> The Boston Globe reports on two big biotech developments that could help burnish Lexington's reputation as a biotech hot spot. Lexington Technology Park developers Patriot Partners and Cubist Pharmaceuticals are separately seeking approval to build 500,000 square feet of research and office space. Report
> Concert Pharmaceuticals has won a $12 million milestone payment as it begins human trials of a new HIV therapy. It's one in a series of milestones from GlaxoSmithKline that could amount to more than a billion dollars. Concert release
> The FDA has extended its review of a new neuropathic pain drug developed by XenoPort and GlaxoSmithKline. Release
> San Diego-based PaxVax has raised $2 million of a $6 million round. Story
> Biomet is buying out Cartilix, a company that has developed cartilage repair technology. Report
> Ikano Therapeutics has received an orphan drug designation for midazolam in the acute treatment of certain forms of epileptic seizure known as cluster seizures or alternatively, as acute repetitive seizures. Ikano release
Pharma News
> Total Pfizer jobs cut since 2005: 30,900. Report
> Ranbaxy Laboratories counsels patience. The Indian drugmaker, which has been negotiating with FDA over manufacturing problems since last year, says discussions with the agency are still in process. Report
> Abbott Laboratories is the latest drugmaker to find itself in the feds' sights. Officials are probing Abbott's marketing of the epilepsy-and-mood drug Depakote, examining whether the company violated the False Claims Act and anti-kickback rules. Report
> As expected, Biogen Idec and Elan have amended the label of their multiple sclerosis med Tysabri. Some 23 cases of the scary brain infection progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy have emerged since 2006--more than are strictly accounted for in the label's current risk assessment. Report
> As expected, Biogen Idec and Elan have amended the label of their multiple sclerosis med Tysabri. Article
Biotech IT News
> The FDA is rolling out WebSDM Release 3.0 software, originally developed by Phase Forward under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. Report
> Site recruitment and study start-up documentation are getting a boost from an alliance between Adobe Systems and secure-collaboration company IntraLinks. Report
> Electronic informed consent meets paperless processes for document transfer in a deal that aims to fill the need in global trials for polylinguistic web-based management. Report
> Specialty biopharma Shire has extended its relationship with Medidata Solutions by signing on for multiyear use of the Grants Manager and CRO Contractor trial planning products. Report
> Sebastian Piotrowski is cautious about data security in cloud computing. The systems engineering lead at Johnson & Johnson says the company processes data using the Amazon Web Services cloud but keeps the data fully obscured. Report
And Finally... A new poll by the Harvard School of Public Health found that two thirds of the parents and high-risk adults who sought swine flu vaccinations couldn't find them. Report