pharmaceutical companies

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.

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.

Samsung Electronics is known for its smartphones, TVs and memory chips. Now it wants to tackle biopharmaceuticals, on Friday announcing a new joint venture to produce drugs to treat cancer and arthritis. Here's why the move could prove an ill-needed distraction for the electronics giant.

The odds of shepherding a new drug to market in recent years has fallen to nearly one in 10 -- about half of the previous rate, according to a new study released this week. First, a new treatment must survive several layers of clinical studies -- and then the FDA approval process. That trip is getting tougher.

Vivus shares are soaring this morning, even though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration rejected the drugmaker's obesity drug Qnexa yesterday. Investors are hoping that the FDA's rejection, which includes a request for more safety data -- not another clinical trial -- will lead to approval next year.

Big Pharma didn't rest Thursday, with Celgene, Sanofi-Aventis and AstraZeneca among the big names reporting earnings. A deal between Stryker and Boston Scientific and Sanofi and BMP Sunstone also made the headlines, as did some hiring from Teva. Bristol-Myers Squibb received the anticipated new approval for one of its cancer drugs. But it was Celgene that led drug stocks higher.

Global pharmaceutical sales are expected to grow by 5% to 7% in 2011, thanks to robust growth in emerging markets, especially China, as well as new innovative treatments, and despite patent expirations and budget pressures in the developed world.

Since the recession began, more than 8 million Americans have lost their jobs. But perhaps even more surprising is the small number of companies that are responsible for laying off such a large percentage of today's unemployed workers.

This week, a study reported that heartburn medications can exacerbate existing conditions instead of alleviating them. The study, which said that Prilosec and similar drugs can cause more -- and more painful -- heartburn, reminded me of a realization made at a marketing focus group. The goal of the...

Of all the problems with the current health care system, perhaps the most insidious is that the system is fueled by special interest groups, whose chief concern is their own bottom line. There are a lot of hands in the pot: insurance companies, drug makers, hospitals, device and equipment...