Teva's Copaxone fuels 28% profit hike; Lilly to show 191 Indiana reps the door;

> Teva Pharmaceutical Industries said third-quarter profit rose 28 percent on sales of its multiple sclerosis medicine Copaxone and savings from last year's purchase of Barr Pharmaceuticals. Report [1]

> Eli Lilly will eliminate 191 osteoporosis, diabetes, and neuroscience sales jobs in Indiana as part of a companywide restructuring, according to a notification to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. Report [2]

> Sanofi-Aventis and Merck KGaA may be among bidders in the A$900 million ($808 million) sale of iNova Pharmaceuticals, the Australian Financial Review reported. Report [3]

> An appeals court threw out $27 million in punitive damages from a hormone-replacement drug trial, in which the plaintiff alleged Wyeth ignored or downplayed their risks. Report [4]

> Lundbeck posted disappointing third-quarter sales of blockbuster Cipralex, sending its shares down despite strong cost controls that gave it a less-than-expected fall in profit. Report [5]

> Crucell was hit by delayed sales of its childhood vaccines and milestone payments, but reiterated its full-year revenue outlook despite reporting a disappointing net profit. Report [6]

> Generic drugmaker Perrigo posted better-than-expected quarterly results, helped by strong sales across all its segments, and raised its full-year adjusted earnings forecast above market expectations. Report [7]

> The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has joined forces with Pfizer to launch part two of the manufacturers' anti-counterfeiting campaign. Report [8]

Biotech News

> Novartis plans to pump a billion dollars into its R&D operations in China over the next five years, expanding its scientific ranks in the Asian economic powerhouse from 160 to 1,000 as the pharma giant constructs a new research complex designed to rival centers in Europe and the U.S. Report [9]

> Chelsea's plan to change endpoint raises fresh doubts. Article [10]

> BioVex has dotted the i's and crossed the t's on its Phase II data for OncoVex, adding another complete responder to its tally of advanced melanoma patients who reacted favorably to its OncoVex cancer therapy and raising hopes in a hard-to-treat therapeutic category for a new drug that has the potential to offer a cure. Report [11]

> Here's something to pass on to the scientists in your life. Over the past few years social networking sites have drawn in millions of people with the promise of instantaneous links to new and old circles of friends. Now the NIH is putting up $27 million to see if the same technology that connects teens and spurs plans for Saturday night can virally link a generation of biomedical researchers. Article [12]

> Seattle-based Dendreon (DNDN [13]) has filed for FDA approval of the prostate cancer drug Provenge, taking another big step as it builds the framework for a national distribution system for the new therapy. Article [14]

Research News

> A group of biomedical engineers believe they may have solved one of the thorniest issues involved in repairing spinal damage. They created an enzyme--chondroitinase ABC--that can eat through scar tissue, allowing the injured nerve to repair itself and heal the spine. Report [15]

> Washington University's Younan Xia has been attracting considerable attention for his research work on microcapsules that can precisely deliver a drug payload right where it's needed. Article [16]

> A multi-disciplinary team of European scientists has developed a new therapy that they say shows a remarkable ability in the lab to destroy the skeletons of leukemia cells. And it also appears to be effective in adults who have failed to respond to a standard therapeutic approach. Report [17]

> MIT Technology Review has taken a close-up snapshot of the science behind Acucela's clinical-stage therapy for macular degeneration. Researchers for the developer are zeroing in on a photopigment that leaks into nearby eye tissue. News [18]

And Finally... Unless there is a drastic change in approach, the AIDS epidemic will still be out of control on its 50th anniversary in 2031, a panel of AIDS experts predicted. Report [19]