Avian Flu

Novavax bird flu vaccine shows promise in trial

John Carroll — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:08:11 -0400

A new bird flu vaccine developed by Novavax from insect cell cultures proved effective in spurring an immune response in a human trial. The Rockville, MD-based developer has been pursuing a partnership with General Electric to advance a new flu vaccine that could be swiftly produced in large quantities. Researchers were testing its virus-like particle vaccine candidate in the second stage of a Phase I/II trial involving 160 patients.

Among those individuals in the 15 mcg arm, 72 percent had a neutralizing antibody titer of 1:20 or greater (four-fold rise from baseline) against the H5N1 A/Indonesia strain as did 73 percent of subjects in the 45 mcg arm and 94 percent of subjects in the 90 mcg arm.

"These data are exciting because they demonstrate that recombinant VLPs are a valid and potent vaccine approach against influenza. Combined with our innovative manufacturing approach, our VLP vaccine candidate has the potential to address an unmet need in pandemic influenza preparedness efforts being planned by health authorities around the world," said Dr. Rahul Singhvi, president and CEO of Novavax.

- check out Novavax's release

Limerick raises $15M; Icahn offered $15B for Biogen; Neogen expands R&D

John Carroll — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:27:38 -0400

> Limerick BioPharma has ginned $11 million in venture funds and borrowed $4 million more to advance its work on the bioavailability of drugs. Arch Venture Partners, Sevin Rosen Funds and Altitude Funds are all listed as investors. Report

> Researchers have presented new data backing Cimzia over competitors for the rheumatoid arthritis category. Report

> Carl Icahn offered to pay up to $15 billion for Biogen Idec last October. Report

> Idenix reported positive phase I/II data on IDX899, which is being developed to treat HIV-1. Report

> Neogen says it intends to double its research and development efforts for its new fiscal year by hiring 23 additional R&D personnel by early fall. Neogen release

> Opexa Therapeutics announced favorable safety and efficacy data for Tovaxin, a T-cell vaccination therapy for multiple sclerosis, in the second year of open-label clinical re-treatment studies in patients with MS. Opexa release

> OPKO Health has acquired exclusive worldwide rights in the field of ophthalmology to a novel small molecule agent in Phase II clinical development for the treatment of viral conjunctivitis and other viral infections. OPKO release

> Vical has received $6.3 million from AnGes under a previously announced collaborative agreement for continued funding of the company's ongoing Allovectin-7 Phase III metastatic melanoma trial. Vical release

> Cell Therapeutics has sold $23 million in senior convertible notes. Report

And Finally... Baxter International says that a human trial of its Celvapan bird flu vaccine demonstrated that it spurred an immune response against three strains of the lethal virus. This is the first time that researchers have developed a flu vaccine using a virus grown in cell cultures rather than eggs. Vaccine report

ALSO NOTED: Researchers testing stem cell therapy for CHF; Boehringer unveils new research center; and much more...

Tue, 27 May 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> Fifty-six of the nation's most creative biomedical scientists are being given the opportunity to tackle their most ambitious, risky research plans, as they become the newest class of Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigators. The Institute is committing more than $600 million over their first term of appointment. Report

> Researchers in Florida are beginning a small, early-stage human trial to test a new stem cell therapy for congestive heart failure. Stem cell report

> Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim has taken the wraps off its new, $36 million research center in Canada. About 40 scientists will be recruited to join the 150 researchers already at work at the center. Report

> Wisconsin is set to save $63 million on prescription drugs because it started buying directly--via a purchasing co-op--rather than paying HMOs to cover pharma costs. Report

> Daniel Vasella is riled. The Novartis CEO says its hometown officials are putting too much pressure on drug prices. Report

> Exploiting a competitor's weakness is a time-honored tradition in business, so it's probably no surprise that GlaxoSmithKline is injecting itself into the Chantix upheaval. GSK report

> It's easy to announce you're opening offices in China. It's not so easy to actually do it--especially when you're wrestling with Chinese red tape. That's what the FDA is discovering as it struggles to establish a presence in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. FDA report

And Finally... A strain of bird flu has adapted to create a new version which increases the chances of a human pandemic, according to CDC officials. Report

ALSO NOTED: FDA, Medicare team up on drug surveillance; Early stage prostate vaccine shows promise; and much more...

