> After winning a bid to produce and ship generic AIDS drugs to Rwanda, Apotex says it won't participate in the goodwill program again unless the Canadian government simplifies the process. Report
> What do you do when your biggest therapeutic earners are swooning, your stock price is down and analysts have turned scornful? Look for that silver lining. That was Amgen's CEO Kevin Sharer's approach yesterday when he was confronted by an angry horde of shareholders at the company's annual meeting. Report
> FDA chided Shire for distributing Fosrenol promotional materials that fail to include information on the drug's indication and risks. Report
> India's FDA got FDA approval for its glaucoma treatment. Report
> Quintiles Transnational said it had agreed to buy Eidetics, a decision-analytics and market research firm, as a bid to expand its pharmaceuticals consulting business. Report
> FDA gave its blessing to the atypical antipsychotic Abilify as an add-on treatment for bipolar disorder, Bristol-Myers Squibb and partner Otsuka Pharmaceutical announced. Release
> Astellas Pharma won European approval for Mycamine, its antifungal drug. Release
> Germany's Gruenenthal announced it would add $76 million to its trust fund set up in the 1970s to compensate thalidomide victims. Report
Earnings News
> Weak U.S. sales depressed Barr Pharmaceuticals' first-quarter profits as the company faced surprise competition on a new generic of Fosamax, Merck's osteoporosis drug. Contraceptive sales also fell short. Report | Report
> Japan's Takeda posted a 5.9 percent hike in profits for its year ended March 31, but said its purchase of Millennium Pharmaceuticals will put a damper on the new fiscal year's earnings. Report
> Hungarian drugmakers Richter Gedeon announced a 41.7 percent increase in first-quarter profits to $62.25 million, but it cut its sales forecasts for the U.S. and Hungarian markets. Report
> Warner Chilcott posted net income of $33.7 million on a 5.1 percent increase in revenues to $229.5 million. Release
> Weak sales of its allergy drug Elestat depressed Inspire Pharmaceuticals' first-quarter results, leading to a $25.9 million loss that disappointed Wall Street. Report
Biotech News
> Backed by a positive review from FDA staffers, an expert panel at the agency has recommended the agency approve Eisai's fospropofol disodium, a sedative designed for use in a number of procedures. Eisai report
> Eli Lilly has won FDA approval of Strattera, a therapy designed to treat ADHD. Lilly says this is the first regulatory win for a non-stimulant ADHD drug in a market dominated by two stimulants--Adderall (Shire) and Ritalin (Novartis). Report
> The life sciences equipment maker Millipore is looking extra green today. The company announced plans to reduce its carbon footprint by 20 percent. Millipore report
And Finally... The Financial Times delves into the push to develop new therapeutics from traditional Chinese and Indian remedies. Report