> BioMS Medical is raising $38.5 million through a private placement of 14 million shares. The company will use much of the money to advance clinical trials in MS. Release
> Sepracor has promoted Adrian Adams to CEO. Report
> FDA staffers say that Acambis' experimental smallpox vaccine is no worse than an older, discontinued drug and that it met two of four main goals. Acambis is seeking approval for a weakened version of the vaccine to treat the elderly and other vulnerable populations. Report
> The FDA has approved Omrix's Evicel for use in vascular surgery. Researchers for the company say that Evicel creates a stable clot that anchors firmly to a bleeding site. Report
And Finally...Dr. Mark Thornton, the former medical officer in the FDA's Office of Oncology Products, says that expert panel rejections of Provenge and Junovan mark a black day for cancer patients when it should have been heralding the dawn of a new era for immunotherapeutics. Report