@FiercePharma: CHMP recommends Roche's Zelboraf to treat BRAF mutation-positive metastatic melanoma. EC decision expected in Feb PR: Release | Follow @FiercePharma
> InterMune ($ITMN), which won European approval earlier this year for the lung-disease drug Esbriet, saw its shares drop after a German health agency said the therapy offered little benefit to patients. News
> A Phase III study of Pfizer's ($PFE) Lyrica in patients with restless legs syndrome met each of its three co-primary endpoints, showing significant benefit versus with placebo and pramipexole. Pfizer will continue to further analyze these top-line results. Pfizer release
> Takeda has decided not to commercialize peginesatide, an investigational therapy for use in the treatment of patients with anemia due to chronic kidney disease, in Japan. Takeda and Affymax will explore other options for the commercialization rights for this product in that market, including potentially licensing it out to a third party. Takeda-Affymax release
> Ariad Pharmaceuticals' offering of 21.5 million shares was priced at Wednesday's close. Shares were trading up 3.5% at $10.78, above the offer and close price of $10.42. The stock has more than doubled this year. The company plans to use the proceeds to continue a trial of its drug ponatinib Article
> Pfizer ($PFE) and GlaxoSmithKline ($GSK) are increasing sales of low-cost pneumonia vaccines to developing countries by more than 50%. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) is buying an additional 180 million doses of Pfizer's pneumococcal vax Prevenar 13 and a similar amount of GSK's Synflorix at $3.50 a shot--a deeply discounted price. Pfizer release | GSK release | Story
> Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals will ship Lipitor from a warehouse in Jacksonville, FL, to about 55,000 pharmacies nationwide. News
> The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has adopted a positive opinion for Esmya 5-mg tablet as pre-operative treatment of moderate to severe symptoms of uterine fibroids. PregLem, the wholly owned subsidiary of Gedeon Richter, hopes for a regulatory signoff in early 2012. Gedeon Richter release
Biotech News
@FierceBiotech: Sygnis Pharma's shares plunge as key stroke drug fails PhII. Article | Follow @FierceBiotech
@JohnCFierce: Amgen has been making a a few deals on the cancer side (Biovex, Micromet this year). Hard to think there will be any dramatic changes. | Follow @JohnCFierce
@FierceMedDev: FDA classifies voluntary physician advisory letter on Riata and Riata ST Silicone defib leads as Class I recall. Item | Follow @FierceMedDev
> Radius Health pulls in $21.4M more for Phase III bone drug. Article
> Amgen CEO Sharer, R&D chief Perlmutter stepping down in shakeup. Report
And Finally... Cholesterol-lowering statins may have found a new purpose: They may reduce mortality among patients hospitalized with influenza, according to a new study released online by the Journal of Infectious Diseases. Release