novartis

The Profitable Side of Going Green

Mother Earth is getting a little bit of relief as more companies yield to pressure from environmentalists and activist shareholders to reduce their carbon footprints. But Gaia isn't the only one who's benefiting: Just ask some of the companies that have saved serious greenbacks by going green.

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.

Big Pharma Looks Beyond Drugs to Smartphone Apps

Pharmaceutical companies looking for fresh sources of profit are increasingly investing in a range of health care innovations that aren't drugs at all, from smartphone apps and educational websites to social media platforms and wireless devices, reports Ernst & Young.

Two Drugs Found to Fight Steve Jobs' Rare Cancer Type

Pfizer's cancer drug Sutent and Novartis's drug Afinitor have both been found to be effective against the rare form of pancreatic cancer that Apple CEO Steve Jobs was diagnosed with in 2004, according to two studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The Problem with Fast-Tracking Drug Approvals: Pharmas Fail to Follow Up

To get potentially lifesaving drugs to patients faster, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is allowed to approve some drugs -- those that address unmet medical needs -- based on fewer trials than usual. But it turns out that many of the pharmaceutical companies fail to conduct follow-up trials to prove the drugs work.

Pfizer Joins Other Pharmas in Giving a Cautious Outlook

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

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.

Government Recoups $4 Billion from Health Care Fraud Cases

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.

A Depressing Outlook for Big Pharma's Next Few Years

After several years of robust expansion, the leading branded pharma companies will see growth slow to just 1.3% from now to 2015, independent market analyst company Datamonitor said in a new report. The primary culprit: expiring patents and an onslaught of generic competition.

What a Wild Year It Was
for Health Care

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.

Pharmaceuticals Reveal Latest on Blood Disease Drugs

At the 52nd annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, which wraps up Tuesday, Novartis, Celgene and Seattle Genetics revealed the latest news from their studies on blood diseases and cancers. But despite some positive results, all three had down days in the stock market.

Osteoporosis Drug Approved for Cancer Patients

The FDA has approved Amgen's osteoporosis drug denosumab for use by cancer patients with solid tumors whose disease has metastasized to their bones. The indication to prevent complications such as fractures and bone pain among those patients could boost the drug's sales by billions.

Pharma News Briefs: Human Genome, Merck, Novartis

Here's a roundup of some of Wednesday's major pharmaceutical news: An FDA panel gave Human Genome Sciences a boost with a thumbs-up for its lupus drug, Benlysta; Merck's experimental heart drug appears to work well without side effects; and Novartis announced its plans for long-term growth.