1. As Its Big Drug Aged, Shire Thought Small.
- Author
-
Bennett, Simeon
- Subjects
TREATMENT of rare diseases ,PHARMACEUTICAL industry mergers ,DRUG patents ,GENETIC disorder laws ,TAX incentives - Abstract
The article focuses on interest in rare diseases by pharmaceutical companies. It talks about the pharmaceutical company Shire which in 2005 lost patent protection for its attention-deficit drug Adderall XR; Shire responded by acquiring Transkaryotic Therapies that held a handful of drugs for rare genetic diseases. It comments on orphan drug laws in Europe and the U.S. that offer tax breaks and market exclusivity that has increased interest by larger pharmaceuticals in rare disease drugs.
- Published
- 2011