News on GlaxoSmithKline plc

Ligand, Glaxo drug gets European approval

2010-03-12T10:45:39Z

<div id="subtitle">Ligand Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithKline blood disorder drug receives European approval</div><div><p>Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Friday that partner GlaxoSmithKline gained European regulatory approval to sell the blood disorder drug Revolade.</p><p>In December, a European advisory com...

Drugmakers agree on landmark vaccines deal for poor

2010-03-11T15:30:24Z

<div><p>LONDON (Reuters) - Several drug firms have agreed on a landmark deal to supply up to 200 million doses a year of cut-price pneumococcal vaccines to developing nations, according to the global immunization alliance that is overseeing the deal.</p><p>Leading manufacturers of such vaccines include GlaxoSmithKline and Nabi Pharmaceuticals closes GlaxoSmithKline license deal for experimental smoking vaccine</div><div><p>Nabi Pharmaceuticals said Monday it closed an option and license agreement for the smoking vaccine candidate NicVAx with GlaxoSmithKline.</p><p>The deal is potentially worth more than $500 milli...

Dutch government wants to sell flu vaccines back

2010-03-06T11:15:11Z

<div><p>AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Dutch government wants to sell 21 million unused H1N1 flu vaccine doses back to their manufacturers after they proved unnecessary and no other country wanted to buy them, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.</p><p>A spokeswoman for the ministry said it had approached manufacturers GlaxoSmithKline PLC could be facing liabilities up to $6 billion over personal injury lawsuits relating to its diabetes drug Avandia, UBS analysts said in a note made public on Friday.</p><p>The UBS note, which comes a week after a highly critical report on the drug by the Nabi Pharmaceuticals shareholders approved drug development deal with GlaxoSmithKline</div><div><p>Nabi Biopharmaceuticals said Tuesday shareholders approved its option and license agreement for the smoking vaccine candidate NicVAx with GlaxoSmithKline.</p><p>More than 73 percent of Nabi's outsta...

California county sues Glaxo over diabetes drug

2010-03-01T15:00:34Z

<div id="subtitle">Northern California county sues Glaxo over Avandia, says falsely advertised safety risks</div><div><p>A Northern California county has filed suit against GlaxoSmithKline accusing the pharmaceutical company of suppressing evidence that its diabetes drug Avandia causes inc...

Regulus and Glaxo will work on hepatitis C drugs

2010-02-25T13:46:33Z

<div id="subtitle">Regulus could get $150M from expanded partnership with GlaxoSmithKline for hepatitis C work</div><div><p>Drugmaker Regulus Therapeutics LLC said Thursday it is expanding a partnership with GlaxoSmithKline, and will begin researching new treatments for hepatitis C.</p><p>Regulus said it will ide...

Glaxo defends handling of Avandia heart risks

2010-02-25T05:00:49Z

<div id="subtitle">Glaxo fires back against Senate report, says it disclosed safety risks to FDA in 2005</div><div><p>GlaxoSmithKline said Wednesday a Senate report criticizing its handling of heart risks with its diabetes drug Avandia "mischaracterizes and distorts" the company's record.</p><p>In a memo posted online, the British drugmaker takes...

FTSE rises slightly at the open

2010-02-23T01:16:11Z

<div><p>London's FTSE 100 rose at the open on Tuesday, gaining 0.49 percent to 5,378.43 points.</p><p>The index of leading shares had on Monday shed 0.11 percent to close at 5,352.07.</p><p>Monday's gains in the mining sector had been offset by losses sustained by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) after concern over its dia...

Glaxo to remove zinc from denture cream

2010-02-22T08:45:56Z

<div id="subtitle">Glaxo halts production of zinc-containing denture cream after reports of health effects</div><div><p>The maker of Poligrip denture cream will stop making formulas containing zinc amid lawsuits claiming years of excessive use caused neurological damage and blood problems in consumers, allegedly crippling some.</p><p>GlaxoSmith...

Reviewers urge Glaxo's Avandia come off market

2010-02-20T21:45:08Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two U.S. drug safety reviewers have recommended that GlaxoSmithKline PLC's diabetes drug Avandia be pulled from the market after concluding it is more dangerous to the heart than a rival medicine, according to documents released on Saturday.</p><p>The GlaxoSmithKline knew of possible heart attack risks tied to Avandia, its diabetes medication, years before such evidence became public.</p><p>Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) on Friday recommended a swine flu pandemic vaccine produced by French pharmaceutical group Sanofi-Aventis for European use.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;"The European Medicines Agency's Glaxo will reformulate denture cream after reports of nerve damage tied to zinc</div><div><p>ZINC NO MORE: GlaxoSmithKline is removing zinc from three varieties of denture cream, amid lawsuits claiming years of excessive use caused neurological damage and blood problems in consumers.</p><p>LAWSUITS LOOM: Several ...

Glaxo considering job cuts at UK research center

2010-02-22T10:35:58Z

<div><p>Drug maker GlaxoSmithKline PLC said Tuesday that it has begun consultations with workers on cutting jobs at a British research facility, an early step in its plans announced a week ago to shift its research focus.</p><p>Glaxo said the consultation involved possible cuts at its facility in Harlow, 25 miles (40 kms) northeast of GlaxoSmithKline 4th quarter profit up 66 pct with strong boost from swine flu vaccine</div><div><p>GlaxoSmithKline PLC, the world's second largest drug maker by revenue, reported Thursday that its fourth-quarter profit soared by 66 percent, boosted by strong sales of swine flu vaccine and flu medicine.</p><p>In the three mont...

Britain Earns GlaxoSmithKline

2010-02-04T05:30:45Z

FILE - In this April 20, 2009 file photo, a sign for British pharmaceuticals firm GlaxoSmithKline is seen on its offices, in London. GlaxoSmithKline PLC, the world's second largest drug maker by revenue, reported Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, that its fourth-quarter profit soared by 66 percent, boosted by strong sales of swine flu vaccine and flu medicine.(AP Photo/Sang...

Lackluster cancer drug sales hit Roche profit

2010-02-22T12:24:52Z

<div><p>BASEL, Switzerland (Reuters) - Roche Holding AG missed full-year profit forecasts due to disappointing sales of key cancer drugs and gave a Lackluster outlook for 2010, pointing up the wider challenges facing global drugma...

Glaxo CEO: Time to diversify, help poor countries

2010-02-22T12:33:56Z

<div id="subtitle">CEO: Glaxo is diversifying, fostering research for cheap new drugs for poor countries</div><div><p>Andrew Witty, who took over as GlaxoSmithKline PLC's chief executive in May 2008, has been remaking the company from a pure pharmaceutical business to a diverse healthcare conglomerate, a strategy mos...