"Orpea launches new investments in Italy"
(Il Sole 24 Ore Finance and Markets: page 41 – 17 January 2008)
Orpea, a French group specializing in the sector of care homes for the non self-sufficient elderly listed on the Paris Stock Exchange, is strengthening its presence in Italy with a new RSA residence (Health Care Residence) in Borgaro Torinese. The structure is equipped to offer health and social welfare services both to self-sufficient people and people subject to pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease. Next year Orpea will open another RSA residence in the center of Turin, at the headquarters of the former Richelmy Institute of the Salesian Fathers.
http://www.aboutpharma.it/notizia.asp?id=15393
Lazio: anticoagulants, direct distribution
(Il Messaggero Rome: page 34 – 17 January 2008)
Lazio Health Councilor Augusto Battaglia said: 'On Friday I will bring to the Council a resolution on the direct distribution of anticoagulant drugs, which have a high cost for the Regional Health System. We expect savings of many millions and are willing to deliver these medicines to homes as well.' As regards the health deficit of the Region, the Giunta Marrazzo seems to have convinced the Government of the effectiveness of the actions developed to make ends meet, therefore the hypothesis of a commissioner seems to have been definitively dismissed. Battaglia specified: 'we closed 2007 with a deficit of 1 billion euro. In 2 years we have halved the deficit and for 2008 we have launched a cost containment maneuver of approximately 585 million euro. Our goal is to close the current year with a deficit of 500/550 million euro'.
http://www.aboutpharma.it/notizia.asp?id=15392
Clinical study of Vytorin: first results
(International Herald Tribune: pg. 8 – 17 January 2008)
The first results of the clinical study conducted by Merck & Co and Schering-Plough to evaluate the efficacy of Vytorin, a combination of Zocor (simvastatin) and Zetia (ezetimibe), in counteracting the growth of atherosclerotic plaques, reveal that, contrary to expectations, the rate of growth of plaques is doubled in patients treated with Vytorin compared to those treated only with Zocor. However, these results should be interpreted cautiously given that the number of patients involved in the study, 720, is limited and since many of them may have been taking other drugs for years that could potentially have reduced the effect of Zetia.
http://www.aboutpharma.it/notizia.asp?id=15391
"Recordati Exclusive License Agreement with Kentera"
(Bloomberg Finance & Markets: page 7, Free Market: page 13 – 17 January 2008)
Recordati has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Watson Pharmaceuticals for the marketing in 29 European countries of Kentera, an oxybutynin-based transdermal system for the treatment of pathologies of the lower urinary tract. The drug was approved by EMEA in 2004 and is already on the market in some European countries, with an annual turnover of over 7 million euros.
http://www.aboutpharma.it/notizia.asp?id=15390
Novartis: Profits hit by restructuring and generics
(The Financial Times online, les Echos online – January 17, 2008)
Novartis has announced that it has recorded a significant decline d
