Sanofi tells 60 U.S. workers they're out of jobs; Hong Kong finds Tamiflu-resistant case;

> Sanofi-Aventis' restructuring plans may not include forced layoffs in Europe, but about 60 workers in the U.S. were told they'd be out of work by year's end, BNet Pharma reports, and these weren't "voluntary separations." Report [1]

> Hong Kong's health department detected a case of human swine influenza virus that was resistant to Roche's Tamiflu, the main antiviral flu drug; only two other cases of resistance have been found so far, in Denmark and Japan. Report [2]

> Philippine health officials asked the lower house of Congress for an extra $393 million this year to stockpile an antiviral drug and possible flu vaccines. Report [3]

> Roche's Lucentis improved vision after six months in patients with a blockage in the blood supply to the retina; currently, there's no FDA-approved treatment for retinal vein occlusion. Report [4]

> European regulators approved Actelion's Tracleer for the treatment of heart and lung condition pulmonary arterial hypertension in children. Report [5]

> Swiss drugs industry supplier Lonza converted a four-year, 430 million Swiss franc ($397 million) convertible bond into shares at 91.67 francs each. Report [6]

> The USP is revising monographs of four pharmaceutical excipients in light of hazards associated with diethylene glycol contamination and is seeking comments from interested parties. Report [7]

> HRA Pharma, a privately held company with headquarters in Paris, has established a U.K. subsidiary to support the launch of its next-generation emergency contraceptive ellOne (ulipristal acetate). Report [8]

> Malaysian authorities confiscated 900 boxes of coffee laced with Viagra, a newspaper report said yesterday. Report [9]

Biotech News

> Japan's Eisai has completed construction of a European Knowledge Centre in the UK, which could bring up to 250 jobs to the region. It's part of a £100 million effort to launch a strategic base giving Eisai it's first manufacturing facilities in Europe. Report [10]

> After months [11] of rumors [12] regarding potential deals, Ireland's Elan Pharmaceuticals announced this morning that Johnson & Johnson will invest a billion dollars into the company while taking control of Elan's rights in a key Alzheimer's drug program. Report [13]

> After a long, dry spell, Sanofi-Aventis' pipeline has finally produced a winner. The FDA has approved its blockbuster heart therapy Multaq. Report [14]

> Sepracor ran into an unexpected setback on a mid-stage therapeutic for depression. Researchers say that the drug--SEP-225289--failed to deliver positive data in a trial that dosed 514 patients over eight weeks. Report [15]

> Discovery Laboratories lost more than half of its stock value yesterday afternoon, plunging to 52 cents a share after investors got news of a new roadblock at the FDA for its respiratory drug Surfaxin. Report [16]

And Finally... Faced with a rising number of homegrown new H1N1 flu cases, China is focusing prevention measures in urban areas to head off outbreaks in its vast rural population. Report [17]