Statins are among the most prescribed drugs in the world, and there is no doubt that they work as advertised — that they lower not only cholesterol but also the risk for heart attack.

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NYTimes.com

The rate of drug name mix-ups has more than doubled since 2004, the U.S. Pharmacopeia said in a report Tuesday.

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MSNBC.com

Eli Lilly Tuesday said fourth-quarter profit rose on lower taxes and better-than-expected sales of its medicines, including its newer treatments for depression, diabetes and cancer.

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CNBC.com

By Andrew Jack

When several patients with Aids died after an experimental drug trial at Ditan Hospital in Beijing in 2003, human rights activists and local media turned on the pharmaceutical group involved.

Viral Genetics, a Californian biotechnology company, was criticised for failing to explain adequately to participants that they were taking part in a trial rather than receiving a proven medicine. Others question whether it was right that, while some patients were given its test VGV-1 compound, the rest received a placebo instead of antiretroviral therapy, long accepted in the west as the most effective treatment. The company declined to comment.

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FT.com

By Cheryl Lyn Dybas
Peace. Love. Joy. Hurry. Scurry. Let down. The dark months after the holidays leave many people returning unwanted gifts to store shelves and reaching instead for remedies to combat seasonal fatigue and midwinter blahs. "Millions of people in this country take herbals of all kinds," said Rebecca ...

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Washingtonpost.com

29-Jan-2008 - In any laboratory, or indeed in any pharmaceutical manufacturing facility, one of the major expenses will be solvents. And just like the price of petrol and diesel it just keeps going up and up. Huw Kidwell examines how a new recycling approach could keep costs down and help protect the environment to boot.

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in-pharmatechnologist.com

29-Jan-2008 - Merck & Co has expanded its licensing agreement with SurModics in a further endorsement of the latter's I-vation drug delivery system for eye diseases.

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in-pharmatechnologist.com

29/01/2008 - 660 Pfizer employees are the latest casualties of the drug giant's failed bid to capture the diabetes market with its once-touted blockbuster, Exubera.

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In-Pharmatechnologist.com

28/01/2008 - Wyeth is the latest big pharma firm to warn that major job cuts are on the cards, amidst a series of drug approval setbacks and generic erosion on profits.

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In-Pharmatechnologist.com

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Jan 24 2008, 12:28 PM EST
Cobra to Support Manufacturing of GenVec's Late-Stage Cancer Therapy
Firm will undertake tech transfer, scale-up, and process validation to enable GenVec's BLA. Full Story

Jan 24 2008, 12:25 PM EST
GSK and TB Alliance Extend Discovery Partnership by Three Years
Collaboration initiated in 2004 has five ongoing programs. Full Story

Jan 23 2008, 12:08 PM EST
Bayer Recalls Liquid Version of Myeloid Growth Factor due to Increased Fainting Reports
Firm will reformulate Leukine to eliminate EDTA and in the interim, will establish a special access program to provide lyophilized Leukine. Full Story

Jan 23 2008, 12:03 PM EST
Codexis Opens Fermentation Facility in Budapest
Lab will focus on strain development and process technology. Full Story

Jan 22 2008, 12:56 PM EST
Roche Wins Over Ventana at a $3.4B Price
After five months, five extensions, and a 19.3% increase from Roche's initial bid, a definitve merger agreement was inked. Full Story

Jan 22 2008, 12:49 PM EST
Pfizer Taps Aureon to Evaluate Prostate Cancer Patients' Response to Hormone Therapy
Quantitative biometrics will be established using company's integrated pathology approach. Full Story

Jan 22 2008, 12:53 PM EST
Teva Plans to Acquire CoGenesys for $400M to Advance in the Biogenerics Field
Transaction is expected to close during the first half of this year. Full Story

Jan 21 2008, 10:47 AM EST
VTT and Roche Diagnostics Ink Oncology Research Collaboration
VTT will investigate one of Roche's therapeutics, which could give way to novel drug combinations and biomarkers. Full Story

