> Health insurer Aetna is looking to sell its pharmacy benefits management business, the Wall Street Journal said, with CVS Caremark and Medco Health Solutions as potential buyers. Report
> India's Glenmark Pharmaceuticals said its board approved raising up to $250 million through sale of shares locally or overseas, or through foreign currency convertible bonds. Report
> Merrion Pharmaceuticals acquired a 26,684-square-foot pharmaceutical facility in Citywest, County Dublin, Ireland, for a total consideration of €3.75 million. Report
> South Africa's CEPPWAWU union said pharmaceuticals employers have raised their wage hike offer to 10 percent from 9.5 percent, but under conditions which workers may not accept. Report
> Pfizer has tapped real estate services firm CB Richard Ellis Group to provide facilities management services at 10 of its European offices. Release
> The blood pressure drugs known as beta blockers and ACE inhibitors may increase the risk of cataract formation and the need for surgery to restore vision, Australian researchers reported. Report
> U.S. health officials say all children at summer camp shouldn't be given the flu drug Tamiflu to prevent the virus. Report
> Chinese drugs with Indian labels are flooding West Africa, seriously impacting attempts by Indian pharmaceutical companies to enter the African market, an Indian trade group said. Report
> Growth of $2 billion in the prostate cancer drug market through 2018 will be driven by emerging therapies for metastatic hormone-refractory cancers, Decision Resources found. Release
> The FDA has accepted Cydex Pharmaceuticals's Investigational New Drug application for a clinical study of Captisol-Enabled melphalan HCL (CDX-353). Melphalan is an FDA-approved low dose chemotherapy for multiple myeloma marketed under the brand name Alkeran by GlaxoSmithKline. Cydex release
Biotech News
> Cambridge, MA-based developer Momenta Pharmaceuticals is not happy with the Senate's proposal for 12 years of IP protection. In fact, the company has been lobbying Congress and its industry counterparts to restrict the data exclusivity period to five years. Report
> Shares of Rigel Pharmaceuticals were hit hard this morning as the company's rheumatoid arthritis drug R788 failed a mid-stage trial in patients who did not respond to at least one biologic treatment. Report
> The U.S. has ordered 195 million doses of swine flu vaccine from five different developers. While many companies are reportedly having trouble growing enough of the H1N1 virus to produce ample doses of a vaccine, AstraZeneca seems to be ahead of the race to deliver on its $150 million contracts. Report
Biotech IT News
> Acronym aficionados take note: CRO has sprouted the subcategory PRO, for pharmaceutical research organization. One such company, which shall remain unnamed, has selected Mission3's Internet-based OnDemand system for client regulatory publishing worldwide. Report
> Drug developers and clinicians who want to tap medical records for insight into their research may be in line for a windfall: data capture solutions provider Kofax has signed a software deal to help automate the processing of millions of patient medical records for business process outsourcing provider EDCO Group's hospital and health clinic customers. Report
> The debate over cloud computing tends to center on one fundamental point: Is the cloud an insecure place to store data? But this is the wrong question, because the power and promise of cloud computing can be realized without ever storing data there at all. Report
And Finally... If humans want to persuade microbes to produce vast quantities of fuels or pharmaceuticals, we may need to give evolution a helping hand. Report