Celgene's ($CELG) Abraxane is one of those cancer fighters that has proven effective against many forms of cancer, and so the company has sought approvals far and wide, sometimes successfully and other times not. Now it has been recommended in Europe to treat lung cancer. Already approved in Europe for breast cancer and pancreatic cancer, the New Jersey-based company today reported that the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) is recommending...

  Pfizer R&D chief Mikael Dolsten SAN FRANCISCO--PCSK9 drugs are the next big market waiting to happen, and with rivals Sanofi ($SNY)/Regeneron ($REGN) and Amgen ($AMGN) ahead in the development race, Pfizer ($PFE) wants to make sure it can lock down a solid share of the market. So beyond in-development anti-cholesterol antibody bococizumab, it's working on a wider PCSK9 "franchise," R&D chief Mikael Dolsten said Tuesday at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference--an...

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) accepted Pfizer's ($PFE) application to expand its label for blockbuster vaccinePrevenar 13 back in August, and so far, an advisory committee likes what it sees. Europe's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has backed Prevenar, recommending the European Commission (EC) expand the vaccine's label in adults to include the prevention of pneumonia caused by the 13 pneumococcal serotypes the vaccine contains. And if the EC follows s...

Anyone who's watched a Viagra commercial knows that Pfizer ($PFE) isn't too embarrassed to talk about sex. Anyone who's run across Pfizer's "Get Old" campaign knows it doesn't shy away from aging, either. Now, the drug giant is going equal opportunity on the sex-and-aging talk, and "Desperate Housewives" actress Brenda Strong has the dialogue. With its latest menopause awareness campaign, Pfizer is taking a break from hot flashes and night sweats. Instead, it's focusing on some lesser-known eff...

Bayer, which picked up Merck's ($MRK) consumer health unit in a $14.2 billion deal this spring, wanted to fold in all the brands from the New Jersey pharma giant's lineup. But to do so, it had to do some creative assignment shuffling. And its agencies had to take some creative steps of their own. In order for JWT, one of the German pharma's roster agencies, to take on Coppertone--a sizable Merck brand conflicting with existing sunscreen business from Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic--parent comp...

An FDA snub is never welcome news for a drugmaker. But in the case of last winter'sLemtrada turn-down, Sanofi's ($SNY) Genzyme has found a silver lining. Carole Huntsman, Genzyme VP and MS business unit head "In terms of how we market the product and how we'll market the product logistically, it gave us more time to work on our plans," Carole Huntsman, Genzyme VP and MS business unit head, and the company sees those plans helping it take its multiple sclerosis franchise to ...

Pfizer and Amgen's Enbrel The good news for Eli Lilly: Its experimental late-stage psoriasis drug has topped Pfizer ($PFE) and Amgen's ($AMGN) blockbuster Enbrel in a head-to-head study. The not-so-good news: It's not the only one. Lilly ($LLY), Novartis ($NVS), Celgene ($CELG), Amgen, AstraZeneca ($AZN) and more are accelerating toward FDA approval, with the first decisions coming as soon as next month. Their next challenge? Standing out from the crowd. Lilly's candidate, i...

When it comes to selling big, cancer drugs have a lot going for them. Their targets--deadly diseases that in many cases can kill quickly--put them in high demand, even as they continue to redefine "premium pricing." Some newer drugs can be targeted at patient groups who have the best chances of benefiting, helping justify those high costs. And biologics, for now, don't face the same generic onslaughts that pummel pharma sales come patent expiration time. That's not to say they don't face road...