@FierceBiotech: Making sense of the Alzheimer's drug pipeline. Report | Follow @FierceBiotech
> The FDA awarded orphan drug status to Cambridge, MA-based Aegerion Pharmaceuticals' lomitapide, a once-a-day treatment for familial chylomicronemia, a genetic disorder that causes high triglyceride levels in the blood. News
> Cortex Pharmaceuticals will regain all assets and rights for Ampakine, from Biovail Laboratories International. The company paid Biovail $200,000 upfront and could shell out up to $15.15 million in milestone payments for the respiratory depression treatment. Cortex release
> Exelixis has completed its 17.25 million share public offering, and expects to gain $179.4 million in financing from the shares. Exelixis release
> Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), or the human form of mad cow disease, is just as frightening as both names sound. It's a degenerative brain disease that's always fatal within a year of onset and has no cure. And, if that isn't grim enough, there is currently no way to even diagnose the disease until after brain tissue is obtained by biopsy after death. Report
> The science and business of predictive biomarkers has received another affirmation in the form of a funding round of roughly $804,000, or £500,000. London-based Activiomics has only been in existence since February 2010, but, according to a news release, has already "demonstrated the value of its technology through revenue generating partnerships with big pharma, including GlaxoSmithKline, UCB and Genentech." Report
> Proteomics is a branch of genetics that studies the full set of proteins encoded by a genome, and enabling technologies like microfluidics are making it easier and even cheaper than ever to sort through various proteins. How does this technology benefit us? For one thing, it helps scientists find protein biomarkers for early detection of various diseases. Article
Pharma News
> Herper: Cheap Lipitor could increase health costs. Report
> Pharma firms to create almost 300 jobs in Ireland. Story
> Actelion retains help in fight to remove board members. Article
> DEA confiscates Georgia's execution drug. News
Drug Deliver News
> Vaccine candidate could prevent norovirus. Report
> Reality catching up to SciFi with microsubmarine. News
> Elan's NanoCrystal technology gets European OK. Article
> Interview with a "magnetic" scientist. Story
Medical Device News
> Smith & Nephew: Employees conspired to steal trade secrets, start new company. Report
> Pfizer recalls impotence shot because defective needles. Story
> Boston Sci explains its top-down restructuring. News
> Roche to pay up to $119M for PVT. Report
And Finally... Using diabetes as a starting point, researchers may have found a treatment for congenital hyperinsulinism, a condition where the pancreas produces too much insulin. By focusing on cell switches that control insulin production, the scientists believe they may have a solution to both illnesses. Story