IG subpoenas Gilead marketing documents; Baxter loses fight for higher Medicare price;

> Gilead Sciences said it was subpoenaed by the HHS Inspector General, which is seeking documents about the development and marketing of its Ranexa angina drug. Gilead release [1]

> Baxter International lost its court bid for a higher Medicare reimbursement price for its hemophilia drug Advate. Report [2]

> Roche's transplant drug CellCept will get a new warning about a type of anemia--pure red cell aplasia--seen in some patients, FDA said. Report [3]

> Novartis won FDA approval to sell its Extavia multiple sclerosis treatment, its brand of Bayer AG's Betaseron. Report [4]

> A new type of Johnson & Johnson hip replacement may not provide a hoped-for advantage over current devices, FDA reviewers said. Report [5]

> Ranbaxy Laboratories proposed a salary of 60 million rupees ($1.2 million) for Atul Sobti, its new chief executive officer, a third less than his predecessor, according to press reports. Report [6]

Biotech News

> After developing a novel method to create cancer stem-like cells, researchers were able to identify a chemical that was a hundred times more effective than a common chemotherapy in destroying a key driver in the growth of tumors. Report [7]

> Working to rebuild itself in the wake of last fall's clinical trial pratfall, CombinatoRx has agreed to pay up to $257 million for the licensing rights to Clinical Data's multiple myeloma treatment, an adenosine A2A agonist dubbed ATL313. Report [8]

> Schering-Plough has won FDA approval of Saphris, a likely blockbuster antipsychotic, just ahead of its acquisition by Merck. The drug is now approved to treat episodes related to bipolar I disorder as well as acute schizophrenia. Report [9]

> An FDA expert panel has voted unanimously to back Amgen's closely-watched biologic denosumab for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. However, the panel also supported limiting the use of denosumab to women with a history of fractures or a high risk of fractures, a move likely to slice into the blockbuster drug's market potential. Report [10]

Biotech IT News

> WuXi AppTec has purchased the Provantis preclinical software from Instem for use in a newly constructed, 314,000-square-foot toxicology facility in Suzhou, China. Report [11]

> The Virtify Structured Product Labeling (SPL) Sharesourcing solution is an on-demand offering intended to help life sciences companies comply with the FDA's SPL mandate. Report [12]

> Comedian Bob Monkhouse is tweeting "from beyond the grave" to solicit contributions for the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation. Monkhouse died in 2003 of the disease. Report [13]

> Publishers are exploring methods to make supporting data and software more readily available with scholarly papers, reports Genomeweb. The idea is to help users finding and share research results in online literature. Report [14]

> The cancer center at Massachusetts General Hospital now has a genetic analysis system from Helicos Biosciences. Report [15]

And Finally... The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation sold off almost all of its pharmaceutical, biotechnology and health-care investments during the second quarter. Report [16]