Rise and shine, everyone, another busy day is on the way. Our journey is made more tolerable today thanks to a bright and shiny sun enveloping the otherwise chilly Pharmalot campus. To keep warm, yes, we are quaffing a few welcome cups of stimulation, alternating between peppermint mocha and blueberry. Feel free to join us. What have you got to lose? Meanwhile, here are some tidbits. Hope you have a smashing day and, as always, we would like to remind you that we accept tips, encrypted messages, and secret dossiers from overseas …
Preliminary research suggesting some diabetes patients may be injecting medicine that has partially disintegrated is causing concern even as serious questions are raised about the research itself, the Associated Press writes. The study author, a pharmacist, bought 18 vials of insulin at several pharmacies and found, on average, the vials had less than half of what was listed on the label and none met a minimum standard. But the methods used to test the insulin are being questioned, and insulin makers, patient advocate groups, and diabetes experts say patients would be getting sick if the findings were accurate. The study was published in the Journal of Diabetes Science & Technology.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has won another reprieve for its blockbuster Advair lung drug after the Food and Drug Administration delayed approval of a generic copy from Sandoz, Reuters tells us. The Novartis (NVS) unit received a so-called complete response letter and, as a result, a launch of a generic Advair this year now appears “highly unlikely.” The setback follows similar delays last year for generic copies of the inhaled drug that were developed by Mylan (MYL) and Hikma (HKMPY), which has been working with Vectura (VEGPF). The timing of the arrival of a generic Advair in the U.S. is critical to the near-term earnings outlook for Glaxo.
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