> Add New Zealand to the list of countries banning high doses of Prexige, Novartis' Cox-2 inhibitor that's been linked to liver damage. Both 200 mg and 400 mg strengths will be pulled from the market; the 100 mg tablets will still be sold, but their use will be "closely monitored." ReportÂ
> Merck and partner Newron are pledging to press ahead with their Parkinson's remedy safinamide, despite a failed Phase III trial that tested the drug on patients in the disease's early stages. Newron says it's planning new trials of safinamide in patients with mid- to late-stage Parkinson's. Report
> Another drug maker/government scandal in Minnesota: The state's Department of Human Services has been using a contractor funded by Eli Lilly to police prescriptions for psychotropic drugs--at no charge. FierceHealthcare
> India's drug-price regulators are seeking to control the cost of an anti-parasite medication sold by more than 80 companies to the tune of some $660 million annually, including GlaxoSmithKline, which has 45 percent of that market. The government thinks the tablet form of the drug is 8.5 times more costly than it should be, and the suspension form is 2.5 times too expensive. Report
And Finally... McKinsey & Co. apparently thinks India's appeal will surpass any Section 3(d)-related, intellectual property drawbacks. The management consulting firm predicts that the country's pharmaceuticals industry will grow by 12 percent per year to reach $20 billion by 2015, partly on the strength of India's growing domestic healthcare industry. ReportÂ