Recently, AstraZeneca plc (AZN) announced the submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its blood clot preventer Brilinta (ticagrelor). Brilinta is an oral reversible P2Y12 adenosine diphosphate receptor antagonist for arterial thrombosis aimed to compete with the blockbuster drug Plavix which is co-developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) and Sanofi-Aventis (SNY). On Oct 26, 2009, AstraZeneca filed for approval of the drug with the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) and is awaiting validation of the application.   AstraZeneca is seeking an FDA approval of Brilinta primarily on the basis of data from PLATO (a study of Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes), a late-stage 18,624 patient trial, that showed that Brilinta was more effective than Plavix in treating patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in 43 countries. Brilinta treatment resulted in a reduction of cardiovascular events (CV death, MI or ...

Nov. 17, 2009 (PR Newswire) — CORALVILLE, Iowa, Nov. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Vivakor, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: VIVK) today announced that its Board of Directors approved a dividend of shares of common stock of HealthAmerica, Inc., a Nevada corporation of which Vivakor owns approximately 84% of the outstanding common stock. Each Vivakor shareholder will be entitled to receive one share of HealthAmerica common stock for each share of Vivakor common stock beneficially owned on the record date. The record date for the distribution is expected to be December 1, 2009, subject to review and approval of FINRA, and the distribution date is expected to be December 9, 2009. After the dividend distribution, Vivakor will continue to own approximately 62% of the outstanding common stock of HealthAmerica.

Vivakor shareholders will not be required to take any action to receive the HealthAmerica common shares on the distribution date.

Vivakor Chairman Matt Nicosia

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Geron Corporation (NASDAQ:GERN) today announced that they have reached an agreements with the Food and Drug Administration to re-initiate clinical trials for spinal cord injury. The company said that they plan to advance clinical development of their human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-based product, GRNOPC1 which will be used for the treatment of spinal cord injuries. The plan is to let Geron Corporation restart the Phase 1 clinical trial of GRNOPC1 in patients who are suffering from complete thoracic spinal cord injury and to support the future expansion of the clinical trial with patients who are suffering from cervical injuries.

Geron Corporation is one of the developers for the first-in-class biopharmaceuticals that is used for the treatment of cancer and chronic degenerative diseases like spinal cord injury, diabetes and heart failure. GRNOPC1 that is being developed by Geron Corporation is made for the treatment of spinal cord injury but Geron is

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CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ:CYTR) has announced that a paper published in Gerontology journal concluded that molecular chaperone amplification may represent a significant strategy in the designing of anti-aging pharmaceuticals in the near future. CytRx Corporation is a biopharmaceutical research and development company engaged in the development of high-value human therapeutics. The Company’s drug development pipeline includes programs in clinical development for cancer indications, including tamibarotene in a study for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). CytRx is also developing two drug candidates based on its industry-leading molecular chaperone technology, which aims to repair or degrade misfolded proteins associated with disease.

CytRx believes that the inhibition of molecular chaperones that normally help protect cancer cells from toxic misfolded proteins may result in the selective destruction of cancer cells. CytRx

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CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ:CYTR) has announced that a paper published in Gerontology journal concluded that molecular chaperone amplification may represent a significant strategy in the designing of anti-aging pharmaceuticals in the near future. CytRx Corporation is a biopharmaceutical research and development company engaged in the development of high-value human therapeutics. The Company’s drug development pipeline includes programs in clinical development for cancer indications, including tamibarotene in a study for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). CytRx is also developing two drug candidates based on its industry-leading molecular chaperone technology, which aims to repair or degrade misfolded proteins associated with disease.

