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Odanacatib Phase III Success Suggests Merck’s Primary Care Gamble Is Paying Off

 
• By Emily Hayes

A data monitoring committee’s early termination of a 16,000-patient Phase III study of Merck’s cap-K inhibitor odanacatib suggests the osteoporosis therapy could have a competitive profile. Drug will need to offer significant advantages to cut it in the crowded market already saturated with generics.

Merck & Co. Inc. made more headway on its primary care ambitions with the termination of a large, multicenter Phase III study of osteoporosis drug odanacatib, in light of positive efficacy for fracture prevention with apparently acceptable safety.

Merck needs new candidates to help fill the void that will be left by Singulair (montelukast), which had sales of $5.5 billion in 2011 and goes off patent in August

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UK Health Data Research Service Looks ‘Encouraging’ For Industry, But Implementation Details Will Be Key

 
• By Anabel Costa-Ferreira

Marcus Vass and Vladimir Murovec of international law firm Osborne Clarke tell the Pink Sheet what the government's planned HDRS might mean for industry, and how it compares with the European Health Data Space.

EU Health Data Space May Speed Up R&D Through Access To Multi-Omics & Clinical Record Data

 
• By Eliza Slawther

The European Health Data Space framework will allow companies to accelerate R&D processes and identify new molecular targets faster by facilitating centralized access to certain types of high-quality data, Finland’s Orion Pharma says.

What The EMA Can Teach HTA Bodies About Joint Clinical Assessments

 
• By Francesca Bruce

EU-level joint clinical assessments conducted under the Health Technology Assessment Regulation need to be more flexible when it comes to evidence requirements, according to experts speaking at a gene and cell therapy conference.

EU ‘Can’t Expect Industry To Give Up Proprietary Insights’ Under Health Data & Clinical Trials Regulations

 
• By Eliza Slawther

Both the EU Clinical Trials Regulation and the European Health Data Space Regulation have the potential to improve harmonization and be highly valuable for industry – but the importance of protecting company data will be paramount, a life sciences consultant says.

More from R&D

Unlocking Opportunities: How To Engage With The EMA On Animal Testing Alternatives

 
• By Neena Brizmohun

The European Medicines Agency, like its counterpart in the US, is increasingly focusing on the use of alternatives to animal testing.

EU Pharma Reform: Exclusivity Vouchers Alone Are Insufficient Incentive For Antimicrobials, Industry Says

 
• By Eliza Slawther

European pharma trade associations EFPIA and EUCOPE outline their respective views on how the EU’s pharma legislation overhaul should tackle antimicrobial resistance, and why transferable exclusivity vouchers alone will not suffice as incentives.

What The EMA Can Teach HTA Bodies About Joint Clinical Assessments

 
• By Francesca Bruce

EU-level joint clinical assessments conducted under the Health Technology Assessment Regulation need to be more flexible when it comes to evidence requirements, according to experts speaking at a gene and cell therapy conference.