Judge Denies FDA Bid to Stay 'Morning-After' Pill Ruling
A federal judge Friday declined to temporarily halt a court order directing the FDA to make emergency contraception available over-the-counter to girls of all ages.
Pharmaceuticals
Pfizer to Begin Online Sales of Viagra
In a first for the drug industry, Pfizer says it will sell begin selling erectile dysfunction pill Viagra directly to patients on its website.
Pfizer 1Q Profit Rises, but Trims Full-Year Outlook
Pfizer reported lower-than-expected quarterly earnings and revenue and the largest U.S. drugmaker trimmed its full-year profit outlook.
Bayer to Buy Calif. Birth-Control Device Maker for $1B
Bayer has agreed to buy U.S. contraceptive devices maker Conceptus for $1.1 billion, aiming to underpin its position as the world's largest women's healthcare provider.
Bristol-Myers Earnings Plunge as Sales of Plavix Plummet
Bristol-Myers Squibb posted a 45 percent drop in first-quarter profit as revenue from its Plavix blood-thinning drug plunged 95%.
Bristol-Myers Squibb Expansion to Add 350 Jobs
Drugmaker Bristol-Myers Squibb plans to spend about $250 million expanding a manufacturing complex it opened in 2009 for biologic treatments.
Why CVS Charges $133 More Than Costco for Generic Lipitor
A Consumer Reports study finds huge price differences between retailers for generic drugs. Here's why you can save hundreds by getting your Lipitor at Costco instead of CVS.
Affymax, Takeda Recall Anemia Drug Omontys After Deaths
U.S.-based Affymax Inc and Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co said they are voluntarily recalling all lots of anemia treatment Omontys (peginesatide) in the United States due to reports of serious hypersensitivity reactions, including some deaths.
Male Enhancement Pills Recalled ... for Working a Bit Too Well
Super Power, an "all-natural herbal extract" promises enhanced libido and more to the men who take it. But the supplement's manufacturer, Freedom Trading, made sure its pills could deliver male performance by adding a secret ingredient that crossed the line.
Big Pharma Ads Flaunt FDA Rules
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.
How Safe Are the Drugs in Your Medicine Cabinet?
Do you want your new prescription drugs to be made under last century's oversight? Like it or not, that's likely what you're getting -- or worse -- because increasingly, Americans' medicines are made overseas in place where the oversight isn't up to U.S. standards.
Pfizer Sells Capsugel: Will More Asset Sales Follow?
On Monday, Pfizer announced it would sell its Capsugel business to private-equity firm KKR for $2.375 billion. If the hints the drugmaker has been giving lately are true, the move could be the start of two years of major asset sales. Here's what's ahead for the world's biggest pharmaceutical company.
Swine Flu Response Wasn't Influenced by Vaccine Makers
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.
FDA Approves First New Lupus Drug in Half a Century
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved the first new drug to treat lupus in 56 years. It's not terribly effective: It only worked for 35% of the patients tested. But experts say the approval could prompt the development of more effective drugs.
Pfizer Shrinks Its Drug Pipeline Amid R&D Cuts
In an update Tuesday, Pfizer said it is discontinuing 15 of the projects in its development pipeline. The news comes a month after the world's largest pharmaceutical company announced large research and development cuts were on the way.