Pharmaceutical industry

August 11, 2008 -- LANSING - Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox today announced that funds from a settlement with the pharmacy benefits management company, Caremark, will be used to promote Michigan's drug cost website, www.michigandrugprices.com. Michigan was part of a 28 state settlement with Caremark.

Caremark engaged in deceptive business practices by encouraging doctors to switch patients to different brand name prescription drugs and representing that the patients and/or health plans would save money. Doctors were not adequately informed of the effect this switch would have on costs to patients and health plans.    » read more »

July 18, 2008 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a final regulation that makes early phase 1 clinical drug development safe and efficient by enabling a phased approach to complying with current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) statutes and FDA investigational requirements.    » read more »

Awards recognize best in-class, Microsoft-based solutions in clinical development, sales and marketing, and discovery and product innovation

BOSTON, June 25, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. today announced winners of the 2008 Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Innovation Awards, honoring companies that have made the most innovative use of Microsoft-based solutions for breakthroughs in business processes and practices throughout the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry.

Announced at the Drug Information Association’s (DIA) 44th Annual Meeting, the awards were presented in the categories of discovery and product innovation, sales and marketing, and clinical development.    » read more »

06/17/2008 -- BOSTON – Senator John Kerry today urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to explain the long delays in getting new generic prescription drugs out on the market.

People across Massachusetts and throughout the nation are facing rising costs for medications they depend on every day. For some, especially the elderly and low-income families, affordable generic drugs can be the difference between life and death.

The FDA is currently required to review a generic drug application within 180 days. However, the median approval time for a generic drug application now takes longer than 21 months - well beyond the 180 day requirement. These delays create a serious backlog of applications.    » read more »

Expired Milk, Eggs, Medicines, and Baby Formula Found in Scores of CVS and Rite Aid Stores Statewide

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- June 12, 2008 – New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today announced his office is taking legal action against CVS and Rite Aid pharmacies after a statewide investigation into retail drug stores found the companies sold expired products - including milk, eggs, medicines and baby formula - at stores across New York.    » read more »

Subsidiary of BioLineRx Opens U.S. Office in Rockville, Hires Local Business Development Executive

BALTIMORE, MD -- May 29, 2008 – As part of his economic development mission to Israel, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley today announced that BioLineRx USA, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of BioLineRx, one of Israel’s leading drug development companies, has opened a U.S. office in Maryland.

BioLineRx USA has already hired a local Vice President of Business Development to seek out potential collaborative opportunities for BioLineRx in Maryland and the U.S.    » read more »

May 29, 2008 -- Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today announced a lawsuit against McKesson Corporation, a pharmaceutical distributor, for artificially inflating drug costs incurred by Connecticut consumers and state-funded health care programs.

Blumenthal sued on behalf of Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner Michael P. Starkowski and Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) Commissioner Jerry Farrell, Jr.

The inflated costs affected several top-brand drugs, including Allegra, Azmacort, Celebrex, Flonase, Lipitor, Neurontin, Nexium, Prevacid and Valium. These drugs are used to treat a variety of ailments such as asthma, allergies, pain, arthritis and cholesterol.    » read more »