Teva pioneering a biosimilar to compete with blockbuster Rituxan

Teva Pharmaceutical is taking aim at Roche's blockbuster Rituxan, confirming reports that it is developing a biosimilar of the monoclonal antibody. Bloomberg reports that Teva appears to be on track to develop the first monoclonal antibody follow-on, one of the pioneers in a coming wave of biosimilars that is expected to start gaining approval around 2013 and 2014. Teva is studying TL011 as a replacement biologic for rheumatoid arthritis patients now on Rituxan. The therapy, Roche's second...

Teva’s ALS drug flunks a Phase II trial

Teva Pharmaceuticals' experimental therapy for Lou Gehrig's disease failed a mid-stage clinical trial. Researchers said that its amyotrophic lateral sclerosis drug talampanel failed to hit the primary endpoint for a reduction in disease-related functional deterioration. Teva's release revealed little about the data. Researchers studied the drug in a Phase II trial that recruited 559 patients divided into three groups. Two groups received differing doses of the drug, and the third was given a...

Mersana, Teva ink $334M deal for preclinical cancer drug

Cambridge, MA-based Mersana Therapeutics has forged its first big licensing pact, inking a $334 million collaboration deal with Teva for a preclinical cancer drug program. Under the deal, Mersana will be responsible for taking XMT-1107 into Phase I during this quarter before passing it on to Teva's control. The Israeli company, which has been ambitiously building up its pipeline for novel therapies as it expands beyond generics, will cover program research costs from this point. In exchange for...