> Cornerstone Pharmaceuticals announced the closing of its Series B-4 private equity financing of $6,175,000. The company plans to use the proceeds for its on-going phase I/II clinical trials of its lead cancer drug--CPI-613, research and development, and general corporate purposes. Cornerstone release
> The FDA has accepted ACT Biotech's investigational new drug application for its cancer therapy. The San Francisco-based biotech says that it is deciding now whether it will start a Phase I trial of ACTB-1003 by itself or with a partner. Story
> Biogen Idec says it's dosed the first patient in a trial of a new therapy for hemophilia B. Biogen is partnered with Sweden's Orphan Biovitrum. Report
> IntegraGen plans to deploy South San Francisco-based Fluidigm's microfluidic system in its lab. Story
Pharma News
> A former AstraZeneca scientist has alleged that marketing types pressured him to pretend that Seroquel wouldn't cause weight gain, despite data showing that it did. Report
> The largest HIV/AIDS healthcare provider has banned Merck's sales reps from its clinics, saying that the company has overpriced its drug Isentress. Merck report
> Another day, another state seeking control over pharmaceutical sales. Actually, this is Minnesota, where lawmakers have already been pushing for restrictions on pharma's relationships with doctors. Article
> Some doctors oppose conflicts-of-interest rules that restrain their financial relationships with drugmakers. And others really oppose them. Just look at Dr. Lawrence DuBuske, an instructor at Harvard Medical School who practiced at Brigham and Women's Hospital. DuBuske, an allergy and asthma specialist, recently left Brigham and Women's--and Harvard--so that he could continue his paid work for GlaxoSmithKline. Article
Research News
> The Burnham Institute for Medical Research has a big new supporter and a new name. South Dakota philanthropist T. Denny Sanford is giving the institute $50 million. Funding report
> A group of engineers at the University of Florida used technology employed to mass manufacture cell phones and other devices to make a small sensor that could be used to monitor a person's health, flagging changes in glucose levels or checking for signs of breast cancer. Item
> Scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College have developed a new method to harvest a rich source of endothelial cells which could then be used to create new blood vessels or help regenerate organs damaged by a heart attack or stroke. Article
> Boston-area researchers have discovered the reason why some breast cancer patients respond to normal chemotherapy but others do not. Report
> Scientists offer new drug target for stroke damage. Report
And Finally... A joint team from the University of Kansas and Northeastern University in China says that it has settled the long-standing question of how bird flight began. Their work focused on a four-wing gliding raptor. Release