Reuters Health News Summary
Following is a summary of current health news briefs.
At least six funds interested in Sanofi European generic drugs unit -Le Figaro
French pharmaceutical group Sanofi is set to start the process to sell its generic drug business in Europe, and at least six funds have expressed interest to investment banks mandated by group, France's Le Figaro newspaper reported. Rothschild and JP Morgan, two investment banks mandated by Sanofi to handle the divestment, will send out memos to potential buyers in the next few weeks, Le Figaro said in its Friday edition.
U.S. court reverses ban on sale of Regeneron, Sanofi cholesterol drug
A U.S. appeals court on Thursday threw out a ban on the sale of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc and Sanofi SA's cholesterol-lowering drug Praluent, and ordered a new trial after finding a jury was given improper instructions. The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington was a setback for Amgen Inc, which claimed Praluent infringed patents on its rival drug, Repatha, and had won the sales ban after a jury trial.
Elderly with dementia at risk for inappropriate medications
More than half of elderly patients with dementia are prescribed at least one potentially inappropriate medication, a recent study from eight European countries suggests. Some medicines are not typically given to older patients because the potential side effects outweigh their clinical benefit and because there are often safer or more effective alternatives available.
Car crash death rates highest in remotest rural areas
Car crash death rates get increasingly high as population density drops, fueled in part by lower seat belt use in the remotest rural areas, a U.S. study suggests. "We already knew that death rates were higher and seat belt use was lower in rural versus urban areas," said lead study author Laurie Beck, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta.
New Jersey sues Insys as opioid maker settles with Massachusetts
New Jersey on Thursday accused Insys Therapeutics Inc of engaging in a fraudulent scheme to boost sales of a fentanyl-based cancer pain drug, as Massachusetts announced a $500,000 settlement with the drugmaker to resolve similar allegations. The lawsuit by New Jersey Attorney General Christopher Porrino accused Insys of illegally directing its sales force to push prescriptions of Subsys for a broader range of patients than the opioid drug was approved for, and at higher doses.
Many women with disabilities don´t get cancer screening
Women with physical and mental disabilities may be less likely to receive recommended screenings for breast or bowel cancers than other patients, a UK study suggests. Among nearly one million older women invited to get either breast or bowel screening, 23 percent had a physical disability limiting mobility, impaired vision or hearing, cognitive difficulties or challenges with daily tasks like dressing, bathing and eating, the study found.
Roche bladder cancer drug struggles as medics focus on survival
Roche's immunotherapy drug Tecentriq has lost market share to Merck & Co's rival Keytruda since a clinical trial showed the Swiss company's medicine failed to improve overall survival in bladder cancer. Many modern cancer drugs are approved on the basis of alternative clinical endpoints, such as tumor shrinkage or reduced risk of disease progression, but extending patients' lives remains the most important benchmark for oncologists.
Senator McCaskill drafts bill in response to Allergan patent maneuver
Democratic U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill on Thursday said she drafted a bill stating that tribal sovereign immunity cannot be used to block U.S. Patent and Trademark Office review of a patent. Drugmaker Allergan Plc made a deal to transfer some of its patents to a Native American tribe two weeks ago in order to shield them from review.
Teva's Copaxone faces generic competition in Europe after U.S. hit
Teva's blockbuster multiple sclerosis treatment Copaxone will face additional generic competition in Europe, just two days after Mylan NV won U.S. approval to sell cheaper versions of the medicine in the world's largest market. Mylan's European partner, Synthon, and Alvogen said on Thursday they had received decentralized European approval for a 40 milligram dose of glatiramer acetate, as Copaxone is known generically.
Eli Lilly defeats challenge to Alimta cancer drug patent
A federal patent review board on Thursday rejected a challenge to a patent covering Eli Lilly and Co's Alimta drug to treat some lung cancers and mesothelioma. The U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board said Neptune Generics LLC and other companies failed to show it was more likely than not that 22 claims underlying the Lilly patent could not be patented.