Fri, 23 May 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> FDA is teaming up with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services on data-mining. FDA will be able to probe CMS's patient databases, actively looking for potential safety problems. Next, the data-mining will move into the private arena via deals with insurance companies. Report

> An early-stage trial of an experimental prostate cancer vaccine demonstrated that it was safe and also generated an immune response among a large percentage of the volunteers in the study. Report

> Certain segments of the biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry are set to make big leaps in capacity over the next five years. Report

> An experimental vaccine developed at the University of Rochester Medical Center prevented the build-up of amyloid plaques in the brains of mice engineered to develop an aggressive form of Alzheimer's disease. Report

> The antiviral Relenza has won a battle over Tamiflu in the competition for government contracts from governments anxious about a possible bird flu epidemic. Report

> There's another corruption scandal brewing in Italy--this time involving a pay-to-play scheme at AIFA, the pharma regulatory agency. Report

And Finally... Drugmakers are climbing on the disclosure bandwagon. AstraZeneca and Merck have come out in favor of a bill requiring pharma and device-makers to report their payments to doctors, joining Eli Lilly, which gave the legislation a thumbs-up last week. Report

GSK bird flu vaccine wins race for European OK

Mon, 19 May 2008 06:59:58 -0400

After investing about $2 billion in development efforts, GlaxoSmithKline has won European approval for the first bird flu vaccine that can be used either in advance of or in the early days of a human pandemic. Glaxo is clearly expecting to see orders for Prepandrix shoot up after regulators for the European Commission firmly placed the vaccine well in the lead in the heated race to develop an antidote designed to protect populations against H5N1. Switzerland has already ordered 8 million doses, enough to inoculate its entire population. And the U.S. has ordered 27.5 million doses.

"It's clear that some governments are more proactive than others," said Emmanuel Hanon, vice president of the Influenza Vaccine Franchise at Glaxo. "The policy is evolving, and I'm looking for some kind of alignment in terms of what governments are going to do. Governments are concerned by the real medical and economic threat of a pandemic."

Sanofi Aventis and Novartis are also in the race to gain approvals for a new vaccine, anxious to capture a market that may total about $1 billion a year.

- read the story from the International Herald Tribune

ALSO: South Korea, meanwhile, mobilized soldiers for a second time to help cull millions of poultry in the face of an outbreak of H5N1 in the country's bird population. Report

ALSO NOTED: Ambrilia touts data; Amarin raises $60M; and much more...

Wed, 14 May 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> Ambrilia Biopharma reported positive 24-week Phase III top-line results for prolonged-release formulation of Octreotide. Release

> Amarin is raising $60 million through a stock placement. Release

> Acorda Therapeutics CEO Ron Cohen has exercised stock options for 31,432 shares. Report

> A federal proposal requiring drug and device makers to disclose payments to doctors got a boost yesterday when Eli Lilly became the first Big Pharma to back it. Lilly report

> In an interesting twist on the usual generics news, it's the copycat makers who are predicted to suffer as competitors undercut their products. The source of this competition? None other than China. Generics report

> The NIH's Avastin/Lucentis trial could fundamentally reshape relations between payers and pharma, according to IMS Health. Report

> After weeks of pressure from Congress to request more money for the agency--and weeks of refusals to specify a figure for beefing up FDA's safety operations-FDA commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach has asked lawmakers for $275 million. FDA report

And Finally... South Korean officials have wiped out the poultry population of Seoul in an effort to combat the spread of the avian flu virus. Report

Intercell snaps up Iomai in $189M deal

Tue, 13 May 2008 06:59:57 -0400

The little Maryland-based vaccine developer Iomai, which has posted some impressive data on a new therapy for traveler's diarrhea as well as an adjuvant for bird flu vaccines, is being bought out by Intercell for about $189 million. Intercell gains a mid-to-late-stage product in the needle-free diarrhea program, adding it to a Japanese encephalitis vaccine it has in development. The diarrhea patch is scheduled to enter Phase III in the first half of 2009. Intercell is looking for approvals of its vaccine by regulators around the globe this year.

