Spotlight On... Sosei scouts for pipeline partners; Ocular Therapeutix maps out Phase III; and much more...

Japanese drug developer Sosei is on the hunt for global partners for its pipeline treatments, hoping to make good on the assets picked up in its $400 million acquisition of Heptares Therapeutics last year. CEO Shinichi Tamura told Bloomberg that the company is hoping to replicate its success in past deals with Pfizer ($PFE), AstraZeneca ($AZN) and Novartis ($NVS), adding that a few new partnerships "could be the first big news in 2016." The company padded its pipeline with the Heptares deal and is now at work on early-stage treatments for Alzheimer's disease, migraines, diabetes and ADHD. More

@FierceBiotech: Survey: Biopharma gets a bad grade on gender diversity. Report | Follow @FierceBiotech

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> Drug developer Athenex secured a $220 million commitment from the state of New York to help it build a manufacturing plant in Buffalo, planning to eventually employ about 900 people. News

> Ocular Therapeutix ($OCUL) laid out plans for taking its glaucoma drug through Phase III and toward the market, planning to start the first of two late-stage trials in the third quarter of this year. Release

Pharma News

@FiercePharma: ICYMI yesterday: With pricing power waning, time for Big Pharma to become a lean, mean, well-oiled machine. Article | Follow @FiercePharma

@EricPFierce: Merck adding a couple hundreds manufacturing jobs in Ireland. FiercePharmaManufacturing article | Follow @EricPFierce

@CarlyHFierce: ICYMI: Express Scripts steps up its Valeant feud with microscopic look at every claim. Story | Follow @CarlyHFierce

> Pfizer whistleblowers set to collect $59M in Medicaid fraud suit. Article

> Pricey specialty meds get the DTC treatment even when target markets are small. Report

Medical Device News

@FierceMedDev: ICYMI yesterday: GSK partners with Belgian neurostim startup in bioelectronic medicine research. Article | Follow @FierceMedDev

@EmilyWFierce: Kentucky lawmaker proposed a bill that would require men to get a note from their spouse for a Viagra Rx. NYT story | Follow @EmilyWFierce

> Virtual reality startup reels in $100M for rehabilitation device. Report

> Singaporean smart chip could enable next-gen wireless neural implants. Article

Biotech Research News

> Scientists use old vaccination method to beat new viruses. Article

> Johns Hopkins scientists create 'mini-brains' for neurodegeneration researchers. Story

> Penn team shines a light on creating brown fat to fight diabetes. Report

> Hype around worm study on potential Alzheimer's treatment is derided. Item

> Analysis: Scrap the NIH funding model and switch to a lottery. More

Vaccines News

> U.K. report: Vaccines could help in superbug fight. Item

> Walter Reed kicks off PhI trial of Inovio's MERS vaccine. News

> Sanofi ships 1M Dengvaxia doses to Philippines, in talks for 3M more at €20 a dose. Report

> Russia to test Ebola candidate in Guinea: AFP. Story

> NIH, Bharat Biotech hold the lead in Zika vaccine race: WHO. Article

Pharma Marketing News

> It's not just payers waiting on PCSK9 outcomes data. Doctors are holding back, too. Story

> Instagram updates could help pharma tap new audiences--and maybe get creative, too. Report

> Can BIO's heartfelt image campaign win hearts and minds? Pharma skeptics aren't convinced. More

> McCann Health adds new chief growth officer to get ahead in changing industry. Story

> Merck's new hep C contender Zepatier faces a long runway, but 2017 could bring takeoff. Article