Pharmaceutical company MannKind (MNKD) shares have traded considerably higher this morning, gaining 9% shortly after the opening bell and trading in the upper $8 region. It appears that the rally was sparked by news that the U.S. Federal Drug Administration would not be able to complete a review of the company's inhaled insulin Afrezza by December 29.

The FDA added that it will need roughly four more weeks to complete the review. Back in July, the FDA accepted a resubmission on Afrezza and classified it a class 2 response.

Continue reading MannKind's Inhaled Insulin Verdict Delayed by FDA

MannKind's Inhaled Insulin Verdict Delayed by FDA originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading GlaxoSmithKline Rises on FDA's Avandia Decision

GlaxoSmithKline Rises on FDA's Avandia Decision originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly & Co. (NYSE: LLY) is planning to cut 5,500 jobs over the next few years and reorganize into five business units. The company is looking to reduce costs and accelerate how long it takes new drugs to get to market, especially as its top performers see their patents expire. This translates to a workforce reduction of close to 14% - to 35,000. This measure doesn't include new positions in emerging markets with high potential and Japan.

The company hopes to cut as much as possible through attrition and retirements - and it would not indicate how many other positions would have to be cut.

Eli Lilly's goal is to slash its annual cost by $1 billion during this restructuring. The new business units will be: cancer, diabetes, established markets, emerging markets and Elanco, which is its animal health business. This is a change from the existing functional model, which separates U.S. and global marketing for each drug in the company's portfolio. Through the new structure, Lilly says, drug development and marketing will be tied more closely.

Continue reading Eli Lilly to restructure, bet on drug portfolio

Eli Lilly to restructure, bet on drug portfolio originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Government diabetes study hits a speed bump

Government diabetes study hits a speed bump originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Novartis (NVS) sees progress on diabetes drug

Novartis (NVS) sees progress on diabetes drug originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Back on June 13, I wrote about DexCom Corp. (NASDAQ: DXCM) as one of the top 25 stocks for the NEXT 25 years. The stock was just under $7 with a market capitalization of $180 million. Today the stock is at $9.61 with a market cap of $280 million. The shares have performed well these past two and half months, but the best is certainly yet to come.

DexCom is targeting the massive diabetic market of five million Americans who suffer from this disease. These patients need to monitor their blood glucose on a daily basis and treat it with injections of insulin.The methodology used by most patients is a painful pin-prick usually on a finger. The problem -- therefore the opportunity for DexCom -- is that the daily readings can be scattered and inconsistent. The readings depend on time of day and recent dietary intake. With DexCom, however, the reading is continuous and fluid during the course of a day, thus allowing the patient to self-administer insulin at the right moments. Plus, with DexCom, there is no painful pin-prick.

Continue reading Top 25 Stocks for the NEXT 25 years: DexCom (DXCM) update

Top 25 Stocks for the NEXT 25 years: DexCom (DXCM) update originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 26 Sep 2007 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Novo Nordisk drug data a 'positive surprise' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 21 Jun 2007 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The NEXT company in my on-going series of the top 25 stocks for the NEXT 25 years is DexCom, Inc (NASDAQ: DXCM). This San Diego, California-based company has the opportunity to address the millions of people that suffer from diabetes. DexCom manufactures a continuous glucose monitoring system, which is extremely user-friendly and helps improve the diabetics' quality of life.

DexCom's business model is the classic razor-razor blade. DexCom sells a wireless glucose monitoring device, for about $800 per unit. Because of the wireless component, the monitor is completely mobile with the patient and can even be hooked to a belt like a cell phone. The company also sells the "implantable" disposable sensors that the patients slip-in just under the skin. Each sensor is good for up to 72 hours. The sensors come in a five-pack and sell for about $175 a pack.

Patients no longer have to endure the painful finger prick to draw a minor amount of blood to detect their glucose level. Also, with the monitor and sensors, the readings are far more accurate and continuous so the patient can administer the necessary insulin at the precise time versus a bit of a guessing game.

Continue reading Top 25 stocks for the NEXT 25 years: DexCom

Top 25 stocks for the NEXT 25 years: DexCom originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 13 Jun 2007 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This post is part of our Battle of the Brands feature. Let us know which brand you prefer, and check out other Battle of the Brands posts.

I never paid that much attention to the pink and yellow and blue packets on the table when my wife and I go out for breakfast a couple of times a week. I'm not a consumer of artificial sweeteners, so when I learned that we wanted to add one more match-up to our Battle of the Brands feature, this one focusing on Splenda and Equal, and that it was going to be up to me pull it together, I thought: Oh boy, what am I going to have to say about that?

But I've never been one to pass up an opportunity to learn something new. I began with what I did know, which wasn't much: the makers of Splenda and Equal were in the news recently -- something about misleading advertising and sour grapes. Besides, weren't these yellow and blue packets really second banana to the ubiquitous Sweet'N Low pink packets? Shows how much I know: turns out Sweet'N Low's virtual monopoly on the artificial sweetener market ended back in the 1980s, when Equal took the lead. Since Splenda was introduced in 1999, however, it has exploded, with sales of more than $200 million in 2006, or about 60% of the U.S. artificial sweetener market. Equal's sales have dropped about $30 million in that time, while sales of sugar have dropped $85 million. No wonder sugar producers and the makers of Equal have gone after the makers of Splenda in court.

For someone who doesn't know his blue packet from his yellow packet, what really is the difference between them?

Continue reading Splenda vs. Equal: Battle of the Brands

Splenda vs. Equal: Battle of the Brands originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 14 Apr 2007 09:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Pepsi funds HFCS study, says it, sugar are equal: but still might switch to sugar? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 05 Dec 2006 14:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.