Branded

NEW YORK — Bristol-Myers Squibb has bought a majority stake in drug maker Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Bristol said Wednesday.

The New York-based drug maker said that 140.5 million shares of Amylin had been put up for sale at $31 per share, and that it now owned 85.55% of the San Diego-based company. Bristol said it planned to acquire the rest of Amylin's shares Wednesday as well.

JERUSALEM — Drug makers Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Active Biotech will start a third late-stage clinical trial of an experimental drug for treating multiple sclerosis, the companies said Wednesday.

Israel-based Teva and Sweden-based Active Biotech said they would start a phase-3 trial of laquinimod for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, also known as RRMS, following an agreement with the Food and Drug Administration.

NEW YORK — Rite Aid has joined a prescription discount card program for Hispanics, the group offering the card said Tuesday.

Effective immediately, Rite Aid stores will accept the UnivisionFarmacia card, distributed by a partnership between media company Univision Enterprises, EnvisionRxOptions and HolaDoctor. The UnivisionFarmacia network includes more than 32,000 pharmacies around the country. Members receive discounts of up to 85% on generic drugs, with an average savings of 40% across brand and generic drugs, the group said.

INDIANAPOLIS — A biotech drug made by Eli Lilly for osteoporosis appeared no more or less effective than a pharmaceutical drug available as a generic in treating women with related bone fractures, but was more effective in some other measures, according to results of a late-stage clinical trial released Tuesday.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug for treating colorectal cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, the agency said Friday.

PITTSBURGH — Mylan and Gilead Sciences have made an agreement under which Mylan will have rights to produce and market generic versions of Gilead drugs for HIV and AIDS in developing countries.

The agreement, involving Gilead and Mylan subsidiary Mylan Labs Ltd., centers around drugs containing emtricitabine, the active ingredient in such drugs as Emtriva, and such fixed-dose combinations as Truvada (emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) and the experimental Quad.

NEW YORK — A drug made by Pfizer and used to treat overactive bladder was effective in reducing leakage of urine in patients with the disorder, according to the results of a post-approval clinical study.

Pfizer announced Friday results of a phase-4 study of Toviaz (fesoterodine fumarate) in the reduction of urge urinary incontinence in patients with OAB who had a less than 50% reduction in UUI when taking Detrol LA (tolterodine tartrate), a commonly prescribed treatment for the condition also made by Pfizer.

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — AstraZeneca's biologics division has begun shipping doses of influenza vaccine to distributors for the 2012-2013 flu season, the company said.