Branded

WALTHAM, Mass. — Alkermes will buy Irish drug maker Elan’s drug formulation and manufacturing business for $960 million, the two companies said Monday.

Alkermes will buy Elan Drug Technologies and incorporate the combined company in Ireland, naming it Alkermes PLC. Alkermes said the acquisition would give it an edge in treating central nervous system disorders and expected to have diverse revenue streams from 25 commercialized drugs.

HAYWARD, Calif. — The branded-drug division of Impax Labs plans to conduct early-stage clinical studies of an investigational drug for restless leg syndrome, the company said Tuesday.

Impax Pharmaceuticals, as the division is known, said it filed an investigational new drug application with the Food and Drug Administration for IPX159 and started a phase-1 study.

HORSHAM, Pa. — Patients with seasonal allergies are more likely to experience difficulty sleeping, according to results of a new survey conducted by Teva Respiratory.

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.

NEW YORK — The Food and Drug Administration expects to approve an increasing number of drugs, according to published reports.

Reuters quoted FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research director Janet Woodcock as saying the number of drugs approved gradually could increase, already having reached a “nadir.” The report noted that 12 drugs had won approval this year so far, and Woodcock speculated that the agency would approve more than the 21 it approved last year.

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. — Drug maker Merck announced that it has kicked off an initiative that includes a wide range of public education and patient support programs, as well as research efforts to help improve care for people living with chronic hepatitis C virus infections.

Merck's Hope Against Hepatitis C initiative includes a variety of public-private partnerships, educational programs and collaborative research efforts aimed at supporting the hepatitis C community.

PARIS — French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis has shortened its name to Sanofi, the company said.

The company, which acquired Cambridge, Mass.-based biotech giant Genzyme for $20.1 billion earlier this year, had planned to vote at its shareholder meeting Friday.

According to published reports, the previous name was difficult to pronounce for people in many countries.

PEAPACK, N.J. — Greenstone has introduced an authorized generic treatment for breast cancer, the generics subsidiary of Pfizer said.

The company announced the launch of exemestane tablets, an authorized generic version of Pfizer’s Aromasin. Aromasin is used to treat early breast cancer in menopausal women who already have taken the drug tamoxifen for two to three years, as well as breast cancer in women whose disease has worsened while taking tamoxifen, which is widely available as a generic.