J&J’s $21 billion acquisition of medical device maker Synthes—its biggest acquisition ever—overshadowed a second big piece of news for the New Brunswick, NJ-based company. The FDA approved abiraterone acetate (Zytiga) for the treatment of men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have received prior chemotherapy, according to a press release. The drug inhibits an enzyme that stimulates androgen production, offering a new approach to fighting the disease, and the FDA approved it earlier than expected. Analysts predict the product will bring in sales of $1 billion a year.
Author: Arlene Weintraub
Arlene is an award-winning journalist specializing in life sciences and technology. She was previously a senior health writer based out of the New York City headquarters of BusinessWeek, where she wrote hundreds of articles that explored both the science and business of health. Her freelance pieces have been published in USA Today, US News & World Report, Technology Review, and other media outlets. Arlene has won awards from the New York Press Club, the Association of Health Care Journalists, the Foundation for Biomedical Research, and the American Society of Business Publication Editors. Her book about the anti-aging industry, Selling the Fountain of Youth, was published by Basic Books in September 2010.
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