Eisai to cut 900 in restructuring; Proteonomix creates new subsidiary;

 @FierceBiotech: Fresh signs of a biotech buyout blast in 2011. Item | Follow @FierceBiotech

 @JohnCFierce: Merck KGaA's clinical approach on cladribine was all wrong. A classic Ph3 mistake, which Novartis managed to avoid. News | Follow @JohnCFierce

> Reeling from the loss of patent protection on its top-selling Alzheimer's disease treatment Aricept, Eisai plans to cut 900 jobs over the next five years. The cuts will come in the U.S., Japan and Europe, the company announced after Japanese markets closed today. Story

> Proteonomix has formed a new subsidiary called THOR BioPharma. Release

> Cell Therapeutics says that it has met with officials of the FDA's Office of New Drugs and presented its argument for pixantrone. "At the meeting, the OND requested additional analyses from the PIX301 Phase III clinical study. CTI intends to submit the requested information and expects that this will reset the time period for OND to provide its decision on the appeal. CTI anticipates a decision in the second quarter of 2011." Cell Therapeutics release

And Finally... York University researchers have zeroed in on a genetic process that may allow ovarian cancer to resist chemotherapy. Report