In the deal, Iomai's public investors get cash for their shares while a group of large stakeholders will exchange their Iomai shares for shares in Intercell. Iomai was featured as one of FierceBiotech's emerging drug developers.

- here's the release
- read the AP story

ALSO NOTED: AMA joins DTC advertising fray; U.K. toughening up on pharma promos; and much more...

Fri, 09 May 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> We all expected Democrats to rake DTC ads over the coals during yesterday's hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee's oversight arm. What we didn't expect was for the American Medical Association to join the fray. DTC report

> U.S. lawmakers aren't the only ones toughening up on pharma promos. In the U.K., the industry itself is strengthening its code. Report

> Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol-Myers Squibb may have squashed copycat Plavix in the U.S., but competition is now popping up in Europe. Plavix report

> We've all heard the safety warnings about the Ortho-Evra birth control patch and its link to life-threatening blood clots. Public Citizen is now campaigning to have the patch taken off the market completely. Ortho-Evra report

> Researchers are touting the early results from a study of a new brain cancer vaccine that combines protein antigens extracted from a patient's tumor and matches them with white cells also drawn from the patient. Vaccine report

And Finally... The headlines may have died down in recent months, but bird flu experts say that the threat of a global pandemic has actually been growing. Report

ALSO NOTED: Dyax to close R&D facility;Nastech sells shares; and much more...

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> Dyax says it plans to close its research facility in Belgium as it focuses on commercializing DX-88 to treat hereditary angioedema. Dyax report

> Nastech Pharmaceutical plans to sell $8 million in shares to advance its RNAi programs. Report

> North Park Aesthetics says it's reached an agreement with Biophysica, Inc. and Interpharma Praha for the exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize products containing fluridil, the primary ingredient in NP-619, North Park's Phase II product for pattern baldness. Release

> FDA officials say that drugmakers needed to bear the responsibility for drug safety. FDA report

> Will all medical schools bar the door to pharma giveaways? The Association of American Medical Colleges hopes so. Pharma gift report

> In another blow to the Merck/Schering-Plough joint venture, the FDA rejected a proposed allergy and asthma treatment that would have combined Schering's Claritin and Merck's Singulair into one pill. Report

> The Brazilian government recently deemed the anti-HIV med Tenofovir a "public interest." That's code for, "We're thinking about issuing a compulsory license for this drug." Brazil report

> One of the things media love to do is get two people to go head-to-head on an issue. Today's topic: Allowing drugmakers to distribute peer-reviewed journal articles in support of off-label uses for their products. On the pro side is Scott Gottlieb (photo), an ex-FDA deputy commissioner who's now at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. Former New England Journal of Medicine editor Jerome Kassirer is on the con side. Report

And Finally... Indonesia has begun to drill health workers on responding to a human outbreak of bird flu. Article

ALSO NOTED: Isotechnika reports psoriasis success; Romark enrolls hep C patients; and much more...

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> Isotechnika's ISA247 has demonstrated significant efficacy against psoriasis. Report

> Romark Laboratories has begun enrolling patients in a U.S. clinical trial to evaluate nitazoxanide for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. Preliminary data from the study is expected in the second half of 2008. Release

> It was inevitable: All the chit-chat about drug safety and the FDA's shortcomings had to result in legislation. Rep. John Dingell's House Energy and Commerce Committee released a "discussion draft" yesterday, planning to convene hearings over the next few weeks and draw up the real bill after that. Report

> Pfizer shares hit a 10-year low yesterday. And who can blame investors who sold, considering the Eeyore tone Wall Street analysts took after the drugmaker announced its falling sales and earnings? Report

> Call it the backlash against the backlash. In the wake of the recent Vytorin and Vioxx marketing scandals, drugmakers are banding together to prevent a Congressional crackdown on their power to promote. Report

And Finally… Researchers at Purdue say they're on to a new bird flu vaccine that offers broader protection over a longer period of time. Article

Feds ok Iomai Phase II adjuvant patch study

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:59:54 -0400

Health and Human Services is giving Iomai the green light to do a mid-stage dose ranging study of its adjuvant patch for bird flu vaccine. HHS provided a $128 million contract backing Iomai's effort last year, and was rewarded with dramatic Phase I/II data on its ability to boost the effectiveness of bird flu vaccine.

