http://www.biospace.comhttp://www.biospace.comFri, 27 Jan 2012 19:38:08 GMT20http://rss.biospace.com/images/BSPLogo.gifhttp://www.BioSpace.com/news.aspx?SectionId=1Copyright (C) 2011http://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247220&full=1<img src"http://enewsletters.biospace.com/images/news/biotech.jpg" border"0" align"left" hspace"6" vspace"3" alt"The Hotbed Driving Force in the Biotech Industry: Massachusetts" name"The Hotbed Driving Force in the Biotech Industry: Massachusetts">By Michelle Wong, <a href"http://www.BioSpace.com/">BioSpace.com</a><br><br>Massachusetts is picking up steam in the biotech industry while...Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247509&full=1CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Verastem, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing drugs to treat breast and other cancers by targeting cancer stem cells, today announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 5,500,000 shares of its common stock at $10.00 per share, before underwriting discounts and commissions. All of the shares in the offering are being sold...Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247550&full=1Steve Holtzman got his first taste of corporate venture capital back in 1987, when he raised money from SR One, back when it was part of an old company known as Smith, Kline & French.Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247512&full=1CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: INFI) today announced interim data from its double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 study comparing saridegib (also known as IPI-926) in combination with gemcitabine to placebo plus gemcitabine in 122 patients with previously untreated, metastatic pancreatic cancer. The primary endpoint of the Phase 2 study is overall...Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247539&full=1Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes, an independent and nonprofit biomedical-research organization, have identified a protein that exacerbates symptoms of Parkinson's diseasea discovery that could one day lead to new treatments for people who suffer from this devastating neurodegenerative illness.Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247547&full=1Two of the scientific founders of a couple of Seattles best-funded biotech startups have come together in a new company that aims to create a valuable antibody drug candidates while burning through the least amount of venture capital possible. The new Seattle-based company, called V-Gene, is being started by combining a couple of technologies developed by Johnny Stine and Steve Wiley. Stine is the...Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247549&full=1International pharmaceutical giant Bayer is planning to boost its investment in Australia and create nearly 1,000 jobs. The European company, which has operations in health care, crop science and material science in Australia, is planning to boost its workforce of 850 people by another 5 per cent over the next three to four years. The introduction of new medical products to the Australian market over...Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247528&full=1BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., with five drugs in clinical trials, is seeking to buy smaller companies to expand its pipeline for treatment of rare diseases, not be acquired itself, Chief Executive Officer Jean-Jacques Bienaime said in an interview. The number of trials is the most ever at one time for BioMarin, a maker of drugs for rare diseases, Bienaime said. The Novato, California-based company...Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247537&full=1 A significant obstacle to progress in understanding psychiatric disorders is the difficulty in obtaining living brain tissue for study so that disease processes can be studied directly. Recent advances in basic cellular neuroscience now suggest that, for some purposes, cultured neural stem cells may be studied in order to research psychiatric disease mechanisms. But where can one obtain these cells...Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247535&full=1Will you have a heart attack or a stroke in your lifetime? Your odds may be worse than you think. Men and women may have a false sense of security about their chances of having a heart attack or stroke based on the current practice of calculating a patient's risk 10 years into the future. New Northwestern Medicine research shows a young or middle-aged adult who is at low risk in the short term may...Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247543&full=1Roche Holding AG's rivals Sanofi SA and Novartis AG see no need to match the Swiss drug maker in buying a gene-decoding business like Illumina Inc and reckon they can do partnerships instead. The relaxed attitude in the face of Roche's $5.7 billion hostile bid for Illumina suggests the chance of a counterbid from big drug makers is slim, although diagnostics and IT companies may yet show interest...Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247524&full=1Newly discovered mutations in two adjacent genes cause a rare genetic brain condition called Joubert syndrome, according to a new study. People with Joubert syndrome have malformation or underdevelopment of the cerebellum and brainstem, resulting in a range of physical and mental disabilities such as poor muscle control and mental retardation.Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247517&full=1News Corp executive James Murdoch, under pressure from a phone-hacking scandal at the News of the World tabloid, is to quit the board of drug maker GlaxoSmithKline to spend more time on his media roles. "James Murdoch has decided to stand down from the board with effect from this year's AGM (in May)," GSK Chairman Christopher Gent said in a statement, as Britain's biggest pharmaceutical company announced...Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247534&full=1A clear association between obesity and pain -- with higher rates of pain identified in the heaviest individuals -- was found in a study of more than one million Americans published January 19 in the online edition of Obesity. In "Obesity and Pain Are Associated in the United States," Stony Brook University researchers Arthur A. Stone, PhD., and Joan E. Broderick, Ph.D. report this finding based on...Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247546&full=1Employees of Pfizer Inc. have filed suit against the company, alleging the world's largest drug maker failed to properly manage its retirement plans and caused losses totaling hundreds of millions over the past decade in one of the hubs of the pharmaceutical industry. The suit, filed Wednesday in federal court in Puerto Rico, alleges Pfizer allowed employees to amass such high concentrations of company...Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247526&full=1Caffeine changes women's estrogen levels and has different effects in Asian and white women, a new study says. More than 250 women, ages 18 to 44, took part in the study between 2005 and 2007. On average, they consumed 90 milligrams of caffeine a day, about the equivalent of one cup of caffeinated coffee.Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247522&full=1Children with autism tend to spend their screen time alone, as opposed to using social media. We found a very high rate of use of solitary screen-based media such as video games and television with a markedly lower rate of use of social interactive media, including email, says Paul Shattuck, assistant professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247531&full=1We take it for granted, but the fact that our muscles grow when we work them makes them rather unique. Now, researchers have identified a key ingredient needed for that bulking up to take place. A factor produced in working muscle fibers apparently tells surrounding muscle stem cell "higher ups" that it's time to multiply and join in, according to a study in the January Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press...Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247376&full=1NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) today announced solid financial results for the fourth quarter of 2011. This concludes a year in which the Company received important new product approvals for YERVOY and NULOJIX in both the U.S. and Europe, and ELIQUIS in Europe for the prevention of venous thromboembolic events. Business development remained a top priority as...Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247527&full=1New genetic factors associated with a woman's age when she begins menopause have been identified by an international team of researchers. Researchers identified 13 loci (specific location of a gene on a chromosome) linked with immune function and DNA repair, which have an effect on when menopause begins, said the researchers from the Boston University Schools of Public Health and Medicine and colleagues...Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247548&full=1 A new preliminary report suggests that the active ingredient in Viagra, sildenafil, could reduce the size of large growths that can disfigure the bodies of children. The findings could point to yet another use for the medicine, which was first developed as a heart medication until researchers noticed that it helped impotent men have erections. This time, researchers stumbled upon an alternate use...Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247515&full=1PARSIPPANY, N.J.</span>, Jan. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: WPI) today announced that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc.- <span class"xn-location">Florida</span> has reached a settlement with Mallinckrodt Inc. on outstanding patent litigation related to Watson's generic versions of <span class"xn-org">Mallinckrodt</span>'s Exalgo (Hydromorphone Hydrochloride...Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247394&full=1THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.</span>, and <span class"xn-location">ROCKVILLE, Md.</span>, <span class"xn-chron">Jan. 26, 2012</span> /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) and Micromet, Inc. (NASDAQ:MITI) today announced that the companies have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Amgen will acquire Micromet, a biotechnology company founded in <span class"xn-location">Germany</span> with...Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247406&full=1Medical device and drugmaker Abbott Laboratories said Wednesday it will lay off 700 employees as part of ongoing restructuring efforts. A company spokeswoman said most of the layoffs will affect employees who manufacture the companys heart stents and diagnostic tests. Abbott has seen a decline in orders for artery-opening stents, ahead of the expiration of a supply agreement with medical device rival...Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247374&full=1SUMMIT, N.J. and BEDFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG) and Avila Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company developing targeted covalent drugs that treat diseases through protein silencing, today announced a definitive merger agreement under which Celgene Corporation will acquire Avila Therapeutics, Inc.</p><p>The acquisition positions Celgene to expand...Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247364&full=1GURGAON, India--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. (RLL, NSE: RANBAXY, BSE: 500359) (Ranbaxy) today announced that the consent decree with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that was signed on December 20, 2011 has been filed with the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. Under the terms of the consent decree, which is subject to approval by this Court, Ranbaxy...Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247412&full=1Is Avastin back in the fold for breast cancer? The FDA revoked Avastin's approval for treating breast cancer in November, 2011, saying the drug didn't extend life and could cause dangerous side effects. But two new studies released this week showed the drug made tumors disappear in women with early stages of breast cancer. The studies' surprising results may reopen the debate about the value of Avastin...Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247404&full=1EAST HANOVER, N.J., Jan. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NPC) and Sanford Wittels & Heisler, LLP, Counsel to the Plaintiffs and the Class, today announced an agreement to resolve the nationwide Wage and Hour class action against NPC currently pending in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. </p><p>NPC has agreed to end the ongoing...Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247414&full=1Illumina Inc. (ILMN) adopted a so-called poison-pill takeover defense after Roche Holding AG (ROG) made a hostile $5.7 billion bid for the maker of gene-mapping equipment. Shareholders will receive one preferred stock purchase right as a dividend for each common share held as of the close of business Feb. 6, San Diego-based Illumina said in a statement today. The rights wont be exercisable initially...Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247387&full=1A protein recently discovered in the brain could play a key role in regulating the creation of amyloid beta, the major component of plaques implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers at Temple University's School of Medicine.Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247372&full=1WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Positive Opinion Recommends Approval of the First and Only Anti-TNF Therapy in Pediatric Patients with Severely Active Ulcerative Colitis, a Chronic, Inflammatory Bowel Disease</p><p> MSD (also known as Merck in the United States and Canada) today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency...Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247496&full=1Davos, Switzerland (CNN) -- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will inject $750 million into the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates announced Thursday at the World Economic Forum.Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247283&full=1Swiss drugs industry supplier Lonza (LONN.VX) (LONZ.SI) kicked out chief executive Stefan Borgas after profits for 2011 plunged by a third and said 2012 was set to pose further challenges because of the difficulties faced by pharmaceutical firms. The Basel-based group, which is battling currency headwinds and volatile raw material prices, said the board took the decision to replace Borgas in the last...Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247422&full=1ChemoCentryx Inc. on Monday set a target range of $14 to $16 for its initial public offering.</p><p>The target at the top of the range would bring in $64 million, slightly less than the $69 million the Mountain View biopharmaceutical company filed for back in October.</p><p>ChemoCentryx, focused on the treatment of autoimmune diseases, inflammatory disorders and cancer, said it plans to offer...Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247361&full=1EAST HANOVER, N.J.</span>, <span class"xn-chron">Jan. 26, 2012</span> /PRNewswire/ -- Unity Management Group, Inc. (OTC: UYMG) (or "the Company") is pleased to announce its wholly owned subsidiary Metropolitan Computing Corporation (or MCC) is opening 2012 with a great head start. MCC has received <span class"xn-money">$50,000</span> in new, annual business awards as result of upgrades on software...Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247419&full=1SICHUAN, China</span>, <span class"xn-chron">Jan. 26, 2012</span> /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- China Health Resource, Inc. (OTCBB: CHRI.OB News), announced today that it has signed two new agreements for the sale of Gastrodia valued at <span class"xn-money">67.5 Million RMB</span> or approximately <span class"xn-money">$10.7 Million USD</span> (Corrected*). The agreements are with Chongqing Valley Pharm...Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247282&full=1Pfizer Inc. (PFE)s strategy to keep its market share of cholesterol pill Lipitor may boost revenue without aiding profit, said the chief executive officer of Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. (WPI), the drugmakers partner on the medicines generic version. Pfizers plan to hold off generic competition may be failing, said Paul Bisaro, Watsons CEO. Pfizer, the worlds largest drugmaker, gave Parsippany...Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247384&full=1The odds of a major depressive episode are more than double for those working 11 or more hours a day compared to those working seven to eight hours a day, according to a report is published in the Jan. 25 issue of the online journal PLoS ONE.Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247381&full=1 Chemists have taken an important step in making artificial life forms from scratch. Using a novel chemical reaction, they have created self-assembling cell membranes, the structural envelopes that contain and support the reactions required for life.Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247409&full=1VIENNA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CEL-SCI Corporation (NYSE AMEX: CVM), a late-stage oncology company, has entered into definitive agreements to sell 16,000,000 shares of its common stock at a price per share of $0.36 pursuant to a registered direct offering to an institutional investor, representing gross proceeds of approximately $5.76 million. </p><p>The investor will also receive warrants to purchase...Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247284&full=1More fallout from the Paula Deen controversy. The long-time publicist for the self-proclaimed Queen of Southern Cuisine has quit. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247420&full=1Kansas City Business Journal by David Twiddy, Reporter</p><p>An independent audit finds that former Kansas Bioscience Authority CEO Tom Thornton wiped files and other information from his agency-issued laptop after resigning.</p><p>The KBA released the results of the forensic audit on Monday. Accounting firm BKD LLP, based in Springfield, Mo., conducted the audit.</p><p>Overall, the forensic...Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247271&full=1PARSIPPANY, N.J.</span>, <span class"xn-chron">Jan. 25, 2012</span> /PRNewswire/ -- LEO Pharma announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Picato (ingenol mebutate) gel (0.015%, 0.05%) for the topical treatment of actinic keratosis (AK). AK is a precancerous condition caused by cumulative sun exposure that has the potential to progress to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC...Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247380&full=1People who enjoy drinking black tea throughout the day may get the added benefit of a slight reduction in their blood pressure, suggests a new Australian study. Although the study cannot identify specific components of the tea that might lead to a drop in blood pressure, the researchers said past studies have shown flavonoids, compounds found in many plants such as tea, are good for heart health....Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247259&full=1Shedding some light on why stress might be bad for you, a new study finds that parts of your immune system ramp up when you get into personal conflicts with others. It's not clear how this effect of stress may make you sick, but the activated parts of the immune system -- which cause inflammation in the body -- have been linked to conditions such as diabetes and cancer.Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247392&full=1Men may be at higher risk of experiencing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or the stage of mild memory loss that occurs between normal aging and dementia, than women, according to a study published in the January 25, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247446&full=1Health regulators said drugmakers Celgene Corp and Novartis AG misrepresented their cancer drugs to doctors, overstating how well the medicines targeted tumors without having evidence to support it. The complaints concern Celgene's breast cancer drug Abraxane and Novartis's cancer drug Gleevec. The Food and Drug Administration posted separate letters to each company on its website on Wednesday, asking...Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247375&full=1Researchers have uncovered clues that help explain why some people are faster runners than others. The skeletal structure of the foot and ankle differs significantly between human sprinters and non-sprinters, a finding that could be useful for helping people who have difficulty walking, such as older adults and children with cerebral palsy.Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247389&full=1New research by Australian scientists reveals that males who are exposed to high levels of testosterone before birth are twice as likely to experience delays in language development compared to females. The research, published in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, focused on umbilical cord blood to explore the presence of testosterone when the language-related regions of a fetus' brain are...Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247386&full=1 Women who consumed a diet high in animal fat and cholesterol before pregnancy were at higher risk for gestational diabetes than women whose diets were lower in animal fat and cholesterol, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health and Harvard University.Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247266&full=1Human skin is the body's first line of defense and often mirrors the health, nutritional status and age of a person. Over time, skin shows signs of aging due to the gradual breakdown of collagen and elastin. However, skin can be rebuilt and made healthier no matter one's age. Natural supplement Pycnogenol (pic-noj-en-all), an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree...Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247085&full=1<img src"http://www.biospace.com/images/enewsletters/images_BE/pic_karl.jpg" width"100" height"123" hspace"5" vspace"3" align"left" /><a href"http://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?NewsEntityId247085"><b>Embracing Generics and Emerging Markets</b></a><br><br>Did you know that the average daily cost of drugs dropped by one third between 2005 and 2010? And that Medicare drug spending has...Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247262&full=1The President and CEO of U.S. gene sequencing device maker Illumina Inc said he had no comment to make about a $5.7 billion cash takeover offer for the company by Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG's. "We have no comment at this time," Jay Flatley said in an email to Reuters. Roche, the world's largest maker of cancer drugs, said it would offer to acquire all shares of Illumina for $44.50 per share in...Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247287&full=1Philadelphia Business Journal by Frank Devlin, Digital Content Editor </p><p>Johnson and Johnson is reporting an 89 percent drop in its fourth-quarter profits. They fell to $218 million, which sounds like a lot, until you compare that with $1.94 billion in the fourth quarter of 2010.</p><p>But the adjusted numbers beat analysts estimates, and Johnson and Johnson stock was trading slightly...Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247285&full=1Jubilant Life Sciences Ltd. (530019.BY) has bought out U.S.-based Eli Lilly & Co.'s (LLY) stake in the equal joint venture formed by the two companies in 2008 to provide outsourced early-stage drug development services, its executive director for finance said Wednesday. "The joint venture, Vanthys Pharmaceuticals, will now be 100% owned by Jubilant Life," R. Sankaraiah told Dow Jones Newswires. Vanthys...Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247288&full=1The McNeil Consumer Healthcare plant in Fort Washington, Montgomery County, will not resume production until at least 2013, Johnson & Johnson's chief executive officer, Bill Weldon, said Tuesday as the company reported 2011 full-year and fourth-quarter financial results. Recalls, repairs, litigation, and costs related to the acquisition of Synthes Inc. played a big part in J&J's profit dropping 8...Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247269&full=1EAST HANOVER, N.J.</span>, <span class"xn-chron">Jan. 25, 2012</span> /PRNewswire/ -- Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NPC) and <span class"xn-person">Sanford Wittels</span> &amp; Heisler, LLP, Counsel to the Plaintiffs and the Class, today announced an agreement to resolve the nationwide Wage and Hour class action against NPC currently pending in the US District Court for the Southern District...Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247125&full=1Scientists from Bristol University have developed a soap, composed of iron rich salts dissolved in water, that responds to a magnetic field when placed in solution. The soaps magnetic properties were shown with neutrons at the Institut Laue-Langevin to result from tiny iron-rich clumps that sit within the watery solution. The generation of this property in a fully functional soap could calm concerns...Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247139&full=1CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan 23, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- -- Study results also indicated overall similar safety profile with differences in incidence of peripheral neuropathy -- </p><p>Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company with its parent company Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a supplemental new drug application (sNDA...Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247244&full=1DUBLIN</span>, <span class"xn-chron">Jan. 24, 2012</span> /PRNewswire/ -- Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc (Nasdaq: JAZZ) today announced several senior management appointments that will strengthen and broaden the company's leadership team.</p><p>The appointments include: </p><ul type"disc"><li><span class"xn-person">Suzanne Sawochka Hooper</span> will join the company and will serve as general counsel...Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247255&full=1Genetic mutations known as BRCA1 and BRCA2 raise the risk of getting ovarian cancer, but new research shows that those same mutations may boost a woman's odds of surviving the deadly disease. Women with invasive epithelial ovarian cancer who carry the mutations have a better prognosis than women without the genetic variations, according to an analysis of 26 previous studies. The BRCA2 carriers, in...Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247274&full=1WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Merck (NYSE:MRK - News), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an updated label for VYTORIN(ezetimibe/simvastatin) that includes results from the Study of Heart and Renal Protection (SHARP). In SHARP, VYTORIN 10/20 mg lowered LDL cholesterol in patients with moderate...Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247256&full=1<div id"releaseBody"><p>MECHELEN, BELGIUM and BARCELONA, SPAIN--(Marketwire - January 25, 2012) - <p><br><br> * Three-year integrated drug discovery alliance is for identifying drug development candidates for treating respiratory disease<p> * The value of this collaboration could reach EUR7.5 million<p>Almirall, S.A.(ALM.MC) announced today that has formed a research alliance...Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247280&full=1ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UCB announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Keppra (levetiracetam) tablets and oral solution as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of partial onset seizures in adults and children one month of age and older with epilepsy. Kepprawas previously approved in the U.S. as adjunctive therapy for partial onset seizures in adults and children...Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247263&full=1 Evidence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk is present in the blood of adolescents who consume a lot of fructose, a scenario that worsens in the face of excess belly fat, researchers report.Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247277&full=1Pfizer Inc. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.s blood-thinner apixaban won a final recommendation from the U.K.s health-cost agency. The pill, also known by the brand name Eliquis, may be used to prevent blood clots in adults who have undergone hip or knee replacement surgery, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence said in a statement today. The agency, known as NICE, advises the state...Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247257&full=1Getting too little sleep can make you hungrier than normal and may lead to weight gain, a small study suggests. The team at Uppsala University in Sweden used functional MRI to observe the brains of 12 normal weight males while they looked at images of food. This was done on two occasions -- after a night of normal sleep and after a night without sleep.Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247279&full=1Basel, Switzerland, Jan 25, 2012 (Thomson Reuters ONE via COMTEX) -- Novartis International AG / Novartis delivers strong underlying financial performance in 2011, expects 2012 sales to be in line with 2011 . Processed and transmitted by Thomson Reuters ONE. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. </p><p>- Fourth quarter sales rose 5% while core[1] operating income...Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247260&full=1LEIDEN, Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Prosensa, the Dutch biopharmaceutical company focusing on RNA-modulating therapeutics for rare diseases with high unmet needs, announced today that it has raised 23 million in new equity financing. </p><p>The financing was led by new investor New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and was supported by existing Prosensa investors, Abingworth, Life Sciences Partners...Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247270&full=1A molecule embedded in the membrane of human liver cells that aids in cholesterol absorption also allows the entry of hepatitis C virus, the first step in hepatitis C infection, according to research at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247268&full=1Brown adipose tissue (often known as brown fat) is a specialized tissue that burns calories to generate body heat in rodents and newborn humans, neither of which shiver. Recently, adult humans have also been found to possess brown fat. This fact piqued the interest of researchers seeking to combat the obesity epidemic, the thought being that if they could develop ways to increase the amount of brown...Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247254&full=1 Researchers in Spain have some good news for people who enjoy eating fried food: Cooking in olive or sunflower oil is not linked to heart disease or premature death. Because heart disease risk factors -- such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity -- have been linked to eating fried foods, the study authors decided to investigate the association.Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247248&full=1NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, - January 17, 2012 three plaintiffs filed a complaint against defendant, Macoven Pharmaceuticals, for patent infringement and false advertising. </p><p>The three plaintiffs that are claiming patent infringement and false advertising are: Breckenridge Pharmaceutical, Inc. of Florida, Metabolite Laboratories...Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247250&full=1 Elevated exposures in children to perfluorinated compounds, which are widely used in manufacturing and food packaging, were associated with lower antibody responses to routine childhood immunizations, according to a study in the January 25 issue of JAMA.Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247106&full=1<div id"releaseBody"><p>PALATINE, IL--(Marketwire - January 23, 2012) - <table class"releaseLink"><tr><td class"releaseLink"><b>Highlighted Links</b></td></tr><tr><td><p>&nbsp;</p><a href"http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/mmframe?prid843487&attachid1862801">http://acurapharm.com/</a></td></tr></table> Acura Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a href"http://www.marketwire.com/mw/stock.jsp?Ticker...Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247113&full=1Tall men are less likely than shorter ones to develop heart failure, suggests a new study of U.S. doctors. The finding doesn't prove that a few extra inches protect the heart, and it's possible that tall and short people are different in other ways -- including in their diets or diseases growing up -- that could affect heart risks.Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247142&full=1The brains of people tripping on magic mushrooms have given the best picture yet of how psychedelic drugs work and British scientists say the findings suggest such drugs could be used to treat depression. