> Citi Investment Research analyst John Boris is betting that the FDA will provide Eli Lilly with a broad approval to market its blood thinner Effient. AKA prasugrel. Boris is looking for a second-quarter launch and upgraded Lilly's stock to ‘buy.' Report
> Stem Cell Therapy International has obtained the short-term financing it needs to complete a planned merger with South Korea's HistoStem. They will create a new company called AmStem International. Story
> Karolinska Development and Biovitrum are creating a jointly owned firm that will develop and sell Biovitrum's preclinical therapy for patients suffering from acute myeloid leukemia. Release
> Shares of Facet Biotech rose yesterday as it planned to move its primary drug candidates into late-stage trials later this year. Report
> An international study has concluded that pactimibe failed to slow the progression of atherosclerosis. Report
> Integrated DNA Technologies has purchased the oligo business of VH Bio Ltd in the UK. Release
> CytRx Corporation announced that its molecular chaperone amplifying drug candidate iroxanadine has been shown to be effective in protecting against diabetic peripheral neuropathy in animals. CytRx release
> Roche's Japanese unit has grim news today: Chugai Pharmaceutical said a study showed its rheumatoid arthritis treatment Actemra might be linked to the deaths of 15 Japanese patients. Severe side effects were reported in more than 200 patients. Report
> Roche announced results of a big study that shows Herceptin significantly prolongs the life of stomach cancer patients when added to standard chemotherapy. Report
> Remember all those scientists who admitted to Nature that they sometimes used Provigil--Cephalon's stay-awake drug for folks with sleep apnea/narcolepsy/shift work syndrome--to make them more productive? Well, they might want to turn their more-productive brains toward analyzing the potential risks. Report
> A new generation of therapies targeted at Alzheimer's disease could play a key role in fighting the long-term damage inflicted by brain trauma. Report
> A vehicle belonging to a university researcher at UCLA was firebombed recently, the latest in a string of attacks carried out by members of a radical animal-rights group. Report
And Finally... The Washington Post chronicles the troubled history of Study 15, a clinical trial of Seroquel that raised safety issues regarding the schizophrenia drug. That study wasn't made public at the time, and it would be another eight years before a taxpayer-supported trial unveiled the same issues. Article