The U.S. government, like other governments around the world, has been stockpiling vaccine to fight a potential pandemic. Iomai's patch worked well enough to provide protection to many people after a single dose, rather than the two usually required. That would allow physicians to stretch available vaccines over a much larger population on a much quicker basis.

"The Iomai immunostimulant patch has the potential to change how we react to an influenza pandemic, and we will move ahead quickly with the development of this technology," said Iomai CEO Stanley C. Erck. "Based on the data from this new Phase II study, Iomai and HHS will evaluate whether to proceed next with a pivotal Phase III trial."

- here's the press release

ALSO: South Korea has mobilized troops to help fight the spread of H5N1 in poultry. Report

Related Articles:
Emerging Drug Developer: Iomai. Report
Iomai gets boost in bird flu vaccine adjuvant study. Vaccine report
Iomai vax patch guards against traveler's diarrhea. Iomai report
Vaccine-maker Iomai files $83M IPO. Report

ALSO NOTED: MAP touts IIa data; Isis pockets $2M milestone;and much more...

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> 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

> 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

> 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

> Chelsea Therapeutics has licensed the global rights to Active Biotech AB's 1-3D compounds for autoimmune disease and transplant rejection. Release

> Sirion Therapeutics is touting data from late-stage studies of Durezol (difluprednate ophthalmic emulsion) 0.05% for postoperative ocular inflammation. Report

> 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

> Should drugs be labeled with their country of origin? Report

> 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

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

ALSO NOTED: Takeda, Abbott split TAP; Alseres raises funds; investigators close in on another case of drug counterfeiting;and m

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 07:59:50 -0400

> As expected, Takeda is paying Abbott $1.5 billion to disband a joint venture launched 30 years ago. In the deal to break up TAP, Abbott will keep the cancer drug Lupron and 300 sales people. Takeda will keep Prevacid and two experimental therapies along with 5,000 staffers. Release

> Alseres Pharmaceuticals has raised $5 million. Release

> Nereus Pharmaceuticals says that enrollment has begun in a Phase Ib study evaluating the vascular disrupting agent NPI-2358 in combination with standard chemotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Release

> A Vietnamese company is beginning a human trial of a new bird flu vaccine. Report

> Hong Kong officials were quick to make sure that the recent deaths of several children in an influenza epidemic had no link to bird flu. And the city has moved aggressively to stop the spread of the flu as well as the fear it has inspired. Report

> A professor at the University of Toronto is warning that researchers may find it increasingly difficult to enlist volunteers for new trials exploring the safety and efficacy of experimental AIDS vaccines. Volunteers opted out of Merck's international STEP program because they feared that they would test positive for HIV because of the antibodies produced by the vaccine. Report

And Finally...The fevered search to find the cause to the fatal reactions to heparin is closing in fast around another case of drug counterfeiting in China. Article

ALSO NOTED: Rumor Mill: AstraZeneca a possible Shire suitor; Cardiome baits hook for partners; Vertex shares keep sliding; and

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:59:50 -0400

> Shire is suddenly the talk of the town as investors and investment banks publicly mull a match-up with AstraZeneca. Report

> Cardiome has brought in Merrill Lynch to handle the expected partnership offers for Vernakalant. Cardiome is bullish about its prospects after reporting positive interim Phase IIb data for atrial fibrillation. Release

> Vertex shares have been sliding as analysts assess its prospects for the once red-hot hep C drug telaprevir. Report

> Targacept is starting an early-stage trial of TC-5214 for major depression. A spin-off of RJ Reynolds, its researchers specialize in neuronal nicotinic receptors in the brain. Report

> Pharmacopeia is pocketing a $5 million payment from GlaxoSmithKline for completing early research discovery work. Release

> Fewer reps are knocking on doctors' doors these days. A consulting firm that advises most of Big Pharma says Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis, and Bristol-Myers Squibb have all culled their herds of reps. And more companies will be following suit soon. Report

> A measure that would force pharmaceutical companies and medical device makers to disclose gifts valued at more than $25 seems to be gathering momentum. Report

> The FDA's Andrew von Eschenbach got peeved during an appearance at the American Enterprise Institute when someone suggested that appointing Janet Woodcock (photo) to her former post at the top of CDER was a return to the "old ways" at the agency. Au contraire, he said. She's "going back as a very, very strong change agent," he responded. Report

