> Pfizer's drug chief Ian Read details plans to boost sales. Report
> As part of its push to attract biotech business to the state, North Carolina State University has opened the Golden LEAF Biomanufacturing Training & Education Center (BTEC) to provide students and industry employees with the specialized education and training needed to work in the biopharmaceutical industry. Release
> Roche is starting to look like that annoying guy who won't take no for an answer--the company keeps asking Ventana Medical Systems if it wants to join up, and Ventana keeps refusing. Report
> Singapore has been aggressive in developing its life science industry. Last year the country announced that it would spend $8 billion over the next five years to strengthen its R&D capabilities, along with other incentive programs to attract biotech business. In fact, Singapore was on our 2006 list of biotech hot spots. But one thing Singapore isn't attracting is lots of venture capital investment. Report
> The FDA has granted orphan drug designation to NPS Pharmaceuticals for PREOS, a treatment of hypoparathyroidism. Release
> Ronald DePinho, MD, director of the Center for Applied Cancer Science at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, says that using three or more kinase-blocking therapies like Gleevec and Tarceva in combination are needed to shut down abnormal cell-growth signals. Report
> Researchers from Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich have determined that cancer stem cells govern metastasis in pancreatic cancer as well as making tumors resistant to chemotherapy. Report
And Finally... Bioengineering researchers in Lausanne, Switzerland, have developed and patented a nanoparticle that can deliver vaccines more effectively, with fewer side effects, and at a fraction of the cost of current vaccine technologies. Release