sp2 Magazine

Amgen and Micromet, Inc have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Amgen will acquire Micromet, a biotechnology company founded in Germany with a research and development centre in Munich (Micromet commenced operations at the IZB Innovation Center in Munich) and headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, USA for $11 per share in cash. The transaction values Micromet at about $1.16 billion and has been was unanimously approved by the Amgen and Micromet Boards of Directors.

In line with their respective business strategies, DSM Pharmaceutical Products and Indoco have established an agreement in which APIs manufactured by Indoco will be marketed and sold by DSM for the production of pharmaceutical finished dosages. The alliance will employ Indoco’s product development and cGMP manufacturing capabilities and DSM’s market access. In addition DSM will use its operation and quality systems to allow faster growth in regulated markets.

Eli Lilly and Company’s fourth quarter revenue declined two percent driven by Zyprexa and Gemzar patent expirations, partially offset by growth in other products, and the company’s fourth quarter earnings per share were $0.77. Full-year 2011 revenue grew by 5 per cent to $24 billion, with seven pharmaceutical products and Lilly’s animal health business exceeding $1 billion in annual sales. Full-year 2011 earnings per share totaled $3.90 and 2012 earnings per share guidance was confirmed to be in the range of $3.10 to $3.20.

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc has announced plans to establish a Global R&D Technology Center in North Brunswick, New Jersey, USA. The company has signed a lease for a 32,000 sq ft facility at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s Technology Centre of New Jersey, a 50-acre complex consisting of lab, production and office space. The company intends to initially invest about $4.5 million in outfitting the new facility.

Pfizer has reported financial results for fourth-quarter and full-year 2011, reporting fourth-quarter 2011 revenues of $16.7 billion, a decrease of 4% compared with $17.4 billion in the year-ago quarter, which, the company stated, reflects an operational decline of $765 million, or 5%, and the favorable impact of foreign exchange of $157 million, or 1%. For the fourth-quarter of 2011, US revenues were $6.3 billion, a decrease of 12% compared with the year-ago quarter.

OctoPlus NV has signed a formulation development and manufacturing contract with Ferring Pharmaceuticals A/S, which is expected to make a significant contribution to OctoPlus’ 2012 revenues. OctoPlus is a specialist in the development and manufacture of improved injectable pharmaceuticals based on proprietary drug delivery technologies that exhibit fewer side effects, improved patient convenience and a better efficacy/safety balance than existing therapies.

Roche has posted strong operating results in what it says was a challenging market in 2011. Core operating profit grew faster than sales, and core earnings per share increased by 11% at constant exchange rates. The strengthening of the Swiss franc against major currencies, notably against the US dollar and the euro, had a significant negative impact on the results expressed in Swiss francs. However the underlying currency translation exposure arising from non-Swiss franc revenues was significantly mitigated by the majority of the Group’s cost base (80%) being located outside Switzerland.

Biopharmaceutical services provider PAREXEL International Corporation has entered into an agreement with ASAN Medical Center (AMC), based in Seoul, Korea to offer clinical trial sponsors access to high-quality clinical trial services throughout Asia, with a focus on early phase development.

Almac’s Diagnostics business unit has launched advanced next-generation sequencing (NGS) data analysis services. These additions to the company’s service portfolio include a comprehensive range of NGS solutions from professional study design to sample processing and expert data analysis for DNA and RNA samples. The customisable services are available on a standalone basis or in combination with Almac’s bioinformatics offerings in biological analysis, biomarker and drug discovery and development, and diagnostic product development.

Novartis has announced its 2011 financial results, reporting a net sales increase of 16% to $58.6 billion, with a positive currency impact of 4% arising from the weakness of the US dollar against most major currencies during much of the year. Recently launched products sales grew by 38% over 2010 to $14.4 billion.