Xarelto data raise questions at the 2010 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions

Results from the ROCKET-AF trial of Xarelto in stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation have been presented at this year's Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association. While positive, the data show that Xarelto has by no means outperformed Pradaxa. Clinicians may start to see the two drugs as complementary alternatives, based on their respective performance in various subgroups.

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Wyeth: Big Pharma continues its shopping spree

The current economic environment has paved the way for leading pharmaceutical firms to sweep in and buy up smaller players, highlighted by Wyeth's potential acquisition of Crucell and Merck & Co's strategy to aggressively look for targets in 2009. An increasing number of pharmaceutical majors are likely to use this approach to strengthen their biologic portfolios and access novel pipeline drugs.

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World Congress on Osteoporosis highlights changing face of bone health

Datamonitor attended this year's International Osteoporosis Foundation World Congress on Osteoporosis and 10th European Congress on Clinical and Economical Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis, the most important meeting on the osteoporosis calendar. A number of major pharmaceutical firms had a presence at the meeting, indicating the significance of this market.

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Vertex: Positive results for cystic fibrosis drug

Vertex has completed a Phase II trial of a small-molecule oral drug, VX-770, which targets the basic defect that occurs in cystic fibrosis (CF). The trial has only been performed in 20 patients from a small, genetically distinct subset of the CF population. However, the results are encouraging and indicate an alternative approach to traditional reactive management of CF.

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Vertex Pharmaceuticals: strong evidence for VX-770 as a potential novel treatment method

Vertex Pharmaceuticals' novel cystic fibrosis treatment VX-770 has demonstrated strong efficacy in a Phase III trial, meeting the primary endpoint and key secondary endpoints. VX-770 targets the underlying cause of the disease, and, if approved, would offer a novel treatment approach.

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Vaccines: sales show global growth

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Vaccines: further consolidation through Sanofi cash bid for Acambis

Sanofi Pasteur's offer, valuing Acambis at GBP276m, will give the French pharmaceutical firm extended access to Acambis's large vaccine pipeline, particularly to a universal influenza vaccine candidate and a Clostridium difficile vaccine. The acquisition represents a further important consolidation step in the growing vaccines market, leaving Austria's Intercell as the next big takeover target.

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Vaccines have re-emerged as growth drivers for the biopharmaceutical industry

Prior to 2000, vaccines were generally regarded as a commodity market with limited revenue opportunities. However, advances in vaccine technology, the launch of new vaccines, increased investment in research, a change of public opinion about vaccination, and more favorable legislation regarding vaccine injury compensation have contributed to their re-emergence as successful growth drivers.

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Vaccine market overview 2010

Five companies account for approximately 80% of total global vaccine sales: Sanofi Pasteur, Merck & Co., GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, and Novartis. The key reason for this oligopoly is the high barrier to entry for smaller players, which usually have limited manufacturing capacity, and may also lack the resources and the distribution networks required for vaccine development.

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Upper GI disorders: prevalence in the seven major markets

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