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247127&full=1Vertex Pharmaceuticals went from king of the hill in the treatment of hepatitis C to yesterdays news in about six wild months. But while many on Wall Street say Vertexs big drug will soon become obsolete, Vertex and its small partner in South San Francisco have quietly put themselves in position to defend a big share of this future multi-billion dollar market. Cambridge, MA-based Vertex (NASDAQ...Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247131&full=1PARSIPPANY, N.J.</span>, <span class"xn-chron">Jan. 24, 2012</span> /PRNewswire/ -- Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: WPI) announced that it has acquired Ascent Pharmahealth Ltd, the <span class"xn-location">Australia</span> and <span class"xn-location">Southeast Asia</span> generic pharmaceutical business of Strides Arcolab Ltd, for AU$375 million in cash. As a result of the acquisition, <span...Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247124&full=1<div id"releaseBody"><p>BUFFALO, NY--(Marketwire - January 24, 2012) - <b>Cleveland BioLabs, Inc. </b>(NASDAQ: <a href"http://www.marketwire.com/mw/stock.jsp?TickerCBLI">CBLI</a>) today announced that the Company has made a number of changes in corporate management responsibilities to maximize the Company's progress towards its strategic goals. Michael Fonstein, Ph.D., has stepped down from...Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247134&full=1Dutasteride, a drug that is commonly used to treat enlargement of the prostate, might also slow the growth of early-stage prostate cancer and reduce the need for potentially debilitating treatments that carry risks of impotence and incontinence, according to an article published Online First in the Lancet. "Our trial is the first study to show the benefits of use of a 5a-reductase inhibitor to reduce...Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247152&full=1Kristal James, a medical technician in suburban Dallas, spent more than a year fighting rapidly spreading breast cancer that looked like it might take her life. As doctors raced to save her, they decided to sequence her tumors genome.Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247099&full=1CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Genzyme, a Sanofi company (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY), announced today that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its manufacturing plant in Framingham, Mass., for the production of Fabrazyme (agalsidase beta). This follows the previously announced approval by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) last week.</p><p>We are very pleased with the FDA...Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247143&full=1CALGARY, Jan. 23, 2012 /CNW/ - Oncolytics Biotech Inc. ("Oncolytics" or the "Company") (TSX:ONC, NASDAQ:ONCY) today announced that it has entered into an agreement with a syndicate of underwriters pursuant to which they have agreed to purchase, on a bought deal basis, 3,572,000 common shares (the "Shares") of the Company at a price of Cdn$4.20 per Share for gross proceeds to the Company of approximately...Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247116&full=1Overweight girls in their late teens were twice as likely as their normal-weight peers to report having a lot of acne in a large new survey of Norwegian teenagers that did not find the same link in boys. Some 3,600 young people in Oslo, aged 18 and 19, provided information on their pimples, weight, diet and other health and lifestyle factors.Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247120&full=1TUEBINGEN, <span class"xn-location">Germany</span>, <span class"xn-chron">January 24, 2012</span> /PRNewswire/ --</p><p style"FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Study shows a consistent association between immune response to IMA910 and all clinical endpoints and an excellent tolerability profile</p><p><b><i>immatics'</i></b><b> </b> <b>unique XPRESIDENT platform delivers a second promising therapeutic cancer vaccine...Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247150&full=1Driven by new product launches and focus on areas like women's health care, cardiology and diabetes, German drug firm Merck KGaA today said its expects sales revenue to grow by 20 per cent in the next three years in India. The company that is present in both over-the-counter segment and prescription based medicines segment said it expects the two segments to drive growth equally.Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247154&full=1Roche Holdings AG (ROG) settled lawsuits claiming its Raptiva psoriasis drug caused infections, according to a lawyer for the plaintiffs. The lawyer, Mark Lanier, wouldnt disclose the terms of the settlement today. Genentech withdrew the medication from the market almost three years ago. Genentech, a unit of Basel, Switzerland-based drugmaker Roche, was sued in state court in California over allegations...Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247021&full=1An investigation committee formed by the Punjab government sealed a pharmaceutical factory which was manufacturing medicines allegedly responsible for the death of at least 28 people in Lahore. The Punjab government had formed a committee to probe the alleged reaction of cardiac medicines and consequent deaths of patients. Separate wards have also been formed in hospitals for the alleged victims of...Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247128&full=1A new gene therapy method developed by University of Florida researchers has the potential to treat a common form of blindness that strikes both youngsters and adults. The technique works by replacing a malfunctioning gene in the eye with a normal working copy that supplies a protein necessary for light-sensitive cells in the eye to function.Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247148&full=1Jan. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Poet LLC, the largest U.S. corn- based ethanol producer by installed capacity, established a joint venture with Royal DSM NV to produce cellulosic ethanol and license the technology to other plants in the U.S. and globally.Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=246968&full=1WESTON, Mass. & DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) and Elan Corporation, plc (NYSE: ELN) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a product label change for TYSABRI that will help enable individual benefit risk assessment for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The new label identifies anti-JCV antibody status as a risk factor for developing...Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247126&full=1<div class"xn-content"><p /><p><span class"xn-location">BRONX, N.Y.