, Earnings, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis, Eli Lilly, Astrazeneca

Pfizer reported fourth-quarter earnings on Tuesday that nearly quadrupled from a year ago as revenue rose 6%. But it also lowered its sales guidance for 2012, due to some of its bestselling drugs going off patent. What's ahead for the world's biggest drugmaker:

Another Cancer-Drug Failure Highlights Difficulties Facing Pharmas

12:30PM 1/28/2011

By Melly Alazraki

Company News, Columns, Health Care, Genzyme Corporation , Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sanofi Aventis, Novartis, Eli Lilly, Astrazeneca

Sanofi-Aventis announced its cancer drug candidate iniparib failed in a late-stage clinical trial. Other pharmaceutical companies have also experienced recent setbacks as they scramble to bolster their pipelines ahead of the patent cliff, when they will be forced to compete with cheaper generics.

As Diabetes Explodes, Big Pharma Is Gearing Up

6:00PM 1/27/2011

By Melly Alazraki

Investing, Health Care, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sanofi Aventis, Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, Eli Lilly, Astrazeneca

Diabetes is a growing global scourge, but for Big Pharma it's more of a lifesaver -- and many drugmakers are cranking up their research efforts. After all, many existing drugs will soon be losing their patents, and diabetes could be a $55 billion market by 2019.

Government Recovers $4 Billion from Health Care Fraud Cases

12:27PM 1/25/2011

By Melly Alazraki

Health Care, Novartis, Astrazeneca

The government recouped a staggering $4 billion in fiscal 2010 that was stolen from federal health care programs, the departments of Justice and Health and Human Services announced Monday -- the highest annual amount ever. More than half of the fraud money recovered came from drug companies.

The Top 10 Health Care Stories of 2010

7:30AM 12/29/2010

By Melly Alazraki

Health Care, Genzyme Corporation , Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Sanofi Aventis, Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Abbott, Astrazeneca

Led by the health insurance reform law, a flurry of drug and food recalls, key medical breakthroughs and plenty of layoffs and lawsuits, 2010 proved to be an exciting -- if not always positive -- year. Here's our rundown of the biggest health care stories.

AstraZeneca's Brilinta Fails to Win FDA Approval

8:08AM 12/17/2010

By Melly Alazraki

Company News, Health Care, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sanofi Aventis, Astrazeneca, Stocks in the News

The FDA disappointed AstraZeneca and its investors by not approving its heart drug Brilinta, a blood-thinner that the company -- facing a severe patent cliff -- has high hopes for. If approved, it could be a multibillion-dollar blockbuster. But the FDA wants to see more analyses of results from a major study.