CytRx believes that the inhibition of molecular chaperones that normally help protect cancer cells from toxic misfolded proteins may result in the selective destruction of cancer cells. CytRx Corporation currently has two clinical-stage molecular chaperone drug candidates and has discovered a series of additional compounds that may provide a pipeline

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We are initiating coverage of Oxygen Biotherapeutics, Inc. (OXBO) with an ‘Outperform’ rating. Despite what has been a tumultuous past for the company and a abysmal fate for competitors attempting to develop similar products, the potential upside that Oxycyte offers is too significant to ignore.  Does Oxycyte do what management says it does? (Key Efficacy Question) In theory, Oxycyte has the potential to be a wonder drug -- a sort of WD-40 of medicine. Preclinical data suggests that Oxycyte has astounding potential for the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI), decompression sickness, carbon monoxide poisoning, sickle cell crisis, organ preservation and as a neuroprotectant in patients with myocardial infarction or stroke. The effects in TBI were clearly evident in the phase I program conducted by Oxygen Bio in 2006. Initial phase II data from STOP-TBI will become available in 2010. However, data from small ...

Oxygen Biotherapeutics now has a clinical development pipeline which includes seven indications for Oxycyte(TM) emulsion. Oxycyte is the Company’s perfluorocarbon (PFC) therapeutic oxygen carrier. The new Oxycyte pipeline includes: Traumatic Brain Injury, Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, Surgical Iatrogenic Air Embolism, Spinal Cord Injury, Organ Preservation, Decompression Sickness, and Sickle Cell Crisis.

The company has also reported that its topical pipeline includes six additional indications in development for the Oxycyte Gel. The first use of the Dermacyte Gel is for a cosmetic line that is now available for pre-orders via the BuyDermacyte.com website, with product shipment expected in about four weeks. Other uses include treatment for Wounds, Burns, Acne, Rosacea, Cell Treatment after Radiation Therapy, and Erectile Dysfunction. Oxygen Biotherapeudics is also working on two additional uses for Oxycyte Compounds, including a ventilation device called VitaVent and a Deep Immersion Fluorocarbon Treatment for severe burns.

Oxygen Biotherapeutics CEO Chris Stern commented on the

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Following the recent merger of Pfizer (PFE) and Wyeth, a U.S. court imposed a huge fine on the company’s subsidiary Pharmacia & Upjohn for fraudulent marketing of its painkiller Bextra (valdecoxib). The penalty of $1.195 billion was the largest criminal fine ever imposed in the U.S. In addition, a criminal forfeiture of $105 million was enforced on the company.   In September, Pfizer had agreed to pay an additional $1 billion along with interest to settle civil allegations related to fraudulent promotion of four drugs – Bextra, the anti-psychotic drug Geodon, the antibiotic Zyvox and the anti-epileptic drug Lyrica – as well as claims that the company paid kickbacks to physicians to prescribe these and nine other drugs.   In addition to the huge penalty, Pfizer had to agree to comply with the terms of a new and significantly expanded corporate compliance program. It seeks to ensure that ...

It was a downward slide for the Amicus Therapeutics on Monday when the drug company announced the failure of its drug candidate for Gaucher disease, an enzyme disorder. The shares of Amicus Therapeutics dropped considerably soon after the company came out with the disappointing news about the inefficiency of their drug named Plicera. The shares of Amicus dropped around $2.77, or 32.6 percent to $5.73 in the morning trading.

On Friday, Amicus Therapeutics came out with the news of the failure of their drug candidate Plicera and said that the drug did not appear to work for many patients in the midstage clinical trial as expected and so they had to come out with the sad news. Gaucher disease is an enzyme disorder that can harm the liver and cause neurological complications.

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Sanofi-Aventis (SNY) received good news earlier this week with the company receiving a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) for Multaq. The CHMP recommended that Multaq should receive marketing authorization in the European Union.  The CHMP has recommended the approval of Multaq for use in adult clinically stable patients with history of, or current non-permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) to prevent recurrence of AF or to lower ventricular rate. The CHMP’s positive opinion is based on clinical data including results from seven international, multi-center, randomized clinical trials involving more than 7000 patients and including the landmark ATHENA trial.  Phase III results on Multaq showed that it, along with standard therapy, significantly reduced the risk of cardiovascular hospitalizations or death from any cause by 24% compared to placebo. This data should help Multaq gain share. We ...