News Breaks

GlaxoSmithKline announced that once-weekly Tanzeum, a prescription injectable treatment for type 2 diabetes in adults, as an adjunct to diet and exercise, is now available in pharmacies throughout the U.S. The medicine was approved by the FDA on April 15 as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
News For GSK From The Last 14 Days
Check below for free stories on GSK the last two weeks.

Two investigators who were hired by GlaxoSmithKline last year to look into a sex video taken of the drug company’s top China executive, and who were subsequently placed in custody by Chinese authorities on charges of illegally purchasing personal information about Chinese nationals, will stand trial August 8, reported The Wall Street Journal. Reference Link

Today’s noteworthy downgrades include: AcelRx (ACRX) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Canaccord… Anglo American (AAUKY) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at UBS… Aon plc (AON) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Sandler ONeill… Cabot Oil & Gas (COG) downgraded at Oppenheimer… Cisco (CSCO) downgraded to Sector Perform from Outperform at Pacific Crest… Coeur Mining (CDE) downgraded to Market Perform from Outperform at Raymond James… DSW (DSW) downgraded at Sterne Agee… DuPont Fabros (DFT) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Citigroup… El Paso Electric (EE) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Jefferies… Enphase Energy (ENPH) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank… GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at BofA/Merrill… Horizon Technology (HRZN) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Wunderlich… Lear (LEA) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Deutsche Bank… Life Time Fitness (LTM) downgraded at Wedbush… Monster Beverage (MNST) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at UBS… NRG Energy (NRG) downgraded to Buy from Conviction Buy at Goldman… PG&E (PCG) downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Goldman… Pfizer (PFE) downgraded at BMO Capital… Post Properties (PPS) downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Citigroup… Publicis (PUBGY) downgraded to Sell from Neutral at Citigroup… Selmer Scientific (SMLR) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Aegis… TransCanada (TRP) downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Credit Suisse… Travelers (TRV) downgraded to Hold from Buy at Sandler O’Neill… Zurich Insurance (ZURVY) downgraded to Underperform from Market Perform at Bernstein.


GlaxoSmithKline CEO Andrew Witty is considering the possibility of the company being broken up in the future, suggesting that the consumer healthcare business could be spun off if a time comes when it is more valuable as an independent company, the Financial Times reports. Witty says there are no such plans in the near term. Reference Link















GSK now expects 2014 core EPS to be “broadly similar” to 2013 versus previous expectations of 4%-8% growth. It added, “Given impact of recent sustained strength of Sterling on free cash flow, share repurchases over balance of 2014 likely to be immaterial.”













Isis Pharmaceuticals (ISIS) has earned a $1M milestone payment from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) related to the advancement of the Phase 2/3 study of ISIS-TTRRx in patients with familial amyloid polyneuropathy. ISIS-TTRRx is an antisense drug in development with GSK for the treatment of transthyretin amyloidosis, a severe and rare genetic disease characterized by progressive dysfunction of peripheral nerve and/or heart tissues. Including this milestone payment, Isis has generated $27M in upfront and milestone payments for advancing ISIS-TTRRx. If GSK elects to exercise its option to exclusively license the ISIS-TTRRx program, Isis is eligible to receive a license fee, regulatory and sales milestone payments and double-digit royalties on sales of ISIS-TTRRx.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Theravance (THRX) announced the start of a global phase III study, known as IMPACT, to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the ‘closed’ triple combination of FF/UMEC/VI in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. IMPACT is the first pivotal phase III study in a programme to evaluate a once-daily closed triple combination treatment of an inhaled corticosteroid, or ICS; a long-acting muscarinic antagonist, or LAMA; and a long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist, or LABA, in patients with COPD. The IMPACT study will enrol approximately 10,000 patients and assess whether the combination of FF, or fluticasone furoate, an ICS, UMEC, or umeclidinium, a LAMA, and VI, or vilanterol, a LABA, all delivered in GSK’s Ellipta inhaler, can reduce the annual rate of moderate and severe exacerbations compared with two approved once daily COPD treatments, Relvar/Breo Ellipta, FF/VI, which is an ICS/LABA combination, and Anoro Ellipta, UMEC/VI, which is a LAMA/LABA combination.