Science & Health Dec 27, 2014
Japan first to approve Novartis psoriasis drug
Some 400,000 psoriasis sufferers can look forward to relief after Japan becomes the first country to permit sales of a promising new treatment for the skin malady.
National Aug 30, 2014
Novartis Pharma fails to report over 2,500 serious side effects from its drugs
Novartis Pharma admits it failed to report at least 2,579 cases of serious side effects to the health ministry even though its employees were aware of the problems.
National Aug 1, 2014
Health ministry punishes Novartis for failing to report side effects of Leukemia drugs
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry issued a business improvement order Thursday to Novartis Pharma K.K. for its failure to report serious side effects of its leukemia treatment drugs. The Tokyo-based unit of Swiss drug giant Novartis AG did not report serious side effects ...
Crime & Legal Jul 1, 2014
Novartis Pharma, ex-employee charged over drug data manipulation
Tokyo prosecutors charged Novartis Pharma K.K. and a former employee Tuesday with causing a medical research team to release data manipulated in favor of the firm’s drug for treating high blood pressure in 2011. The prosecutors also issued a fresh arrest warrant for the ...
Crime & Legal Jun 11, 2014
Ex-Novartis worker seized for faking clinical trial data of blood pressure drug
A former employee of Novartis Pharma K.K. has been arrested for allegedly manipulating clinical study data for one of the company’s drugs.
National May 9, 2014
Drugmaker Novartis fails to report side effects linked to Tasigna
Novartis Pharma K.K. failed to inform the government of at least 10 suspected cases of serious side effects involving its Tasigna leukemia drug, it was learned Friday. The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has opened an investigation into whether the Novartis unit broke the ...
National Apr 3, 2014
Heads roll at Novartis over scandal
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis said Thursday it is replacing the top executives at its Japanese unit over allegations that the division hid the existence of serious potential side effects linked to leukemia treatments from regulators. David Epstein, head of the firm’s pharmaceutical division, told ...
National Feb 27, 2014
Diovan scandal traced to cozy doctor-drugmaker ties
The manipulation of clinical research data used to develop the blood pressure drug Diovan sold by Novartis Pharma K.K. has prompted a special squad of Tokyo prosecutors to search the Japanese unit of the Swiss drugmaker as well as the universities that conducted the ...
National Feb 19, 2014
Tokyo prosecutors raid Novartis Pharma over drug ads
Tokyo prosecutors raided Novartis Pharma K.K. on Wednesday over its alleged use of exaggerated advertising for a blood pressure-lowering drug, following a criminal complaint filed by the health ministry last month. The ministry claimed that the ads for Diovan cited clinical study reports by ...
National Oct 3, 2013
Novartis drug data meddling clouds Japan's clinical studies
A health ministry panel is questioning Novartis Pharma K.K.’s use of clinical research data in promoting the sale of Diovan, its drug to lower blood pressure, saying it “could constitute misleading advertisement” after revelations that some of the data were manipulated. The Japanese unit ...
Science & Health Aug 7, 2013
Novartis ordered to state skin disorders as Diovan side effects
The health ministry has instructed Novartis Pharma K.K. to state in an attached note for its Diovan blood pressure-lowering drug that the medicine may cause serious skin disorders. Diovan, whose generic name is valsartan, has been cited in a recent suspected case of clinical ...
Editorial Jul 28, 2013
Question of objectivity
A Kyoto university's announcement that research on blood-pressure drug Diovan was manipulated raises concerns about the drugmaker's objectivity.