ALSO NOTED: FDA panel to mull Celebrex safety for kids; Sanofi makes deal to sell Lilly drug;

> After waiting for nearly a month, officials at the National Institutes of Health alerted some 2,500 people that their names, addresses and detailed personal health information gathered from heart scans in a clinical trial were purloined when an unknown person stole a government laptop with the data on it. Report [1]

> An FDA advisory panel meets today to discuss the safety of several drugs when used in children, including Pfizer's blockbuster painkiller Celebrex, approved to treat kids with rheumatoid arthritis. Report [2]

> Sanofi-Aventis inked a marketing-rights deal with Eli Lilly, allowing it to sell Lilly's tadalafil in the United States. Sales of the drug amounted to $798 million during the first nine months of 2007. Report [3]

> A Wyeth whistleblower lost his wrongful firing lawsuit when a federal appeals court ruled in favor of the drug maker. Report [4]

> On the heels of Cipla's launch of its copycat Tarceva in India, Natco is considering launching its own generic version of Roche's cancer med at a price lower than Cipla's. Report [5]

> Patients who get free drug samples end up with higher out-of-pocket prescription costs than patients who don't, perhaps because the samples lead to a paid prescription to highly marketed, more expensive meds. Report [6]

> Sagent Pharmaceuticals launched its injectable form of Cefepime, a broad spectrum antibiotic that is the copycat form of Elan's Maxipime. Release [7]

> India's Aurobindo Pharma agreed to buy Italian generics maker TAD Italy; it's Aurobindo's third acquisition in Europe. Report [8]

> GlaxoSmithKline consolidated its Cervarix public relations efforts at just one U.K. agency, in advance of the government's decision on whether the vaccine will be chosen for the NHS immunization program. Report [9]

> FDA Commissioner Andy von Eschenbach started a weekly column on the agency's website today, designed to give his point of view on big food and drug news. Report [10]

> The Times of India lauds new efforts in the subcontinent to encourage the growth of its biotech industry. Under new legislation, the country's department of biotechnology is now setting aside 30 percent of its annual budget to fund public/private collaborations on new drug development. Report [11]

And Finally... A daily dose of cod liver oil can cut painkiller use in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Report [12]