Jan 18 2008, 11:22 AM EST
Discovery of Gene's Duality in Cell Regulation Leads to Understanding of Its Role as Tumor Suppressor
APC usually halts cell growth in adults, but defects lead to enhanced cell signaling, which seems to explain its function in colon cancer, according to Science paper. Full Story

Jan 18 2008, 11:23 AM EST
Increased Levels of Lipidation Protein Slows Alzheimer's Development
Study published in JCI suggests that ABCA1 allows apoE to bind better to amyloid beta, decreasing chances of plaque build-up. Full Story

GenEngNews.com

24/01/2008 - Nabi Biopharmaceuticals this week announced that is considering a possible sale or merger of the company, with 'multiple entities' apparently interested in the business.

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In-Pharmatechnologist.com

Makers of drugs to treat obesity, depression and many other conditions are being asked for the first time to include suicide assessments in their clinical trials.

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NYTimes.com

22/01/2008 - Canadian vaccine specialist ImmunoVaccine Technologies (IVT) has scored a multi-million dollar grant to go towards developing its potent immune enhancement systems.

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In-Pharmatechnologist.com

A study found weight-loss surgery better than standard medical therapy in treating Type 2 diabetes in the obese.

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NYTimes.com

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Jan 17 2008, 11:54 AM EST
Invitrogen Set to Provide Comprehensive Noncoding RNA Portfolio
With the license from IMBcom, Invitrogen will be able to expand its NCode™ miRNA microarray product line. Full Story

Jan 17 2008, 11:55 AM EST
LabCorp to Commercialize Lung Cancer Detection Device with Right's from Duke University
Collaborators will carry out additional clinical research with the intent of using the technology along with traditional methods. Full Story

Jan 16 2008, 12:01 PM EST
Scil Could Receive Up To $250M from Pfizer for Access to Cartilage Growth Factor
CD-RAP is viewed as a promising candidate for cartilage regeneration in indications such as chondral defects and osteoarthritis. Full Story

Jan 16 2008, 11:54 AM EST
FAB Awarded SBIR Grant to Advance Cell-Free Protein Synthesis Platform
NSF $500,000 phase IIb funding follows success from STTR phase I and II projects. Full Story

Jan 15 2008, 11:54 AM EST
Alfacell Signs Over U.S. Rights for Oncology Drug to Strativa in Deal Worth $225M
Agreement related to late-stage candidate, Onconase, calls for $5 million upfront and $30 million upon FDA approval. Full Story

Jan 15 2008, 11:52 AM EST
Genzyme to Pursue Prognostic Test for NSCLC with License from Moffitt
Device will measure expression levels of two proteins that researchers found to correlate with response to platinum therapeutics and gemcitabine. Full Story

Jan 14 2008, 12:18 PM EST
SAFC Moves to Increase Biologics Production Capacity
Company plans $12 million, 8,000 sq. ft. expansion for Carlsbad, CA, site. Full Story

Jan 11 2008, 11:29 AM EST
Researchers Identify Mechanism for Vaccines to Target HIV Protein
Paper in Immunity showed that the MPER region of gp41 is hidden in viral membranes but certain antibodies can expose it. Full Story

Jan 11 2008, 11:32 AM EST
Scientists Develop Water-Soluble Nanoarray for RNA
This array, which lacks a solid surface chip and acts as a reagent, is single-molecule specific, according to study published in Science. Full Story

Jan 11 2008, 11:31 AM EST
Ipsen Life Sciences Program to Be Created at the Salk Institute
Ipsen will fund research in proliferative and degenerative diseases. Full Story

GenEngNews.com

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Pharmaceutical Processing

Researchers have reported that a simple DNA test can help predict a man’s risk of getting prostate cancer.

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NYTimes.com

The makers of some antidepressants never published the results of about a third of the drug trials that they conducted to win government approval, a new study suggests.

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NYTimes.com