> An experimental vaccine cut the rate of cytomegalovirus infections in young women by half in a mid-stage trial, and the researchers involved say that it may well significantly reduce instances of a major cause of birth defects. And the vaccine from Sanofi-Aventis demonstrated effectiveness for up to three and a half years after vaccination. Report
> Roche has been able to raise $39 billion of the $47 billion it needs to wrap up the Genentech buyout - and there's not a bank to be seen. Report
> The private equity firm GTCR has completed the sale of Ovation Pharmaceuticals to Lundbeck. Release
> Neoprobe says its radioactive tracing agent achieved positive results in a key late-stage trial. Release
> Opexa is reporting progress with its stem cell therapy for diabetes. Report
> Navigenics has acquired the Affymetrix Clinical Services Laboratory, a CLIA-certified testing facility that provides molecular genome scanning. Release
> Oxygen Biotherapeutics says it has received a letter from the FDA outlining a "path forward" toward resuming clinical studies of Oxycyte, the company's perfluorocarbon therapeutic oxygen carrier. Release
> The biotech REIT Alexandria Real Estate Equities announced a $267.8 million follow-on offering. Report
> The FDA has given Medivation permission to launch a pivotal Phase III trial of MDV3100, an androgen receptor antagonist, in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have failed docetaxel-based chemotherapy. Release
> An experimental vaccine cut the rate of cytomegalovirus infections in young women by half in a mid-stage trial, and the researchers involved say that it may well significantly reduce instances of a major cause of birth defects. Report
> Suddenly, it's tough to get a patent extension in Europe. According to PharmaGossip, the rate of refusal is now at all all-time high, because officials are targeting so-called "evergreening." Report
> Roche/Genentehc and OSI Pharmaceuticals have asked regulators in the U.S. and Europe to approve Tarceva as a first-line maintenance treatment for lung cancer. If they get the OK, lung cancer patients whose disease didn't progress during chemo could take Tarceva to keep the cancer at bay. Report
> Is rural India a new promised land for drugmakers? Several multinational pharma companies are targeting the subcontinent's countryside for expansion, local media reports. It's part of pharma's new focus on emerging markets--but with a twist. Report
> In legal news: Merck saw a New Jersey judge deny a request from former Vioxx users to sue the drugmaker as a group to recover their costs for the now-withdrawn drug, while GlaxoSmithKline and Biovail failed to persuade a Pennsylvania judge to dismiss claims that they conspired to maintain a monopoly over the U.S. market for Wellbutrin XL. Report
> Don't tell Rover, but Pfizer may have to sell off some of its animal-health business to get the government to OK its buyout of Wyeth. Report
And Finally... Investigators at Rice University say that they have devised a computational method that offers a faster and cheaper way to determine the formula for each new flu vaccine. Report