1/12 Drug Prices Surge; Could Spur Direct Negotiations
Large Price Jumps Reported for Small but Vital Drugs … ranged from 100 percent to 499 percent, but some of the price increases were far larger… {NY Times]
US GAO finds "extraordinary" increases in drug prices … price hikes doubled from 2000 to 2008 … prices jumping by 100 percent to 499 percent -- and in a few cases by more than 1,000 percent…[Reuters]
See Also> Similar Report From AP/Yahoo
Editor's Note:  Our analyst contact explained it this way: direct negotiations are likely coming anyway so they preemptively raised prices in the most popular drugs. 

1/12
Seroquel Ads: 5 Pages Of Warnings Accompany Each Ad
AstraZeneca's New Seroquel Ad Has 5 Pages of Legal Disclaimers … nothing but small print, warning of the drug's side effects. Some of those side effects sound about as bad as the condition the pill is supposed to help …[BNET Pharma; CBS Interactive]
Editor's Note:  Paper journals are going to love this; evary ad is 6 pages minimum.

1/12
Avanafil:  Rapid Acting Erection Pill
VIVUS Announces Additional Results of Phase 3 avanafil Study in Erectile Dysfunction Showing Efficacy in 15 Minutes ... Patients who attempted intercourse within 15 minutes of dosing were successful 67%, 69% and 72% of the time on 50, 100 and 200 mg of avanafil …[Vivus Press Release]
Editor's Note:  They better get it out before Viagra goes generic or their prospects are exceedingly dim.

1/12
Cialis AWP Price Hits $16.67 / Tab
Cialis Price Has Doubled Since Its Launch … introduced in November of 2003 at a wholesale base cost of $8.10 …  47 cents more per pill than Viagra …[BNET Pharma; CBS Interactive]

1/12
SK&A Sells Out
Cegedim Acquires Leading U.S. Healthcare Data Provider SK&A Information Services, Inc. … Founded twenty-six years ago, SK&A researches and maintains contact profiling information for over two million healthcare practitioners, including 800,000-plus prescribers ...the only database of 100% telephone-verified… [Dendrite Press Release]

HIV: Gilead Has Home Grown Quad Pill In Works
Gilead Says Four-in-One Pill May Be Key HIV Product … Gilead's first to combine only its own AIDS drugs. It would contain the two ingredients of Truvada, Gilead's best-selling pill, with two experimental compounds being tested … [Bvloomberg]

1/12
Study: Antipsychitic In Elderly Use Sinks 19% On Gov Warnings
FDA warnings cut antipsychotic use 19 pct: study … about the dangers of giving antipsychotic drugs to patients with dementia have reduced use of the drugs in these patients by a "modest" 19 percent…[Reuters]

1/12
FDA Updates Safety Labels Of 28 Drugs In December
MedWatch December 2009 Drug Safety Labeling Changes ... Clicking on a drug product name in the Summary View will take you to the "detailed view" page, which identifies safety labeling sections and subsections revised, along with a brief summary of new or modified safety information …[FDA]
Editor's Note:  Clicking on the drug name gives you an update of the label changes; nice way for lawyers to  spot target drugs or for drug info scientists to make sure their databases are up-to-date.

1/12
FDA: Someone Stole a Tractor Trailer Load Of Glaxo OTC Meds
Information Notice on Certain Stolen Over-the-Counter Products from GlaxoSmithKline … cases of a wide variety of products, including Tums antacid, Sensodyne and Aquafresh toothpaste and Nicorette gum… tractor trailer stolen from a freight consolidator facility in Memphis …[FDA]

1/12
Fanapt: Novartis Launches Atypical Antipsychotic In US
Drug News: Impotence, Arthritis and Schizophrenia … Novartis actually sold the rights to the drug a while back, to a company called Vanda that was founded by an MD -- who used to work for Novartis…[Wall Street Journal FREE]
See AlsoNovartis Press Release

1/12
Internet Drug News Miscellaneous Short Takes:
Dog Cancer Vaccine Gets Nod
Hartford Courant
N.J. Lawmakers Approve Medical Marijuana
Bloomberg
Nuvigil: Mylan going after Cephalon patent
Pittsburgh Business Journal
Targacept gets $200M payment from AstraZeneca for depression drug
AP
Roche Eyes COPD Market
Zacks
KaloBios, Sanofi strike potential $290M deal
San Francisco Business Times
GlaxoSmithKline pays $35M in licensing deal with ChemoCentryx
Triangle Business Journal
Vertex 2009 loss 'less' than $650 million
Boston Business Journal
Roche CEO leaves job after 18 months
IndyStar