FDA Policy/General

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Boston Scientific has agreed to acquire NxThera, a privately-held company based in Maple Grove, MN for $306 million upfront and an additional $100 million in potential commercial milestone payments over the next four years. The transaction gives Boston Scientific the Rez?m, a treatment system for men with symptoms arising from benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Cipher Pharmaceuticals has agreed to acquire Cardiome Pharma’s Canadian business portfolio of Cardiome. The transaction will give Cipher access to commercial and pipeline hospital products administered in the acute care setting, including Brinavess (vernakalant IV), Aggrastat (tirofiban hydrochloride), Xydalba (dalbavancin hydrochloride), and Trevyent (treprostinil).

GlaxoSmithKline is backing away from any bid to acquire Pfizer’s consumer health business, which is valued between $15 and $20 billion. The British pharma giant’s announcement followed a similar announcement from potential suitor Reckitt Benckiser Group.

Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton’s responses on vaccines, contraception and abortion medication during her 9/24 Senate confirmation hearing raise concerns that ideology could influence her decision-making if she takes over the agency, MSNBC senior medical analyst Dr. Vin Gupta said Friday. Gupta was particularly critical of Overton’

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton emerged from her Senate confirmation hearing Thursday (see earlier story) without resolving questions about whether she has enough Republican support to advance — and with a rapidly narrowing window for confirmation before the midterm elections. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing provided few

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA has classified Boston Scientific's recall of its Imager II Angiographic Catheters as Class I because a manufacturing problem could cause catheter tips to degrade and detach, potentially resulting in life-threatening complications. The agency announced the Class I classification 9/25, updating an Early Alert it issued

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

FDA has approved Roche’s Gazyva (obinutuzumab) for reducing the risk of relapse in adults and children aged 2 and older with frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent, childhood-onset idiopathic nephrotic syndrome who are in remission. The expanded approval covers the use of the CD20-directed antibody beyond its existing

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Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome