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WASHINGTON — More than 800 drugs are in development for diseases that affect women, according to a pharmaceutical industry lobbying group.

NEW YORK — Japan-based Takeda Pharmaceutical may acquire Switzerland’s Nycomed for $12 billion, according to published reports.

Reuters reported Thursday that Takeda was in talks to buy Nycomed in order to expand its presence in the European market. Most of Takeda’s business is in Asia and the United States.

Nycomed makes treatments for such diseases as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic pain, osteoporosis and others.

HIGH WYCOMBE, United Kingdom — A subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson is recalling several batches of an HIV drug after reports of a strange odor that may have come from the shipping pallets.

Janssen-Cilag International said it would recall five lots of Prezista (darunavir) due to consumer reports of a musty or moldy smell coming from them. The odor is believed to result from traces of the chemical TBA, which is used in the construction of the pallets. The recalled lots were found in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and Austria.

RICHMOND, Va. — A blood pressure drug made by Swiss drug maker Novartis has won an award from the Healthcare Compliance Packaging Council.

Novartis Diovan HCT (valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide) won the HCPC’s Compliance Package of the Year award at the council’s RxAdherence 19th annual symposium for its Shellpak packaging design, made by product packaging manufacturer MeadWestvaco Corp. Anderson Packaging, part of AmerisourceBergen Packaging Group, handles the drug’s fulfillment.

BRUSSELS — Patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis who respond to 12 weeks of treatment with a drug made by UCB are more likely to show improvement in their condition in the long run, according to results of a study published in the Journal of Rheumatology.

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Genentech is seeking approval for a new drug to treat skin cancer, the company said Wednesday.

WASHINGTON — The National Consumers League and the U.S. surgeon general are launching a new campaign to educate patients about the risks of not properly taking their medications, the organization said.

WAYNE, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration will expedite its review of an investigational drug made by Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals for treating tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, the company said Tuesday.