> A surge of hopeful research reports on the potential of stem cells has helped fatten profits at Cryo-Save. The company says its stem cell storage work jumped 41 percent last year. Demand is particularly strong in Spain and Hungary. Report [1]
> MAP Pharmaceuticals says that a Phase IIa trial demonstrated positive results for MAP0005, a combination of budesonide, a corticosteroid, and formoterol, a long-acting beta2-agonist. Release [2]
> Isis Pharmaceuticals is pocketing a $2 million milestone payment on the announcement that Bristol-Myers Squibb Company has selected a compound from the companies' collaboration as a development candidate. Release [3]
> Chelsea Therapeutics has licensed the global rights to Active Biotech AB's 1-3D compounds for autoimmune disease and transplant rejection. Release [4]
> Sirion Therapeutics is touting data from late-stage studies of Durezol (difluprednate ophthalmic emulsion) 0.05% for postoperative ocular inflammation. Report [5]
> Just about everybody agrees that the FDA needs a safety overhaul--including Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach, who recently admitted the agency is in crisis. The agency itself drafted a five-year plan that would channel user fees into more safety evaluators, epidemiologists, regulatory project managers, and risk experts, all to beef up post-marketing drug-safety oversight. Report [6]
> Should drugs be labeled with their country of origin? Report [7]
> Europe is debating drug marketing--and the pharma industry is loudly protesting that it is not asking for the right to pursue DTC advertising. Report [8]
And Finally... A case of human-to-human transmission of bird flu has been confirmed in China, but authorities say it is another instance where the spread of the disease has been limited to a close blood relative. In this case an experimental H5N1 vaccine demonstrated that it could possibly vanquish the lethal virus. Report [9]
Links:
[1] http://www.sharecast.com/cgi-bin/sharecast/story.cgi?story_id=2030085
[2] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/press-releases/map-pharmaceuticals-inc-mapp-reports-positive-results-phase-2a-clinical-trial
[3] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/press-releases/bristol-myers-squibb-selects-isis-drug-targeting-pcsk9-development-candidate-preventi
[4] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/press-releases/chelsea-therapeutics-gains-global-rights-i-3d-portfolio-targeting-autoimmune-disease-
[5] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/press-releases/sirion-therapeutics-highlights-pivotal-trial-results-durezol
[6] http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/planning-for-the-fda-s-overhaul/2008-04-08
[7] http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/origin-labeling-a-sticky-pharma-problem/2008-04-08
[8] http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/to-dtc-or-not-to-dtc/2008-04-08
[9] http://www.fiercebioresearcher.com/story/vaccine-a-success-for-human-to-human-h5n1-case/2008-04-08