Amgen Recognized for Best Pipeline and Best New Drug at Scrip Awards
Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) was honored with two 2009 Scrip Awards, winning for Best Overall Pipeline and for Best New Drug for Nplate® (romiplostim), at a Nov. 18 ceremony in London. The Best Overall Pipeline award was presented to Amgen by Scrip in recognition of the size, quality, novelty and market potential of the company's pipeline, as well as its mix of candidates across development stages. According to the judges, Amgen's pipeline is notable for its focus on unmet clinical need.
Boehringer Ingelheim and GSK, companies with a strong heritage in COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and a commitment to improved patient care, have announced their support of The European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients' Associations' (EFA) call for urgent improvement in the care of people with COPD. 
Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) announced it has submitted pediatric data for Lipitor® (atorvastatin) to the European Medicines Agency (EMEA). Pfizer has also developed a new chewable form of Lipitor, including a pediatric-appropriate 5 mg dose, which is part of this submission. Approximately one in 500 people suffer from an inherited disorder, called Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH), which causes high levels of LDL-cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) and an increased risk of heart disease. 
Genzyme Corp. (NASDAQ: GENZ) and Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ISIS) presented the data from the phase 3 study of mipomersen in patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (hoFH). The study met its primary endpoint in an intent-to-treat analysis, with a 25 percent reduction in LDL-cholesterol after 26 weeks of treatment, vs. 3 percent for placebo (p<0.001) which constitutes an average reduction greater than 100 mg/dL. The trial also met each of its secondary endpoints.
The European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes (EFSD), the research Foundation of EASD, and Novo Nordisk are pleased to announce their support of diabetes research with the contribution of 3 million euros over the next three years. "The programme, which will be governed by the EFSD, will support European research into understanding the cause and treatment of all forms of diabetes," explains Dr Viktor Jörgens, executive director of EFSD.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has signed an agreement with the World Health Organization (WHO) to donate 50 million doses of its adjuvanted pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine to WHO for distribution to developing countries most in need. GSK is working with WHO and health authorities to prepare for initial shipments of the vaccine to developing countries by the end of November.
Novartis has received approval from the German regulatory authorities for its adjuvanted cell culture-based Influenza A(H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine, Celtura®. Novartis continues to pursue registration in other major countries, including Japan and Switzerland.