Business

North Carolina specialty pharma company Inspire Pharmaceuticals has announced that it is cutting 27% of its workforce (65 jobs) after its denufosol inhalation solution for the treatment of cystic fibrosis failed a Phase 3 trial.… Read more . . .

A group of investors led by LSP Life Sciences Partners of Amsterdam has put together €5 million that device company Activaero will use for continued development of its inhalation systems. Activaero recently initiated clinical studies… Read more . . .

According to MannKind Corporation, it remains committed to gaining approval for its Afrezza inhaled insulin despite continuing requests from the FDA for additional data. The company announced that it is restructuring in order to focus… Read more . . .

According to Teva, its worldwide sales of respiratory drugs, including the Pro-Air albuterol and QVAR beclomethasone inhalers, were down 3% from 2009, to $875 million. Of that amount, $556 million is attributable to sales in… Read more . . .

Isis Pharmaceuticals has reportedly closed down Altair Therapeutics, which it had spun off in 2007 to develop AIR645, an inhaled IL-4 and IL-13 inhibitor for the treatment of asthma. The drug, which was the only… Read more . . .

Assuming that MAP Pharmaceuticals’ Levadex inhaled dihydroergotamine for the treatment of migraine receives FDA approval, Allergan will market the product to pain specialists and neurologists in the US. MAP will handle marketing to primary care… Read more . . .

California-based biotech company Ligand Pharmaceuticals has acquired CyDex Pharmaceuticals and its Captisol solubility-enhancing technology. CyDex’s pipeline includes a Captisol-enhanced budesonide/azelastine nasal spray. Ligand will operate CyDex as a wholly-owned subsidiary. Read the company’s press release. Read more . . .

A court in The Hague has ruled in favor of Sandoz and Hexal, both units of Novartis, agreeing that the Dutch portion of GSK’s European patent for Advair is not valid. GSK may appeal the… Read more . . .