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Zocor, Crestor drugs may cause serious muscle and kidney problems

Crestor and Zocor are widely-used prescription strength drugs designed to lower "bad cholesterol". Both drugs are classified as "statins", medicine which lowers blood cholesterol levels by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase.

16 Jul 2011

Valeant to acquire Ortho Dermatologics

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. announced today that Valeant's subsidiaries, Valeant Pharmaceuticals North America LLC (VPNA) and Valeant International (Barbados) SRL (VIB), have signed an agreement to acquire the assets of the Ortho Dermatologics division of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

16 Jul 2011

Inovio reports strong immune responses with VGX-3100 vaccine for cervical dysplasia and cancer

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the development of therapeutic and preventive vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, has reported data demonstrating long-term durability of T cell immune responses of up to over two years (at the latest time measured) in 7 of 8 evaluated patients following a fourth vaccination of VGX-3100, its investigational SynCon® DNA vaccine for treating cervical dysplasia and cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) that is delivered using intramuscular electroporation.

15 Jul 2011

First Edition: July 15, 2011

In today's news -- the debt-ceiling strategy appears to move toward a "plan B."

15 Jul 2011

Study sheds light on the way antibodies distinguish between different 'biomarkers'

A new research paper sheds light on the way antibodies distinguish between different but closely related 'biomarkers' - proteins which reveal information about the condition of the human body.

15 Jul 2011

Transcept receives FDA Complete Response Letter for Intermezzo NDA

Transcept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it has received a Complete Response Letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the resubmitted New Drug Application (NDA) for Intermezzo.

15 Jul 2011

Teva commends U.S. Senators for introducing Affordable Medicines Utilization Act of 2011

Teva commends Senators Scott Brown, Ron Wyden and John McCain for introducing the Affordable Medicines Utilization Act of 2011.

15 Jul 2011

Scientists identify new metabolic pathway for breast cancer

Agios Pharmaceuticals, the leading biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel drugs in the rapidly emerging field of cancer metabolism, announced today a publication in the journal Nature that identifies dysregulated activity of the serine pathway as a novel metabolic target in certain breast cancers.

15 Jul 2011

FDA needs more oversight power to protect increasingly globalized drug supply, Pew report says

"The Food and Drug Administration needs much more power to protect the U.S. supply of drugs as more and more are made in other countries," according to a report released Tuesday by the Pew Health Group, National Journal reports.

15 Jul 2011

CVS Caremark adds Access' MuGard to pharmacy benefit network

ACCESS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., a biopharmaceutical company leveraging its proprietary drug-delivery platforms to develop treatments in areas of oncology, cancer supportive care and diabetes, announced that its lead product for oral mucositis, MuGard, has been added to CVS Caremark's pharmacy benefit network.

15 Jul 2011

Camel blood can help scientists fight against cancer

Nanobodies produced from camel blood have unique properties, which can be used in future drug development. New research published in Journal of Controlled Release confirms that camel blood can help scientists in the fight against cancer.

15 Jul 2011

NeoStem to acquire Amorcyte

NeoStem, Inc., an international biopharmaceutical company, announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement whereby NeoStem will acquire Amorcyte, Inc., a development stage cell therapy company focusing on novel treatments for cardiovascular disease.

15 Jul 2011

BioMarin commences BMN 673 Phase 1 trial in hematological malignancies

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. today announced the initiation of a Phase 1 trial for BMN 673, a poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, for the treatment of patients with advanced hematological malignancies.

15 Jul 2011

Yervoy, a new melanoma drug approved in Australia

Australia has approved the world’s first drug to prolong the lives of people with advanced melanoma. The drug Yervoy received the nod from the Therapeutics Good Association (TGA) on Friday amid hopes it could add two years to the life of people with the deadliest form of skin cancer but for whom other treatments have failed.

14 Jul 2011

ICON announces acquisition of Firecrest Clinical

ICON plc,, a global provider of outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, today announced the acquisition of Firecrest Clinical, a market-leading provider of technology solutions that boost investigator site performance and study management.

14 Jul 2011

inVentiv Health announces completion of PharmaNet acquisition

inVentiv Health, offering best-in-class clinical, commercial and consulting services to the healthcare industry, today announced it has completed the acquisition of PharmaNet Development Group, Inc., a recognized leader of global drug development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, generic drug and medical device industries.

14 Jul 2011

Verastem raises $32 million to develop targeted cancer stem cell therapies

Verastem, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing drugs to treat breast and other cancers by targeting cancer stem cells, announced today that it has raised $32 million through a Series B financing. Proceeds from the financing will support ongoing research and development and will progress drug candidates into clinical development. The first candidate is projected to enter the clinic in 2012.

14 Jul 2011

Michael J. Fox Foundation awards Impax $400,000 grant for research of IPX066 for Parkinson’s disease

Impax Pharmaceuticals, the branded products division of Impax Laboratories, Inc., has been awarded funding of up to $400,000 by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for ongoing clinical research of the Company's investigational carbidopa-levodopa extended release (CD-LD ER) product IPX066, which is intended to treat the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD).

14 Jul 2011

Positive data from Inovio's VGX-3400X Phase I study against H5N1 influenza

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leader in the development of therapeutic and preventive vaccines against cancers and infectious diseases, announced today that significant T cell and antibody responses were generated in its Phase I clinical study of VGX-3400X, a SynCon DNA vaccine for the prevention of avian H5N1 influenza delivered using intramuscular (IM) electroporation.

14 Jul 2011

RXi expands intellectual property portfolio with additional NeuVax patents

RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing innovative therapies addressing major unmet medical needs using targeted biotherapeutics, announced today that it expanded its patent portfolio with additional patents covering worldwide rights to develop and commercialize NeuVax.

14 Jul 2011