@@Adsense@@ According to the study, around 564 patients across Europe were administered with Victoza drug on daily basis and on an average patient lost 4.8 to 7.2 kilograms over the period depending on the size of dose given. On the other hand, it was also placed with a Xenical placebo and Xenical was only able to reduce around 4.1 kilograms over the period of study. Other drugs of the similar category were also put to test and they were only able to reduce patient’s weight to around 2.1 kilograms during the research period. Hence, the data clearly demonstrates that Victoza has far greater impact on patients to help them reduce their obesity problems.

Novo Nordisk’s Liraglutide marketed as Victoza also reduces the blood pressure and prevalence of pre-diabetes or poor blood sugar control which can clearly classified as diabetes. The results of this study indicate the potential benefit of Victoza in conjunction with an energy-deficit diet for the treatment of obesity and associated risk factors. The Company submitted its New Drug Application for diabetes in May 2008 and received approval from European health regulators in July 2008. Now, Novo Nordisk is waiting for FDA approval after which they will launch the drug in United States.

Microsoft Corporation has been a global leader in the development, manufacturing, licensing and supporting a range of software products and services for different types of computing devices. The software products and services include operating systems for servers, personal computers and other intelligent devices. Basically, the company operates in five business segments and that is Client, Server and Tools, Online Services Business, Microsoft Business Division and Entertainment and Devices Division. Microsoft Corporation also provides consulting and product and solution support services. It trains and certifies computer system integrators and developers as well. On the entertainment front, Microsoft designs and sells hardware including Xbox 360 video game console and Zune which is a digital music and entertainment device.

Microsoft Corporation announced that they are still happy with their performance and that they were able to meet with the strong demand for Windows. The earning announcement came as an added bonus after the announcement of their new operating system, Windows 7 in the very same week. Many analysts say that Microsoft Corporation has been hurt financially because of the slumping demand for personal computers these days and they don’t think that the release of Windows 7 will do any good to the sales figures of Microsoft Corporation.

Currently, HGS has one of the hottest stocks in the biotechnology market as their shares have moved up 500 percent since July this year and with this successful news Human Genome Sciences saw their stock going up and above with investors really impressed with the efforts of HGS. Human Genome Sciences researchers said that in the late stage Phase 3 trial Benlysta reduced the risk of flare ups by 24 percent and severe flares were reduced by 43 percent when compared with the placebo. The data also showed that patients who were under trial and were given Benlysta had significant reduction in fatigue after 4-8 weeks in the treatment. HGS is planning to develop the drug together with GSK and will split revenues from the drug once it is approved for sale.

In July 2009, AstraZeneca had worked upon Crestor and had announced that FDA had granted them additional six-months for exclusive marketing of Crestor. However, AstraZeneca went ahead and tested Crestor’s efficacy and safety through PLUTO (Pediatric Lipid Reduction Trial of Rosuvastatin). The PLUTO study was a 12 week, double-blind, randomized multicenter, placebo-controlled study with a 40 week open-label follow up. The study evaulated the efficacy and safety of AstraZeneca’s Crestor in children within age group of 10-17 who suffered from HeFH. In their announcement AstraZeneca mentioned that currently there are 10 million people worldwide who suffer from this genetic disease and the approval of Crestor will help such patients to great extent.

Crestor is basically an adjunct to diet to reduce the elevated levels of bad cholesterol and to increase HDL-C in patients suffering from primary hyperlipidemia and mixed dyslipidemia. Crestor already has received a regulatory approval in over 95 countries with around 17 million patients worldwide using Crestor for their treatment. Now with the approval from the Food and Drug Administration, Crestor will be also be used for the treatment of pediatric patients suffering from HeFH to reduce cardiovascular mortality.

At the moment, Relistor (subcutaneous injection) is the only drug approved by the health regulators for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation (OIC) in patients suffering from advanced illness and receiving palliative care. Relistor has been approved in around 30 countries though it was first approved and marketed in US, Canada and European Union.

