Rosemont Pharmaceuticals, the leading UK supplier of liquid oral medicines, has been acquired by US company Perrigo.

The merger will enable Perrigo, a major supplier of over the counter (OTC) products, to add a range of liquid-form drugs to its generic prescription drugs portfolio.

Leeds-based firm Rosemont, sold for £180m, has seen its business grow dramatically in recent years due to the ageing population.

Its liquid formulation versions of widely-prescribed drugs such as metformin target paediatric patients and people suffering from dysphagia (which affects many elderly patients), with net sales of £40m in 2012.

Perrigo will benefit from the UK firm’s niche market, an area of critical medical need with demographic factors driving an increase in its size; and from the opportunity to expand its range of generic prescription medicines in the UK and Europe.

Joseph C. Papa, CEO of Perrigo, said: “We continue to focus on expanding our international footprint and view the acquisition of Rosemont as an opportunistic next step given our existing presence in the UK.

“Similar to Perrigo’s position in the niche US extended topical generic prescription market, Rosemont is the number 1 player in the niche specialty UK oral liquid formulations market.

“This transaction represents another step forward executing our strategy to make quality healthcare products more affordable for consumers around the world.”

Based in Michigan, Perrigo is the world’s largest manufacturer of OTC pharmaceuticals for the store brand market, as well a major supplier of generic prescription drugs.

West Middlesex University Hospital Trust is seeking a merger after determining that it cannot achieve foundation trust status independently by the April 2014 deadline.

The district hospital has said that its “reconfiguration” plans will not have a major impact on its finances until 2015–16.

At present, it said, possible mergers with NHS foundation trusts and takeovers by private health providers are being considered.

Trust Chief Executive Dame Jacqueline Docherty said: “Despite our optimism about the long-term viability of the site, the trust is not able to meet the financial criteria required to become a standalone foundation trust by the Department of Health deadline of April 2014. The board has therefore agreed to explore partnership options that would enable us to meet the required timeline for FT status.

“The preferred option for the North West London reconfiguration proposals will secure a healthy future in the long term for our hospital site. However, the timetable for implementation means that the changes will not have a major impact on the trust’s income until 2015–16 and beyond.”

An earlier business analysis of London’s hospital sector by McKinsey said that West Middlesex was “not viable” as an independent trust.

NHS North West London is carrying out a review of services across its eight constituent PCTs, including West Middlesex. It is expected that a number of A&E units will be downgraded.

Daniel Elkeles, Accountable Officer for Inner North West London CCG, commented: “We are committed to supporting West Middlesex University Hospital Trust’s board to develop a robust and sustainable future strategy.”

Three foundation trusts in London have outlined proposals to merge together to create the largest trust in England.

The boards of King’s College Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ and South London and Maudsley have proposed to form a new organisation that would create an annual turnover of more than £2bn.

The proposal details how a “single organisation could make better use” of combined assets which would release funds for “new models of healthcare” in the capital.

The full business case will now be presented to the three boards, the board of King’s College London and university partners in early 2013. If accepted, a merger could be completed the following year.

Barts Health Trust is currently the largest foundation trust in England. It has a turnover of £1.1bn – the largest in the NHS.

Proposals suggest the super trust could save between 3% and 5% in non-clinical support functions.

However, the proposal states that a merger would be “unacceptable” and “fail” if it resulted in a “remote, centralised organisation”. “It would have to operate in a very different way to be effective,” said the proposal.

If completed, it would be the first time that foundation trusts had merged and would have to be approved by the Office of Fair Trading.

A Devonshire NHS trust that pioneered the delivery of integrated health and social care has abandoned plans to seek independent foundation trust (FT) status.

Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care Trust (TSDHCT) is now seeking to merge with an existing or emerging FT.

The decision followed a report that the Trust was unlikely to meet Monitor’s economic criteria for FT status because many of its services are not profitable.

The trust stated that reducing the scope of its services in order to meet the criteria was not compatible with “maintaining and developing good integrated care”.

