> The tiny Bethesda, MD-based Northwest BioTherapeutics has alerted investors - for the third time - that it's running out of money. The new deadline: End of September. Report
> Asterand is pocketing a $6.25 million upfront fee after inking a licensing deal with Allergan for the rights to further develop and commercialize preclinical compounds discovered and developed by Asterand to treat conditions and diseases of the eye, such as glaucoma. Asterand Release
> Daniel Grau has been named CEO of Cortria and plans to grow the start-up in Boston. And the biotech now plans to shed stealth mode. Report
> Even after Takeda dropped out of a co-development deal with Affymax for Hematide, analysts are still bullish about its prospects in a late-stage trial on anemia resulting from chronic kidney disease. Story
> AMRI announced today that a second compound being developed under its license and research agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb will advance into preclinical development, triggering a milestone payment. AMRI Release
> Medarex says it has received a milestone from Pfizer following the submission of an IND for the clinical development of an antibody generated by Medarex's UltiMAb technology. Medarex Release
> Sweden's Orexo has added 12 months to its research collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim. Report
> Geneart AG has founded a new subsidiary in San Francisco. Geneart Release
> A $5 million retention bonus apparently wasn't enough to keep Chris Viehbacher (photo) at GlaxoSmithKline. Report
> The Byetta saga continues today: Amylin's stock fell Friday after an analyst decreed that the diabetes med causes four times as many cases of pancreatitis as Merck's competitor Januvia. Sunday, The Lancet published a new study of the extended-release Byetta, which showed it controlled blood sugar better than the daily version does. Report
> Here's a study that jumps smack into the debate over pharma freebies. Free drug samples cost uninsured patients more in the long run because they inhibit doctors' prescribing of generic drugs. Report
> Eli Lilly will face a class-action suit over Zyprexa, now that a federal judge has certified a group of insurance companies, pension funds, and unions that want the drugmaker to repay them. Report
> In a move sure to cause controversy, the FDA will let some sunshine in on its investigations of adverse event reports. Every quarter, the agency will release a list of drugs under investigation because of complaints about side effects. Report
And Finally... Elderly people who take a cholesterol drug after a stroke or mini-stroke lower their risk of having another stroke just as much as younger people in the same situation, according to research published in the September 3, 2008, online issue of Neurology. Release