Pharma Roundup: Prasugrel Delays Fit FDA Trend; Pfizer Settles Celebrex Suits; and More

(MoneyWatch)  Lilly's Prasugrel not alone in FDA delays -- Prasugrel is becoming the poster child for holdups in the FDA approval process. The final decision on the drug, originally due in September, has now been pushed to February 2009. It's a common trend this year; Reuters reports at least eight occasions in which the FDA missed 2008 approval deadlines. [Source: The Science Business]

Pfizer paying $894 million in Celebrex suits -- The drug maker claims this will settle around 90% of the litigation surrounding the painkiller and its sister drug, Bextra, which caused strokes and heart problems in some patients. [Source: Pharmalot]

Wikipedia #1 drug information source in Europe -- ... meaning drug companies should monitor their product pages on Wikipedia and make sure they contain accurate information (which does not mean selectively deleting unflattering, but truthful, content, incidentally!). On both sides of the Atlantic, the internet is replacing doctors as the primary source for health information, according to a Manhattan Research report. [Source: PharmaTimes]

Teva teaches about generic biologics with online board game -- Teva, the largest generic drug company, has created a Candyland-inspired web game called "Biologicsland," which promotes the approval of generic biologics for use in the United States. Such biologics hold huge profit potential; if an educational PR trick like this generates interest, payoff could be great. [Source: Prescription Access Litigation]