Taro calls Sun offer a 'sham'; Aging experts point to 21st century disease strategy;

> Taro Pharmaceutical says that the tender offer it received from Sun Pharmaceutical is a "sham"--so low that Sun knew it would be rejected. The board is urging investors to reject the offer. Taro release [1]

> Dow Chemical is buying Rohm & Haas for $15 billion. The company makes specialty materials for a number of industries, including pharma. Release [2]

> Altus Pharmaceuticals has struck a deal to buy a growth hormone ingredient from a unit of Novartis. Story [3]

> ETrials CEO Eugene Jennings has resigned. Chuck Piccirillo, eTrials' VP of Technology, was named interim President and CEO. Report [4]

> The globe may just be too big for U.S. drug watchdogs to cover alone. Regulators are teaming up with Europe and Australia to inspect factories in China and India, in a pilot program designed to see whether cooperation might allow them to cover more territory and keep an eye on more foreign facilities. Report [5]

> It's not just branded drugmakers who are being targeted for Medicaid fraud. The Texas Attorney General is going after four generics makers for allegedly stating falsely inflated prices for their medications. Report [6]

> More than a dozen Botox users and their families sued Allergan yesterday, claiming that the company failed to warn them of its potentially dangerous side effects. Report [7]
> Under a new policy announced today by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, drug reps won't be allowed to hand out logo-covered pens, prescription pads, mugs, clocks, mouse pads, and other freebies at physician's offices. Report [8]

> The CDC says there have been about 8,000 reported incidents of adverse effects due to Gardasil vaccinations in the U.S. Report [9]

> Xconomy's Luke Timmerman profiles the work of Genocea Biosciences, which is developing a low-cost, next-gen pneumococcus vaccine that can outperform the blockbuster Prevnar. Genocea report [10]

Special Report: The next generation of biotech blockbusters. List [11]

And Finally... A group of aging experts from the United States and the United Kingdom suggest that the best strategy for preventing and fighting a multitude of diseases is to focus on slowing the biological processes of aging. Release [12]