FDA releases details of Gilead violations; Cardinal grabs China distributor for $470M;

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> The FDA has released the details of its inspection of Gilead Sciences' San Dimas, California, plant in January and February, identifying ongoing problems with quality-control procedures at the facility. Report

> U.S. drug wholesaler Cardinal Health said it has bought a Chinese distributor for $470 million, establishing a foothold in a booming pharmaceutical market. Cardinal Health release | News

Special Report: Top 10 Medical Device Companies: 2010. Report

> GlaxoSmithKline is seeking to defend the patent on its top-selling lung drug Advair in a Dutch court in the latest in a series of legal skirmishes across Europe over the inhaled medicine. Article

> Otsuka Holdings, Japan's largest closely held drugmaker, told investors it will use proceeds from an initial public offering to buy drug and health-food businesses, sources told Bloomberg. Story

> Novartis has failed to convince the U.K.'s cost-effectiveness watchdog that its revised patient access scheme for Afinitor would make the kidney cancer drug a smart choice for use by the National Health Service. Item 

Special Report: The Big 3 Distributors. Report  

> There are signs that outsourcing in the pharmaceutical sector is staging a comeback after a couple of tough operating years, sector specialist Jim Miller said at the American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences (AAPS) annual meeting. News

> A chemical found in the varnish coating of pharmaceutical bottles has been shown to migrate into the contents and be deposited on tablets carried within. Report

Biotech News

 @FierceBiotech: The Best of FierceBiotech 2010. Report | Follow @FierceBiotech

> Amarin shares soar on promising Ph3 triglyceride study. News

> Botched J&J trials trigger $130M award for Basilea. Article 

> GSK boosts Theravance stake after grabbing lead in drug race. Report 

> FDA hands Merck KGaA a new delay on cladribine. Story

> GSK's Witty calls for an R&D renaissance. Item

Biotech IT Report

> India fields FDA-trained trial inspectors. Article

> Team pits Markov chain modeling against melanoma. Item 

> iPhone, iPad found OK for UK health system. News 

> Study probes social media use in regulated industries. Story 

> HP may bump Oracle in software for verticals. Report

> App to make smartphone an STD diagnostic. News

And Finally... A new study shows that heartburn drugs, especially Prilosec, appear to be safe for pregnant women and women who may become pregnant. Report