Drugmakers Alvogen and Natco Pharma said they have settled a patent suit filed against them in the United States by Gilead Sciences ($GILD), Roche ($RHHBY) and Genentech. The settlement will allow the two generic makers to market their copy of oseltamivir phosphate capsules through Feb. 23, 2017, which is the date of the expiration of its pediatric exclusivity period from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA original granted "tentative approval" for the drug in 2014 when Alvogen and Natco partnered on the abbreviated new drug application. In March, Natco was handed a court victory in the United States when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of the case filed by Gilead and the others after Natco won a lower court decision. In that case, Natco and Alvogen said Gilead et al. were asserting protection under a more recent patent that constituted so-called double-patenting and that the original patent had already expired. Release
> India's Aurobindo Pharma said it has been given approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to market its acute coronary syndrome treatment Eptifibatide in the U.S. Report
> Novartis ($NVS) and India's Rhizen Pharmaceuticals, which is a unit of Alembic Pharma, said they have agreed to a deal where Novartis will further develop and globally commercialize a Rhizen-developed experimental respiratory drug. Report
> India's Anuh Pharma said it plans to set up a manufacturing plant that it will use to produce drugs for "regulated markets" and plans to introduce four new treatments for cardiovascular disease as well as anti-convulsant treatments. Report
> At least 18 domestic Indian health care companies have tapped the capital markets for $1.7 billion by the end of November, luring investors to the subcontinent with their strong brands and established market share as the country looks to boost incomes and ramp up urbanization, developments that are expected to boost the need for medical facilities. Report
> Singapore's efforts to turn the city-state into a global powerhouse for research and development in the biomedical field appear to be paying off with institutes reporting success in developing treatments for glaucoma, new technologies for membranes used in desalination as well as new treatments for colorectal, ovarian and pancreatic cancers. Report
> Researchers in Australia said they have received promising results from the cancer drug anastrozole which showed in a clinical trial it was as effective as tamoxifen for treating ductal carcinoma. Report
> China is reported to be "flooding" the India market for bulk drugs used by India's generic makers, leaving India reliant on the mainland and seeing its ability to negotiate favorable prices in danger. Report
> The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning to drug compounders about lots of the baclofen API manufactured by China's Taizhou Xinyou Pharmaceutical & Chemical that may be contaminated and should not be used for sterile injectable drugs. Report
> Foreign players in the medical tourism business are waking up to the fact that more and more Chinese are going abroad for treatment of serious diseases. The growth rate in Chinese medical tourism has been 40% over the past three years. Report
> Akaal Pharma said its MS treatment AKP-11 showed "superior" safety and efficacy in recent clinical trials and is ready to enter a Phase I trial. Release
> AltheaDx said it has raised $30 million in Series C financing led by WuXi Healthcare Ventures with input from WuXi PharmaTech, Ally Bridge Group and ALMA Life Sciences with the cash to be used for trials of its IDgenetix testing system. Release
> India's Sun Laboratories, a unit of Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, is raising about $156 million in the domestic bond market to fund an internal restructuring. Report
> U.S. drugmaker Mylan ($MRK) is trying to get to the bottom of problems at the Agila manufacturing plant it bought from India's Strides Arcolabs for $1.7 billion in 2013 which is under scrutiny from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Report