> The American Heart Association reports that in 2008 the National Institutes of Health invested a ‘mere 4 percent of its budget on heart research and less than 1 percent on stroke.' And that isn't good enough, says the association. Release
> Nanobac Pharmaceuticals and privately held Eureka Genomics have inked a merger deal in a cash and stock transaction. After a reverse stock split of shares, Nanobac Pharmaceuticals name will be changed to Eureka Genomics. Release
> Shares of Cephalon surged on positive mid-stage data for Nuvigil for bipolar depression. The drug is being launched in the third quarter as a treatment for excessive sleepiness. Report
> Interim FDA Commissioner Frank Torti (photo) wants his employees to zip their lips. According to In Vivo, Torti sent out a memo last Friday telling FDAers that they need to keep proprietary information to themselves. Report
> Claiming a breach of contract, GTC Biotherapeutics has ended its commercialization and development pact covering ATryn with Denmark's LEO Pharma. Report
> France's BioAlliance Pharma SA has been awarded €6.4 million in funding from OSEO, France's state innovation agency. The funds will be used to develop new cancer therapies. Release
> Cambridge, MA-based Forma Therapeutics has struck a collaboration deal with the Experimental Therapeutics Centre of Singapore to develop new anti-cancer drugs. Report
> The executive pay parade continues. Today's entry: Abbott Laboratories CEO Miles White (photo). The amount: $28.3 million. That's down $5 million from his 2007 pay of $33.3 million, but includes a tad bit more cash this time around. Report
> These days, drugmakers are heroes--in the financial markets. Today, the bond-market gladiator is Pfizer, which is prepping an offering to fund its $68 billion buyout of Wyeth. Pfizer is expected to use the bond proceeds to refinance a $22.5 billion bridge loan it already has secured to help pay for Wyeth. Report
> A vehicle belonging to a university researcher at UCLA was firebombed recently, the latest in a string of attacks carried out by members of a radical animal-rights group. Report
> The euphoria attending a surge in megadeals over the past few weeks is now wearing off, and doubt is setting in. Call it the M&A hangover. Report
> Cephalon won't let Provigil go gently into that post-patent night. Already, the drugmaker has readied its follow-up: Nuvigil, an extended release form of the stay-awake drug. Report
And Finally... A new generation of therapies targeted at Alzheimer's disease could play a key role in fighting the long-term damage inflicted by brain trauma. Report