Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - November/December 2007 - (Page 8)

8 News & Analysis Nov/Dec 2007 Pharmaceutical Executive Europe News & Analysis For more on these news stories and all the latest breaking pharma news, look at our website www.pharmexeceurope.com, which now features daily updates, interactive surveys and dedicated sections for your particular area of interest. M&A Roche (Switzerland) has extended its offer to acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Ventana Medical Systems, Inc (US) to 5.00pm, New York City time on Thursday, January 17, 2008. The tender offer was previously scheduled to expire at 5.00pm, New York City time, on November 1, 2007. All other terms and conditions of the tender offer remain unchanged. The CRO Averion International (US) has acquired Hesperion AG (Switzerland) from its parent company, Cerep SA (France) for €25.0 million. Dishman Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals Ltd (India) has acquired the fine chemicals, vitamin D and vitamin D analogues businesses of Solvay Pharmaceuticals (the Netherlands). Following the deal, all facilities, people and activities located at Solvay’s Veenendaal site in the Netherlands, as well as the technology, patent and intellectual property rights for the fine chemicals, vitamin D and vitamin D analogues businesses have been transferred to Dishman. Quantum Genomics Corp (“QGC”; France) has acquired Eurobiobiz SAS (France), a company specializing in the identification and development of high value-added projects in the field of life sciences and academic research. Financial terms were not disclosed. VWR International, LLC (US) has acquired Omnilabo International BV (the Netherlands), a laboratory supply distributor. Omnilabo has 42 employees based in the Netherlands and Belgium. PATENTS, LEGAL Merck & Co, Inc (US) has entered into an agreement to resolve state and federal myocardial infarction (MI) and ischemic stroke claims already filed against the company in the Vioxx litigation in the United States. If certain conditions under the agreement — which covers more than 95% of the current claims — are met, the company will pay a fixed amount of $4.85 billion into a settlement fund for qualifying claims that enter into the resolution process. This is not a class-action settlement. Claims will be evaluated on an individual basis. Elan (Ireland) is accusing Actavis Group HF (Iceland) of infringing two US patents for Focalin XR, a treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The Court of Appeal of Barcelona has upheld Pfizer’s enantiomer patent covering the calcium salt of atorvastatin, the active ingredient in Lipitor (sold in Spain under the brand names Zarator and Cardyl), reversing the lower court decision. The calcium salt patent expires in July 2010. The patent was challenged by generic manufacturer Lek Pharmaceuticals DD, and is one of four separate challenges to the calcium salt patent by generic companies in Spain. Barr Laboratories Inc (US) has initiated a challenge of Alcon Inc (Switzerland) patents related to Alcon's Patanol, a treatment for allergic conjunctivitis. Barr’s ANDA for a generic version of Patanol, which it filed with FDA in June, was accepted for filing in September. info@clinphone.com www.clinphone.com sponsored by http://www.pharmexeceurope.com http://www.clinphone.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - November/December 2007

Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - November/December 2007
Contents
From the Editor
News and Analysis
Calendar
Brussels Report
A Year in Pharma
Working With IQWiG
Developing Strategies for Developing Countries
Due Pharmacovigilance
Streamlining Synergies
A New Europe for CROs
The Mix
Last Word

Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - November/December 2007