> Celgene Europe says its Pharmion subsidiary is pulling its EMEA application for the prostate cancer drug Orplatna after concluding that the drug's benefits do not outweigh its risks. GPC Biotech withdrew its NDA for the drug due to disappointing survival data. Story
> Palatin Technologies has completed a Phase 2a clinical trial of PL-3994, a natriuretic peptide receptor A agonist under development for treatment of heart failure. Release
> Stromedix says its lead clinical candidate--STX-100--has been granted orphan drug status by the FDA for the treatment of chronic allograft nephropathy. Story
> Sweden's Karo Bio and Wyeth have extended their atherosclerosis collaboration for an additional year. Release
> PolyMedix has been cleared to start a Phase I trial of PMX-60056, an anticoagulant reversing agent. Story
> H5N1 isn't the only avian virus that threatens to trigger a pandemic. A group of virologists was able to make an H9 virus much more transmissible by changing a single chemical component in the hemagglutinin protein, which allows the virus to attach to cells. Report
> Scientists at the University of Michigan are moving closer to human trials of a new nanoemulsion hepatitis B vaccine that could revolutionize therapy in the third world. Report
> The battle of the cholesterol meds could heat up even further now that two Big Pharma companies have forged an alliance. AstraZeneca and Abbott Laboratories are joining forces to market Crestor, AstraZeneca's statin med. Report
> Genentech's board may not like Roche's takeover bid. But it's open to a higher figure. Patients, on the other hand, fear a buyout would interfere with their close ties to the California company. Report
> Score another point for drug therapy over stents. A new report shows that patients with chest pain but no emergency heart troubles do just as well on drugs as they would with implanted stents. Report
> Yesterday, we reported on the profitability of friendship--between docs and reps, that is. Today, we're here to tell you that a pharma rep's average pay reached $94,200 last year, compared with $87,500 in 2006, according to the National Association of Pharmaceutical Sales Reps, or NAPSRx. Report
And Finally... An investigative team at Johns Hopkins has been studying a woman whose natural immunity has quelled the virus she was infected with 10 years ago. Researchers say that she is an 'elite suppressor;' her immune cells could hold the key to solving the vexing riddle of creating a vaccine for HIV. Vaccine report