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@JohnCFierce: OrbiMed Advisors has raised $550 million for its new health venture fund, its largest ever. Most money for biotech. @JohnCFierce
> Osiris is touting what it calls positive results for its stem cell therapy Prochymal in preventing GVHD in children. TheStreet, though, calls it all a charade, noting that data-mined results on GVHD can't compare with two late-stage failures for Prochymal. Report/Analysis
> TheStreet's Adam Feuerstein also concludes that the news of Avastin's success in a late-stage trial for advanced ovarian cancer will likely make that drug the standard of care for the condition. And that's bad news for Cell Therapeutics, which is developing Opaxio for ovarian cancer. Story
> Lundbeck says that a new analysis of its late-stage trial for the stroke drug desmosteplase demonstrated positive results. Story
> Dr. Carolyn Becker of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston writes in a commentary published in the New England Journal of Medicine that Pfizer's experimental osteoporosis drug lasofoxifene works about as well as currently available therapies. "Given the plethora of drugs currently available for osteoporosis, studies of new agents should show clear benefits over existing agents," Becker wrote. Story
> The recent blizzard in Washington is forcing the FDA to push back its review deadline for the once-weekly diabetes drug exenatide to March 12. The therapy, if approved, is tapped as a likely blockbuster. Report
> Theratechnologies says its tentative review date for tesamorelin is May 27. Theratechnologies release
> The once-daily mirapex ER has been approved to treat early Parkinson's disease. Release
> Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals, which fired founder Richard Hollis last year, has changed its name to Harbor BioSciences. Release
> Talecris shares slumped yesterday after the developer announced that an after-tax charge had wiped out most of its fourth-quarter profit. Story
And Finally... The ability to recognize faces is largely determined by your genes, according to new research at University College London. Report