> Bristol-Myers Squibb plans to close one of its southern Indiana facilities and cut jobs at another, shedding 113 workers in the process. Report
> With the battle over healthcare reform still under way, the industry's trade group spent almost as much on lobbying during the first nine months of this year as in all of 2008. Report
> Mepha Pharma, the Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company, is expected to receive first round bids for the company on 23 October, two sources familiar with the situation told Pharmawire. Report
> Two video news releases for King Pharmaceuticals' pain drug Embeda left out a warning about the risk of a fatal overdose, FDA said in a letter released Tuesday. Report
> Novartis said its leukemia drug Tasigna worked better than the company's older product Gleevec in a clinical trial, underpinning expectations that Novartis is positioning Tasigna to replace Gleevec when the latter drug loses patent protection. Report
> Giving Merck's Gardasil vaccine to boys may not boost protection against cervical cancer enough in girls to gain recommendation from a U.S. government program that provides free shots to 60 percent of children. Report
Biotech News
> A little more than a week after resigning from the board of directors at Google, former Genentech CEO Arthur Levinson (photo) has taken a similar position at a somewhat smaller venture. Release
> GlycoMimetics has landed $38M round to fund new trial. Report
> Genzyme Ventures has joined an A-list group of venture companies who are backing Gaithersburg, MD-based GlycoMimetics with a $38 million financing round. Report
> Antigenics (AGEN) has a fresh round of sour news to report this morning, announcing that European regulators will soon formally reject its kidney cancer vaccine Oncophage. Antigenics report
> Sanofi-Aventis is bringing out its well-worn checkbook to complete another deal--this time in-licensing a mid-stage diabetes therapy from Gaithersburg, MD-based Wellstat Therapeutics. Article
> A bid by AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb to gain regulatory approval for the first of a new class of diabetes drugs has been dealt a setback. Article
Manufacturing News
> Schott Pharmaceuticals is adding a ready-to-fill syringe line at its plant in South Lebanon Township, PA. It's Schott's first manufacturing site for the syringes in the U.S., according to a press report. Report
> Distrust slows supply chain. Report
> Swiss pharma Helsinn has completed a 24-cubic-meter stability center at its Dublin facility. Report
And Finally... Men lose testosterone after backing a losing presidential candidate, researchers found. Report