South Devon Healthcare FT is thought to be Torbay’s most likely partner.

A former PCT provider arm, TSDHCT has provided integrated health and social care for a population of 300,000 people since 2006.

TSDHCT Chief Executive Anthony Farnsworth said shortly before the decision that while the unprofitable aspects of the trust’s work could be managed within a PCT, they meant Torbay would not “pass the test of viability” to gain FT status.

He noted: “Although the pressing immediate question is one of financial viability, the more profound consideration is whether the best option is to make the organisation viable (but possibly smaller) in pursuit of the FT application at the possible expense of our local system of health and care services.”

Following the board’s decision to seek a partner, he added: “The approach agreed will provide us with the financial security enjoyed by a larger organisation, and a solid footing from which to deliver and develop integrated care for the future.”

US biopharma corporation Amgen has signed a merger agreement to acquire German biotech company Micromet for $1.16 billion.

The deal will bring Amgen a new leukaemia drug and the BiTE drug development technology, potentially applicable to a range of blood cancers.

Micromet’s Munich site will become an Amgen R&D facility.

Amgen will gain the rights to:

• the Bispecific T cell Engager (BiTE) antibody technology, a validated platform for drug development in oncology

• blinatumomab, a BiTE antibody in Phase 2 development for treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and in early development for treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)

• solitomab, a BiTE antibody in Phase 1 development for treatment of advanced solid tumours.

“The acquisition of Micromet is an opportunity to acquire an innovative oncology asset with global rights and a validated technology platform with broad potential clinical applications,” said Kevin Sharer, CEO of Amgen.

“Blinatumomab will serve as an important complement to our oncology pipeline and is representative of our corporate strategy, which is focused on developing and successfully commercialising therapeutics to treat patients with grievous illness.”

Christian Itin, CEO of Micromet, commented: “Amgen's extensive resources and experience in the development and commercialisation of biologics promise to speed blinatumomab's path to market, expand its development across a broader range of B-cell malignancies and maximise the full potential of our novel BiTE technology.”

Biopharmaceutical company Genzyme, part of Sanofi, has appointed William ‘Bill’ Sibold as Head of Multiple Sclerosis and Rogério Vivaldi as Head of Rare Diseases.

These two businesses make up Genzyme’s core focus following its integration with Sanofi.

David Meeker, Genzyme’s President and CEO, commented: “These appointments are a critical step in launching the new Genzyme. Bill and Rogério are dynamic leaders with the experience, energy, vision and commitment to patients needed to move us forward.”

Bill Sibold has worked in the biopharmaceutical industry for two decades, primarily in commercial roles – including responsibility for the MS drugs Avonex and Tysabri. In eight years at Biogen Idec he rose to become Senior Vice President of US Commercial. He joins Genzyme from Avanir Pharmaceuticals, where he was the Chief Commercial Officer.

“Our goal is to build a world-leading multiple sclerosis franchise,” said Meeker. “Bill’s substantial commercial experience and his deep knowledge of the MS field will be critical to the launch of Lemtrada and Aubagio, two investigational therapies with the potential to transform the lives of people living with MS.”

Rogério Vivaldi joined Genzyme in 1997; his roles have included President of the company’s Renal and Endocrinology Business and President of Genzyme Latin America. As a doctor, he became a recognised expert on the rare Gaucher disease and its treatment.

“Rogério’s experience as a physician treating Gaucher patients in Brazil and his subsequent work in building our rare disease business in Latin America will provide both continuity and an energising new beginning for our global rare disease business,” noted Meeker.

Based in Massachusetts, US, Genzyme specialises in biopharmaceutical therapies for rare and debilitating diseases. As part of Sanofi, it benefits from the commercial reach of a leading global pharmaceutical company.

Roche is to merge with and fully acquire oral therapeutics developer Anadys Pharmaceuticals in a $230 million cash deal.

