@FierceBiotech: Investors buck as Crucell backs J&J's $2.4B bid. Article | Follow @FierceBiotech
@JohnCFierce: Biogen Idec's new chief is planning a big revamp of R&D, with more collaborations involving small biotechs. Article | Follow @JohnCFierce
> MicroRNA-based molecular diagnostics company Rosetta Genomics announced that it is cutting its monthly burn rate by 32 percent to reduce annual operating expenses by $4 million. Twenty percent of the company's positions--or 14 jobs--will be eliminated, primarily in R&D and administrative departments. Story
> Roche purchased the rights to Intermune's experimental Hepatitis C drug for $175 million in an attempt to look outside its cancer drug portfolio. News
> In the world of cancer treatment, many is often better than one. That is, combination drug therapy is more effective than single drugs. Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women's Hospital have developed a nanoparticle that can attack prostate cancer cells with both barrels--or even more--by delivering precise doses of two or more drugs. Report
> As Jazz Pharmaceuticals awaits FDA approval for its narcolepsy-turned-fibromyalgia drug Rekinla (also marketed as Xyrem), Brian Orelli of The Motley Fool makes the case for drug approval, including its name change, restricted distribution and latest trial data. Rekinla's active ingredient is the date-rape drug GHB. Article
> Japanese researchers have found a way to use microbeads of diboronic acid and hydrocarbons to monitor blood glucose levels in diabetes patients. Item
> Bethesda, MD-based Spherix announced the findings from its latest Phase III study of D-tagatose, a type 2 diabetes drug. The drug was more effective in U.S. patients than Indian patients, but lowered HbA1c levels in all patients. Spherix release
And Finally... The Michael J. Fox Foundation created a $40 million, five-year study to search for Parkinson's biomarkers. They hope that by finding a cause, they can create a cure, rather than just making life more manageable. News