Feb 7 (Reuters) – International drug companies are
considering bidding for Ache Laboratorios Farmaceuticos, one of
Brazil’s biggest drugmakers, in a deal valuing it at several
billion dollars, according to people involved in the process.

Buying privately owned Ache could appeal to a number of drug
firms looking to increase their footprint in Latin America – a
region firmly on the radar screen of pharmaceutical groups
hunting new markets as sales in Western countries sputter.

LONDON, Feb 7 (Reuters) – Seven European drugmakers are to
pool their research efforts with academic scientists and smaller
companies in a new 196 million euros ($265 million) project
designed to find tomorrow’s medicines.

The project, backed by the European Union, is the latest
example of the drugs industry exploring ways to share
early-stage research, effectively taking lessons from the kind
of open innovation that gave the world Linux software.

LONDON (Reuters) – It took just 18 minutes for GlaxoSmithKline to get the first call from an investment banker offering to help the drugmaker dispose of its famous Lucozade and Ribena drinks.

In fact, Britain’s biggest drugmaker has not yet decided whether to sell either Lucozade or Ribena – but that did not stop bankers thirsty for a deal pitching in within minutes of news it was starting a “strategic review”.

LONDON (Reuters) – GlaxoSmithKline, Britain’s biggest drugmaker, renewed its promise to return to growth this year, after failing to deliver a hoped-for sales and margin recovery in 2012.

GSK also announced a restructuring of European operations, drug manufacturing and research, designed to save at least 1 billion pounds ($1.6 billion) annually by 2016, while it placed its Lucozade and Ribena drinks brands under strategic review.

LONDON (Reuters) – AstraZeneca’s (AZN.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) new boss said sales and profits would both fall sharply in 2013 as the drugmaker struggles to turn itself around by investing more in-house and on potential acquisitions.

Chief Executive Pascal Soriot forecast a mid-to-high single digit percentage fall in revenue this year, as patent expiries continue to erode business, with earnings declining “significantly more” due to increased operating costs.

LONDON, Jan 31 (Reuters) – AstraZeneca’s new boss
said the drugmaker faced a tough year, with sales expected to
fall by a mid-to-high single digit percentage rate as patent
expiries continued to erode business.

Earnings will decline “significantly more than revenue” this
year as operating costs rise, Britain’s second biggest drugmaker
said on Thursday.

LONDON (Reuters) – AstraZeneca’s (AZN.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) new boss warned on Thursday the drugmaker faced a tough year in 2013, with sales expected to fall by a mid-to-high single digit percentage rate as patent expiries continue to erode business.

Earnings will decline “significantly more than revenue” this year as operating costs rise, Britain’s second biggest drugmaker said.

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) – Pharmaceutical industry productivity is improving as a more targeted approach to drug development yields dividends and regulators offer speedier decisions on medicines that make a real difference to patients.

That is the view of both the head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and drug company CEOs meeting in Davos this week at the World Economic Forum.

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 25 (Reuters) – Climate change is
back on the global agenda, with debate in the corridors at Davos
given fresh impetus by U.S. President Barack Obama and U.N.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon both highlighting it as top
priority this week.

Yet business leaders are still struggling to find the
economic incentives to change current practices.

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) – Novartis Chief Executive Joe Jimenez played down talk that it was looking to sell its one-third voting stake in crosstown rival Roche, and certainly not at its current market price.

There has been widespread speculation that the Novartis could be heading for a change of strategic direction – including a possible sale of the Roche stake – following the appointment of a new chairman on Wednesday.