The acquisition follows Roche’s plans to expand future treatment options for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Jean-Jacques Garaud, Global Head of Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, said: “Our aim is to offer physicians and hepatitis patients a powerful combination of therapies that bring us closer to a cure.”

San Diego-based Anadys’ most advanced drug candidate, Setrobuvir (ANA598), is a direct-acting antiviral (DAA) inhibitor, which is currently being evaluated in a Phase II study in combination with Roche’s Pegasys (pegylated interferon) and Copegus (ribavirin).

Roche plans to explore Setrobuvir’s use in combination with other DAAs already within its portfolio, with and without interferon.

Steve Worland, President and CEO of Anadys, said: “With Roche’s considerable capabilities and experience in HCV, this acquisition provides the best chance of success for the new potential treatments our team has been dedicated to developing.”

In addition to its lead programme with ANA598, Anadys is developing ANA773, an oral, small-molecule inducer of innate immunity that may prove useful for treating HCV as well as other chronic infections and cancer.

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche provides research-focused healthcare with strengths in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is the world’s largest biotechnology company with focus in oncology, virology, inflammation, metabolism and CNS medicines.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals and Irish-based Azur Pharma Limited have combined to create a new speciality company.

The combined company – which will continue as Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc– will be incorporated in Ireland and has several products currently marketed in the US.

Seamus Mulligan, Chairman and CEO, Azur Pharma, says the merger creates a company that has “greater operational and financial resources” to enable its strategy of acquiring and developing speciality products.

The company markets ten products in the US within the central nervous system (CNS) and women’s health areas. Including Xyrem, Luvox CR, Prialt, FazaClo and Elestrin, revenues are now expected to reach more than $475 million in the first 12 months following the completion of the deal.

The combined company would also have a number of pipeline of lower-risk development programmes, including line extensions for the clozapine franchise and various other branded women’s health products.

"This significant transaction represents a compelling strategic fit, given our companies' closely aligned missions of identifying and developing products that address unmet patient needs and can be efficiently marketed through a specialty commercial infrastructure," said Bruce Cozadd, who will become the Chairman and CEO of Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc.

Pfizer’s CEO Ian Read has ruled out any major mergers or acquisitions to replace the company’s falling revenue.

Annual sales are down some 60% after the loss of patent exclusivity on several key products.

But the CEO, who has been downsizing Pfizer since starting his role in December last year, told Bloomberg he is “not going to chase revenue at the destruction of capital” by selling units and buying back shares, since coming to the post in December 2010.

This shrinking style contrasts to the work of his predecessors Jeffrey Kindler, who bought Wyeth for $64bn in 2009, and Henry McKinnell, who bought Pharmacia for a similar price in 2002.

Mr Read stated that Pfizer will still look for licensing deals through partnerships with companies with treatments in mid- to late-stage testing.

Pfizer shares have climbed by approximately 14% since Mr Read took over.

Pfizer, based in New York, currently faces competition from cheaper generic medicines, led by cholesterol pill Lipitor.

Between 12,000 and 13,000 jobs are expected to go at Merck – despite the company posting $2bn profits last quarter.

Layoffs will be made at the company’s US headquarters in administrative functions and from the sale and closure of manufacturing plants.

Kenneth Frazier, Merck CEO, claims the “realities of our environment dictate the need to operate more flexibly and nimbly from a lower cost base”.

The reduction plan would save the company another $1.5bn from its annual cost base.

The new restructuring programme would add cuts related to the Schering-Plough merger in 2009, bringing overall savings to more than $4.5bn.

The job losses will mean that Merck will have cut almost a third (30%) of the workforce it had in 2009. The company said it had already cut more than 12,000 jobs last year, but net workforce reduction was less due to hiring in other areas.

Despite the job cuts, Merck aims to continue recruiting in emerging markets that have been targeted for growth after sales fell in the US and Europe following the loss of exclusivity of blockbuster allergy-and-asthma drug Singulair.