> Britain's National Institute for Clinical Excellence rejected Schering-Plough's Remicade as a treatment for ankylosing spondylitis, recommending Abbott's Humira and Wyeth's Enbrel instead. Report
> A mother is suing J&J company McNeil and Walgreen's, alleging that her infant son died after using the companies' cough-and-cold remedies. Report
> Awaiting the FDA's yea or nay on its new blood pressure drug, Sciele Pharma saw its stock rise on an analyst upgrade to "neutral" from "underperform." Report
> Medtronic got the FDA's nod for a stent system aimed at cancerous tumors in the bile duct; the product will launch immediately. Report
> Schering-Plough opened its new Canadian HQ today in Montreal. Report
> The fallout over Merck's disastrous AIDS trial continues. There are new reports out that other developers have put their trials on hold while researchers and the FDA ponder the safety issues posed by Merck's program. Report
> Nastech Pharmaceutical is laying off workers and restructuring its operations. In addition, Nastech's RNAi business is being spun off into a separate, publicly traded biotech. Report
And Finally... Look out, Big Pharma. Presidential candidate John Edwards wants to nix patents and give cash prizes instead. Report