</span>, <span class"xn-chron">Jan. 23, 2012</span> /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Researchers at <a href"http://www.einstein.yu.edu/" target"_blank">Albert Einstein College of Medicine</a> (<a href"http://www.einstein.yu.edu/" target"_blank">http://www.einstein.yu.edu/</a>) of <span class"xn-org">Yeshiva University</span> and ...Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=246982&full=1HENDERSON, Nev., Jan 23, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- --Publication in "Cancer" Shows Increasing Recognition and Importance of ZEVALIN in Improving Outcomes in the Treatment of Refractory High-Risk Lymphomas; </p><p>--ZEVALIN Has the Potential to Become Standard-of-Care in Pre-Treatment of ASCT Patients With Aggressive Lymphomas; </p><p>--ZEVALIN(R) is Currently Approved by the FDA and Marketed...Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=246975&full=1PARSIPPANY, N.J.</span>, <span class"xn-chron">Jan. 20, 2012</span> /PRNewswire/ -- Columbia Laboratories, Inc. (Nasdaq: CBRX), and Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: WPI), today confirmed that the Advisory Committee for Reproductive Health Drugs of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not recommend approval of progesterone vaginal gel 8% for the reduction of risk of preterm birth in women...Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247119&full=1Scientists may be closer to understanding how genes can influence serious heart conditions, says a Nature Genetics report. The failure to turn off a specific gene at the right time in an embryo's development could mean illness later in life.Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247117&full=1 Sudden hearing loss might be tied to an underlying sleep disorder that interrupts breathing, suggests a new study from Taiwan. Consulting a large health insurance database, researchers found that people who'd suffered sudden deafness were more likely to have a previous diagnosis of sleep apnea than a comparison group without hearing loss.Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247110&full=1People who challenge their brains throughout their lifetimes -- through reading, writing and playing games -- are less likely to develop protein deposits in the brain linked with Alzheimer's, U.S. researchers said on Monday.Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247031&full=1Smash! A finger slammed in the door. Pop! A cheek splashed by hot cooking oil. Crack! A leg snapped in a ski slope tumble. All painful experiences, yes, but just how painful depends on whom you ask. Women report more intense pain than men with the same medical conditions, according to a new Stanford study published online Monday in The Journal of Pain.Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247025&full=1MONMOUTH JUNCTION, N.J.</span>, <span class"xn-chron">Jan. 20, 2012</span> /PRNewswire/ -- Insmed Incorporated (Nasdaq CM: INSM), a biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has lifted the clinical hold previously placed on ARIKACE (liposomal amikacin for inhalation) in patients with non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) lung disease. Insmed continues...Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247121&full=1Early results from the world's first human trial using embryonic stem cells to treat diseases of the eye suggest the method is safe, say researchers. US firm Advanced Cell Technology told The Lancet how two patients who had received the retinal implants were doing well, four months on.Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247029&full=1Perhaps emboldened by the success that Novartis employees in Switzerland had in protesting job cuts, Roche workers in Poland last week organized protests over hiring practices. The workers argue that the drugmaker hires people on a long-running contract basis, but does not offer regular employment and related benefits, including job protection, according to web sites run by workers rights groups...Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247001&full=1Children born to women who smoke during pregnancy are not at increased risk for autism, according to a new study. Smoking during pregnancy has been considered a possible cause of autism in children due to known links between smoking and behavioral disorders and obstetric complications, but previous studies of a connection between smoking during pregnancy and autism have had mixed results.Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247009&full=1David Blaustein waited seven years for the phone call that finally came in December 2010 from BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (BMRN), a maker of medicines for rare diseases. Blausteins 8-year-old son has achondroplasia, a genetic condition thats the most common form of dwarfism. A doctor turned investor, Blaustein spent years trying to find any company focused on the disease, which affects fewer than...Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=246986&full=1ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- EntreMed, Inc. (Nasdaq: ENMD - News), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, announced today that it has secured $10 million in financing with strategic accredited investors, including IDG-Accel China Growth Fund II L.P. ("IDG"), Emerging Technology Partners, LLC ("ETP"), and Dr. Tak W. Mak, Director...Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=246993&full=1Adding oxaliplatin to a standard chemotherapy regimen boosts survival rates for patients with advanced colon cancer, according to a new study that bolsters previous research on the drug by looking at a broader group of patients.Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247020&full=1Malaysias national oil company invests in early-stage advanced biofuels venture. Is SE Asia the next stop for LanzaTechs magic microorganism? In Illinois, LanzaTech announced that it has closed its Series C round with new investment totaling US $55.8 million led by the Malaysian Life Sciences Capital Fund. New investors include Petronas Technology Ventures Sdn Bhd, the venture arm of Petronas, the...Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=246989&full=1<div id"releaseBody"><p>PARSIPPANY, NJ--(Marketwire - January 23, 2012) - The Medicines Company (NASDAQ: <a href"http://www.marketwire.com/mw/stock.jsp?TickerMDCO">MDCO</a>) today announced that it has settled the lawsuits filed by MDCO in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware relating to the Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) filed by APP Pharmaceuticals, LLC (APP) for a...Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=246995&full=1Monkeys vaccinated with an anthrax capsule vaccine were protected against lethal anthrax infection, a new study has found.Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247005&full=1Getting an autism diagnosis could be more difficult in 2013 when a revised diagnostic definition goes into effect. The proposed changes may affect the proportion of individuals who qualify for a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, according to preliminary data presented by Yale School of Medicine researchers at a meeting of the Icelandic Medical Association.Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=246997&full=1MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.</span>, <span class"xn-chron">Jan. 23, 2012</span><b> </b> /PRNewswire/ -- Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALXA) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will require additional time to complete its review of the New Drug Application (NDA) for ADASUVE (Staccato loxapine). </p><p>In a notice received from the FDA, the Prescription Drug...Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=246979&full=1SAN DIEGO, Jan. 23, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trius Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:TSRX - News) announced today that it has earned a $5 million milestone payment from Bayer Healthcare for the achievement of all efficacy and safety objectives in the TR701-112 Phase 3 pivotal study which tested the oral dosage form of tedizolid phosphate versus the comparator linezolid (Zyvox(R)) in patients with acute bacterial...Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=246866&full=1CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALNY), a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that it intends to implement a strategic corporate restructuring, including an approximate 33% reduction in its workforce, as it aligns its resources to focus on what it believes to be the companys highest value opportunities with accelerated clinical development plans...Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=246899&full=1The European Medicines Agency started a review of Novartis AGs (NOVN) Gilenya pill for multiple sclerosis after 11 deaths among patients who received treatment. The reports raise concern that the drug, the first oral medicine for the debilitating neurological disease, may harm the heart, the London-based agency said in an e-mailed statement today. Eric Althoff, a spokesman for Novartis in Basel, Switzerland...Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=246991&full=1Researchers have identified three new genomic regions they believe are linked with breast cancer that may help explain why some women develop the disease.Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247007&full=1Plant flavonoid luteolin blocks cell signaling pathways in colon cancer cells. Luteolin is a flavonoid commonly found in fruit and vegetables. This compound has been shown in laboratory conditions to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties but results from epidemiological studies have been less certain. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Gastroenterology...Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247014&full=1San Francisco Business Times by Ron Leuty, Reporter </p><p>When Howard Robin took over as president and CEO of Nektar Therapeutics Inc. .. in early 2007, the company was based in San Carlos with a high payroll and, essentially, one product in the form of the inhaled insulin drug-device Exubera.</p><p>Since Pfizer Inc. .. pulled Exubera later that year, Nektar (NASDAQ: NKTR) has moved to San...Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=246951&full=1(Reuters) - Researchers studying a potentially deadlier, airborne version of the bird flu virus have voluntarily suspended their studies for 60 days because of concerns it could be used as a devastating form of bioterrorism, according to a letter published in the journals Nature and Science on Friday.Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=246965&full=1SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Exelixis, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXEL - News) today reported positive preliminary data from the cohort of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients participating in the ongoing phase 2 randomized discontinuation trial (RDT) of cabozantinib. Allan Lee Cohn, M.D., Medical Director of Research at the Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers, will present the data today at 11:...Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247000&full=1 Rapid growth during the first three months of life is associated with an increased risk of asthma symptoms in preschool children, a new study indicates.Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247003&full=1Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have identified a finely tuned mechanism by which fetal heart muscle develops into a healthy and fully formed beating heartoffering new insight into the genetic causes of congenital heart disease and opening the door to one day developing therapies to fight this chronic and potentially fatal disorder.Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=246882&full=1Although the genetic basis of autism is now well established, a growing body of research also suggests that environmental factors may play a role in this serious developmental disorder affecting nearly one in 100 children. Using a unique study design, a new study suggests that low birth weight is an important environmental factor contributing to the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=246887&full=1Researchers from the Children's Environmental Health Center at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York have found an association between exposure to the chemical group known as phthalates and obesity in young children including increased body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=246987&full=1Women taking pomegranate seed oil, marketed as an alternative remedy for menopausal symptoms, got no more relief from hot flashes than women taking a pill containing sunflower oil as a placebo, according to an Austrian study.Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMThttp://www.biospace.com/news_story.aspx?StoryID=247042&full=1<div id"releaseBody"><p>SUNNYVALE, CA--(Marketwire - January 23, 2012) - <a href"http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release843032&id1180549&type1&urlhttp%3a%2f%2fwww.protrials.com%2f">ProTrials Research</a>&#8482;, Inc. (<a href"http://ctt.marketwire.com/?release843032&id1180552&type1&urlhttp%3a%2f%2fwww.protrials.com%2f">www.protrials.com</a>), a leader in the clinical research organization...Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:00:00 AM GMT