Branded

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Watson Pharmaceuticals announced the launch of an authorized generic version of a drug used to lower blood glucose in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

PALM BEACH, Fla. — More than 250 executives joined Anda for its 5th Annual Supply Chain Symposium here Thursday and Friday.

(For photos of the event, click here.)

BARCELONA, Spain — Merck is testing two means of treating patients with chronic hepatitis C for anemia, a common side effect of certain treatments for the viral infection, the drug maker said.

Merck announced results of a phase-3 study comparing two strategies for managing anemia and how they affect the curing of hepatitis C in patients taking Victrelis (boceprevir) with Pegintron (peginterferon alfa-2b) and ribavirin.

MONTREAL — Valeant Pharmaceuticals International is acquiring "certain assets" of a drug maker based in Mexico.

Valeant said Wednesday that it would buy gastric, analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs from branded generics manufacturer Atlantis Pharma for $71 million. The products had sales of $26 million last year.

BASEL, Switzerland — Roche has decided not to buy diagnostics firm Illumina, the drug maker said Wednesday.

Roche said it had decided not to extend its $51-per-share offer for Illumina following the reelection of Illumina's incumbent directors. Roche offered to buy Illumina for $44.50 per share in January, increasing the offer to $51 on March 29. The company took the offer directly to shareholders earlier this month after Illumina's board rejected it.

SAN ANTONIO — A U.S. drug maker has made a deal with a Swiss company to manufacture and sell a new osteoporosis treatment in North America.

Mission Pharmacal announced Tuesday a patent and technology licensing agreement with Freienbach, Switzerland-based EffRx Pharmaceuticals for Binosto (alendronate sodium) effervescent tablets in the United States and Canada. Financial terms were not disclosed.

ST. LOUIS — Workers' compensation pharmacy costs took on an extra $2.1 billion in 2011 due to unnecessary use of more expensive drugs, according to a new report by pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts.

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. — Two drug makers have signed a deal to develop an experimental drug for treating two types of cancer.

Merck and Endocyte announced that they would develop and commercialize the latter's drug EC145 (vintafolide), currently in a phase-3 trial, as a treatment for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and a phase-2 trial for non-small cell lung cancer. Both studies are also using Endocyte's experimental diagnostic agent, EC20 (etarfolatide).