Thomson Scientific Publishes The Ones To Watch - A Quarterly Review Of Phase Changes In The Pharmaceutical Pipeline

Main Category: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Article Date: 17 Aug 2007 - 1:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

Thomson Scientific, part of The Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC) and leading provider of information solutions to the worldwide research and business communities, issued its quarterly The Ones-to-Watch report, providing expert insight into the five most promising drugs to enter each new phase of clinical development between April and June 2007.

"This quarter's most promising drugs all have significant market potential and are associated with diseases and conditions that impact countless numbers of individuals," said Peter Robins, PhD, and editorial content manager, Thomson Scientific. "These important clinical developments are highly encouraging for innovation-based companies in a period when many pharmaceutical products are coming toward the end of their patent protection."

New research from CMR, a Thomson company, shows that revenue derived from new products (those launched within the last five years) dropped to just 16% of total revenue in 2006. And although the cost of research and development continues to rise, there is no sign of a sustained upturn in the number of new products reaching the market.

Which are the Ones-to-Watch this Quarter?

Topping this quarter's approval list is Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics' Optaflu®, a vaccine for influenza derived from a novel, proprietary cell line. Approved for use in the EU in June 2007, Novartis plans to file for US approval of Optaflu in 2008.

Second on our list is Wyeth, which is marketing Lybrel™ -- a combination of Ievonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol in a daily oral tablet which eliminates the menstrual cycle and is being trialed as a potential treatment for severe premenstrual syndromes.

Third is a drug launched in Japan in June 2007 for the treatment of incontinence and pollakiuria (frequent urination) under the name Staybla®. Urinary incontinence is particularly prevalent in men and usually associated with aging. Where the problem is an overactive bladder, patients may benefit from the M1 and M3 muscarinic receptor imidafenacin, developed by Kyorin Pharmaceutical, Ono Pharmaceutical and LG Life Sciences.

Fourth is a drug for one of the most severe forms of epilepsy (Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome or LGS), affecting approximately 5% of the children who have the disease. Eisai's rufinamide, licensed from Novartis, is the first drug approved in the EU specifically for LGS. Eisai launched rufinamide in Germany, Australia and Scandinavia in June 2007 under the name Inovelon™. US filing is in process.

Finally for this section this quarter, Torisel™ is the brand name of temsirolimus, an analog of the mTOR inhibitor sirolimus (rapamycin) developed by Wyeth Research for the oral treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RRC). Having received FDA approval in May 2007, the drug is now available to patients in the US, while approval is pending in the EU.

Following are the top five drugs in each category of phase changes:

The Five Most Promising Drugs Entering Phase III Trials

-- trazodone, (Depression), Labopharm
-- pimavanserin, (Schizophrenia), ACADIA Pharmaceuticals
-- salmon calcitonin, (Osteoporosis/Paget's disease), Novartis/Nordic Bioscience
-- Generx™, (Coronary artery disease), Cardium Therapeutics
-- fenofibrate and pravastatin, (Mixed dyslipidemia), Sciele Pharma/Galephar PR

The Five Most Promising Drugs Entering Phase II Trials

-- VSF-173, (Excessive sleepiness), Vanda Pharmaceuticals
-- APD-125, (Insomnia), Arena
-- Neugranin™, (Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia), CoGenesys
-- Hepaconda® , (Hepatitis C), Giaconda
-- GRC-6211, (Pain), Glenmark

The Five Most Promising Drugs Entering Phase I Trials

-- Ad35 HIV-ENvA, (HIV infection), GenVec/NIAID Vaccine Research Center
-- nestorone and estradiol (transdermal gel), (Female contraception), Antares/Population Council
-- Fluvacc, (Influenza), Avir Green Hills Biotechnology
-- insulin oral gel capsule, (Diabetes), Oramed
-- trodusquemine, (Obesity), Ganaera

About This Quarterly Report

Data for this report was compiled and analyzed using Thomson Pharma®, a comprehensive global pharmaceutical information solution that covers the entire drug discovery and development pipeline. Its competitive intelligence and strategic data can justify and speed decision-making, facilitate more focused collaboration, and encourage innovation.

About The Thomson Corporation

The Thomson Corporation is a global leader in providing essential electronic workflow solutions to business and professional customers. With operational headquarters in Stamford, Conn., Thomson provides value-added information, software tools and applications to professionals in the fields of law, tax, accounting, financial services, scientific research and healthcare. The Corporation's common shares are listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC).

Thomson Scientific is a business of The Thomson Corporation. Its information solutions assist professionals at every stage of research and development-from discovery to analysis to product development and distribution. Thomson Scientific information solutions can be found at http://www.scientific.thomson.com.

http://www.thomson.com