Under the terms of the transition agreement, Wyeth has agreed to pay Progenics Pharmaceuticals a total of US$ 10 million in six quarterly installments to cover the costs associated with the transition. Wyeth will also return the rights to Progenics which they had received under the 2005 Agreement. Wyeth will also provide exclusive rights to Progenics on royalty-free basis and all the right to Relistor intellectual property. Also Wyeth will provide support to Progenics Pharmaceuticals by manufacturing, sales, marketing, distribution and continuing the ongoing clinical studies and regulatory activities for subcutaneous Relistor.

However, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals will continue to commercialize Relistor through the transition period that will end on September 30, 2010 for the United States, and December 31, 2010 for other international markets. However, Progenics have all the rights for early termination if they feel that it would be in the best interest of their company. Progenics is currently completing the non-clinical work for oral Relistor.

Sanofi-Aventis deal with Fovea Pharmaceuticals leaves Sanofi partnered with Dyax in a joint development agreement that covers DX-88, an early stage RVO (retinal vein occlusion) induced macular edema which is commonly known as swelling under the central area of the retina. Soon after the news about the Sanofi-Aventis agreement with Dyax, the shares of Dyax went up around 10 percent to $3.72, however it slide down during the closing trade and closed at $3.38.

The deal will help them develop drugs to treat RVO which is a common cause of vision loss that normally occurs due to blocking of blood flow through a retinal vein. The blood flow is blocked by a blood clot that clouds the vision of the patients.

However, Savient Pharmaceuticals’ new drug Krystexxa is a biologic drug that is used for the treatment of those patients who are unable to take conventional gout treatments, or for those who are not responding to traditional gout treatments. Technically, Krystexxa is a PEGylated recombinant mammalian urate oxidase. It works by breaking down the uric acid, a substance that causes gout in human body. Krystexxa is administered intravenously every two weeks and helps in the reduction of gout tophi, tender or swollen joints, and reduction of flashes as well. However, there are adverse side-effects to Krystexxa that cannot be overlooked and it is still under the review by the Food and Drug Administration panel on the risk-versus-benefit basis.

In August 2009, Savient Pharmaceuticals had announced that they have received a complete response letter from the FDA stating that they cannot approve Krystexxa at the moment considering the side-effects it has. Also, the FDA stated concerns over the manufacturing process for the commercial use of Krystexxa. Savient Pharmaceuticals will work with FDA and resubmit their reports perhaps in early 2010.

Shares of Savient Pharmaceuticals went up 7.4 percent in the afternoon trading soon after the stocks were upgraded by the analysts.

Under the distribution agreement between the two biopharmaceutical firms it has been decided that they will collaborate on manufacturing and supply of the products. After regulatory approval, Hospira and Celltrion would co-exclusively market the drugs with the products independently commercialized under each party’s brand name.

Chairman and CEO of Hospira, Christopher B. Begley has stated that the partnership will provide Hospira an access to Celltrion’s large biogeneric portfolio, and it also shows Hospira’s commitment towards organic and inorganic growth. The Business Cooperation Agreement signed today will be finalized in few coming months.

In a filing with Securities and Exchange Commission, MannKind said that they have come to a conclusion that it would be better to complete the partnership deal after the Food and Drug Administration rules on Afresa which will happen in January 2010. The company said that they have made a substantial progress towards an agreement with a potential partner and that both the companies believe that it would be better to make a deal only after FDA provides their response.

In March 2009, MannKind had submitted their NDA for Afresa Inhalation Powder and Afresa Inhaler which will be used for the treatment of adults with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus for the control of hyperglycemia.

Shares of MannKind went down around 24 percent at $7 in the morning trading and finally touched the low at $6.31 at the end of the day. About 9.5 million shares changed hands shortly after noon, while around 944,000 shares traded on an average in the entire day.

Analysts John Newman changed his rating for the Endo Pharmaceutical Holdings to Outperform and had set the price target of $27 per share. Newman has further stated that Endo Pharmaceutical will surely exceed the profit expectations of Wall Street once their testosterone injection Fortesta will be approved later in this month. He further stated that once Fortesta is released and approved, Endo Pharmaceutical will earn a profit of 65 cents per share, which is comparatively more than what the Wall Street is expecting from Endo at the moment.

In the midday trading share prices of Endo went up $1.59, or 7.2 percent, to $23.70. Generally the shares of Endo Pharmaceutical would trade between $13.87 to $26.14. Many analysts predict that Endo will earn a profit of $2.70 per share by next year.