> After giving King Pharmaceuticals a stiff-armed response to its hostile takeover bid, Alpharma has signed a confidentiality agreement that will allow talks on a buyout. Alpharma execs had complained that King's bid was too low and a mystery suitor had offered more. No word on that bidder's fate this morning. Report
> Galenea and Otsuka Pharmaceutical announced that they have extended and expanded their research and development collaboration. The two companies have been working together since January 2005 to discover and develop novel therapies for schizophrenia and other central nervous system diseases. The new agreement calls for a one year extension of the initial five-year alliance and brings the total committed funding for the collaboration to over $75 million. Release
> Bethesda, MD-based Micromet has closed its previously-announced $40 million private placement financing. Micromet report
> Genentech and Roche announced that a combo therapy of Avastin and Tarceva failed in a late-stage study targeting advanced non small cell lung cancer. Genentech release
> Salix Pharmaceuticals is touting late-stage data demonstrating that rifaximin produced statistically significant results in preventing the liver disease hepatic encephalopathy. Salix report
> Sun Pharmaceuticals's subsidiary, Alkaloida Chemical Company, has extended its tender offer for Taro Pharmaceuticals until November 7, 2008. The two companies were negotiating a merger when Taro called it off back in May. Report
> We've all heard about the studies that link free drug samples with higher spending on pharmaceuticals. Now there's research raising questions about the safety of new-product handouts. Report
> Here's yet another exhibit in the ongoing case for public disclosure of drugmakers' payments to doctors. One of the top psychiatrists in the U.S. failed to report $1.2 million in pharma consulting payments to his university, a Congressional investigation found. Report
> Spotted a moth lately? Fewer and fewer people have, and for good reason. Sepracor has started to cut back its consumer ads, making that familiar Lunesta moth something of an endangered critter. Lunesta report
> Need more evidence that the UK is playing hardball on drug prices? Here it is: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence agreed to pay for Roche's lung cancer med Tarceva--if and only if the drugmaker matched the price of an older, less costly remedy. NICE report
Expert Advice: CEOs share lessons learned in biotech. Article
And Finally... Three European scientists who discovered the viruses that cause cervical cancer and AIDS won the Nobel Prize for medicine today. Release l Article