And Finally... A UN agency has been alarmed by the 'critical' situation posed by the continued spread of avian flu in Indonesia. Report

Peregrine reports positive cancer data

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:59:55 -0400

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals is posting positive data from two ongoing, mid-stage trials of its cancer therapy Cotara. The trial data assessed Cotara's safety and efficacy in treating patients with glioblastoma multiforme, a deadly form of brain cancer. The drug appeared to be safe and well tolerated, with no dose-limiting adverse events. And several volunteers surpassed the median expected survival time for relapsed GBM patients.

"In view of the short expected survival time of approximately six months in this patient population, it is promising that we have early GBM patients in these trials who have survived past the six-monthtimeframe, with one patient now surviving 15 months post-treatment," said Steven W. King, president and CEO of Peregrine.

- check out the release

Related Articles:
India OKs Peregrine trial. Report
Peregrine touts early avian flu virus data. Report

Breakthrough reported in flu vaccine research

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 07:59:57 -0400

A Japanese chemical company saw its stock shoot up 20 percent this morning, the maximum allowed on the Japanese market, after researchers for NOF and Japan's National Institute of Infectious Diseases announced that they had found a way to create a new vaccine that could protect people from all types of bird flu viruses. One of the researchers said that the new approach targets the inside of the virus, preventing it from replicating. Current vaccines rely on alerting the immune system to attack the virus and become ineffective when the virus mutates.

"We are continuing the joint study in the hope that it will have universal effect on human influenza as well as a variety of other influenza viruses," said NOF. Any vaccine for human use is still far off, though. Researchers plan to start testing the vaccine in biotech mice in April.

- read the AFP report

Related Articles:
Breakthrough in understanding mechanism of bird flu. Report
Antibodies used to protect against bird flu. Report
Bird flu scientist says annual mutations likely. Report
Experimental vaccines show efficacy against H5N1 viruses. Report

ALSO NOTED: Minnesota hands out research cash; BMS, Lundbeck execs jump ship; and much more...

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 06:59:50 -0500

> The Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics is handing out $6 million to seven teams that will research heart disease, mesothelioma, infection prevention and epilepsy. Report

> Avanir Pharmaceuticals has sold its portfolio of human monoclonal anthrax antibodies to Emergent BioSolutions for up to $1.75 million in upfront and milestone payments, as well as royalties on annual net sales if the product is commercialized. Release

> Chutes & Ladders: Danish drug maker Lundbeck lost its CEO Claus Braestrup yesterday when he announced he would resign immediately. Meanwhile, Bristol-Myers Squibb's executive VP and CFO Andrew Bonfield will leave the company "to seek new career opportunities." Report

> It looks like heparin and acts something like heparin, but it isn't heparin. It's a mysterious contaminant the FDA has found in batches of Baxter's heparin linked to nearly 800 serious drug reactions and as many as 19 deaths. Only detected by sophisticated testing not typically done by drug makers or their suppliers, the lookalike substance made up between 5 percent and 20 percent of the product's active ingredients in those samples. Report

> GlaxoSmithKline is off the hook in a U.K. investigation of its withholding data on the antidepressant Seroxat, sold as Paxil in the U.S. Report

> New trial data on GlaxoSmithKline's experimental bird flu vaccine indicates that the drug works against a variety of subsets of the virus. Report

> With a new smallpox vaccine accumulating in federal stockpiles, the U.S. government is disposing of millions of doses of Dryvax, the old smallpox vaccine that relies on skin scrapings from infected calves. Report

> Two former Wyeth workers continue to cause controversy for Wyeth's blockbuster vaccine Prevnar. Report

And Finally... In Seattle, a new malaria trial will pay volunteers to get infected. Report

ALSO NOTED: Acorda shares bounce on new data; Endo CEO hits the exit door; BioSante in protocol deal; and much more...

