U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approved 30% More Drugs in 2012

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Feb 20, 2013) - A sharp increase in drug approvals and mergers and acquisitions combined to create a bull market for the Biotechnology Industry in 2012. The iShares NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (IBB), the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) and the First Trust Amex Biotechnology Index ETF (FBT) have all gained over 20 percent in the past year, outperforming the broader markets by a good margin. Research Driven Investing examines investing opportunities in the Biotech Industry and provides equity research on Ariad Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ( NASDAQ : ARIA ) and Infinity Pharmaceuticals Inc. ( NASDAQ : INFI ).

Access to the full company reports can be found at: http://www.RDInvesting.com/ARIA http://www.RDInvesting.com/INFI

Bloomberg recently reported drug approvals by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reached a 15 year high in 2012. The FDA approved a total of 39 novel medicines last year, an increase of 30 percent when compared to a year ago. Oncology drugs lead the way with 11 new drugs approved last year. Over the last ten years the number of FDA approvals had averaged roughly 23 a year. The passage of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) played a major role in the sharp increase in approvals.

The PDUFA "has provided critical resources for improving the quality and timeliness of premarket review of drugs," said FDA spokeswoman, Sandy Walsh. "These accomplishments could not have been achieved without the innovations of the biopharmaceutical industry and the dedication and skill of FDA's drug review staff."

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ARIAD Pharmaceuticals' mission is to discover, develop and commercialize small-molecule drugs to treat cancer in patients with the greatest unmet medical need--aggressive cancers where current therapies are inadequate. The company is scheduled to release results for the fourth quarter and full year 2012 on Monday, February 25th.

Infinity combines proven scientific expertise with a passion for developing novel small molecule drugs that target emerging disease pathways. Infinity's programs focused on the inhibition of phosphoinositide-3-kinase and heat shock protein 90 are evidence of its innovative approach to drug discovery and development. Shares of the company spiked sharply Tuesday after Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on the company with an "overweight" rating.

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U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approved 30% More Drugs in 2012