> Shares of Galenica jumped 15 percent this morning after the company announced that an FDA advisory committee has endorsed its iron replacement therapy Ferinject/Injectafer. A formal decision is expected in mid-March. Report
> Australia's Progen has inked a deal to acquire CellGate, a U.S. cancer therapy developer, for $1.5 million in shares and the assumption of $1 million in liabilities. In addition to its pipeline candidates Progen also gains the help of CellGate CSO Dr. Laurence Marton. Report
> Acorda Therapeutics has acquired certain assets of Neurorecovery, which focuses on the development and commercialization of neurological drugs that target inflammatory diseases of the peripheral nerves. Release
> Chutes & Ladders: Valeant Pharmaceuticals CEO Timothy Tyson has hit the exit and will be replaced by Michael Pearson. Chairman Robert Ingram will step down as well but remains as a director. Prior to joining Valeant, Pearson had been a director at McKinsey & Company. Release
> BioLineRx has produced positive data from a Phase IIa trial of its schizophrenia drug BL-1020. Thirty-six treatment refractory patients took part in the study, registering statistically significant responses during the six-week study. No side effects like weight gain or motor difficulty were reported. Report
> Pre-emption handed GlaxoSmithKline the victory in a lawsuit over a 13-year-old who committed suicide while taking the antidepressant Paxil. A California judge cited the pre-emption rule in dismissing the suit, saying that the case created a direct conflict between federal labeling requirements and state tort law. Report
> The FDA says it's "increasingly likely" that Pfizer's stop-smoking pill Chantix may cause psychiatric symptoms in some patients, including suicidal thoughts and actual suicide. Report
> Pony up, Congress. Stop whipping the FDA for its failures and fork over the cash necessary to fix the problem. That's what editorial writers at the Boston Globe and New York Times said over the weekend. Report
And Finally... For anyone out there who may think that quality does not matter in healthcare: Patients treated at top-rated hospitals nationwide are nearly one-third less likely to die, on average, than those admitted to all other hospitals. Study