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 06:59:50 -0500

> Shares of Acorda Therapeutics took a big bounce yesterday when the company announced new data demonstrating that its multiple sclerosis drug Fampridine-SR does not raise heart-related risks higher than a placebo. Release

> Endo Pharmaceuticals CEO Peter Lankau has handed in his walking papers. Endo says he is leaving March 1 and will be replaced by its COO and CFO on an interim basis. Release

> BioSante Pharmaceuticals has reached agreement with the FDA on a special protocol assessment for its Phase III trials for LibiGel--a therapy for female sexual dysfunction. Report

> Following a recommendation from the FDA, NPS Pharmaceuticals is preparing a confirmatory late-stage study of Gattex in patients with short bowel syndrome. Report

> Shares of Medarex were buoyed yesterday by an analyst's remark that its cancer drug--ipilimumab--which delivered disappointing data in December, may yet demonstrate its ability to improve overall survival rates. Report

> Amsterdam-based Pharming says it expects a final EMEA decision on Rhucin in the second quarter and is close to detailing its request that the EMEA reexamine its application to market Rhucin in Europe. Report

> The FDA issued a warning letter to Replidyne regarding antibiotic faropenem medoxomil 300 mg. Letter

> Pipex Pharmaceuticals announced that its New Drug Application for oral tetrathiomolybdate has not been accepted by the FDA for further review as submitted. Release

> As if questions about the effectiveness of cholesterol meds weren't enough, now research is casting blood pressure remedies into doubt. Report

> Workers at Pfizer's Terre Haute, Indiana, plant where the ill-fated Exubera was made are, shall we say, less than exuberant today. The company has decided to cut 660 jobs there. Report

And Finally... Here's a troubling milestone: Bird flu deaths in Indonesia have hit 100. Report

ALSO NOTED: Zogenix sells stock; Pharmasset shares jump on data; Seattle Genetics gains milestone; and much more...

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 06:59:50 -0500

> Zogenix has raised $18 million in a private placement of preferred stock. Release

> Shares of Pharmasset jumped earlier this week after the company announced positive data from an early stage study of R7128 in combination with Pegasys for chronic Hepatitis-C type 1. Report

> AtheroGenics has restructured $17.5 million of its 2008 convertible debt. Release

> Seattle Genetics has snared a $4 million milestone payment from Genentech. Release

> Researchers at UCLA have demonstrated how spinal cord injuries spur a natural ability to reorganize and restore cellular communication using alternative pathways in the nervous system. Report

> Scientists at MIT are reporting that the shape of structures in the avian flu virus closely match sugars found in the respiratory tracts of birds. Report

> A new pharma-funded study shows that lower copays equals higher adherence to drug regimens. The implications is that by spending some money up front on drugs for chronic diseases, companies might save in the long run on complications. Report

> The District of Columbia's governing council voted to require sales reps to obtain licenses, becoming the only jurisdiction in the country to do so. Report

And Finally... It's potential manna from heaven for statin makers: A new study shows the drugs may prevent cancer. Report

ALSO NOTED: Houston develop plots biotech park; Galvus wins EU nod; OncoMethylome inks deal with Abbott; and much more...

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 06:59:50 -0500

> A Houston developer has acquired Tanox's old headquarters--110,000 square feet on 24 acres--and plans to develop it as a biotechnology park. Tanox developed the asthma drug Xolair. Report

> European regulators are recommending approval of Novartis' Galvus. A diabetes drug. Novartis expects to launch the therapy in the first half of next year. Report

> Belgium's OncoMethylome Sciences has struck a deal with Abbott Laboratories to help profile tumors, testing its DNA methylation biomarkers on Abbott's biological samples. Release

> Chutes & Ladders: AlgoNomics has promoted Philippe Stas to CEO. Release

> Novartis and Merck are refocusing their sales efforts away from the doctors who write the prescriptions and toward the insurers that pay for them. Report

> One of Shire's shareholders is crying foul at the drug maker's big management reshuffling announced last week. Report

> Ex-FDA chief David Kessler got the boot at University of California-San Francisco, where he has been dean of the medical school since 2003. Report

> Bristol-Myers Squibb said it was going to retrench, and so it is. The company announced this morning that it would sell its medical imaging unit to the private equity firm Avista Capital Partners for about $525 million. Report

And Finally... A researcher is criticizing the way the U.S. is monitoring the spread of H5N1 in migratory birds, saying U.S. efforts could easily miss the virus as it makes its way into the country. Release