@FiercePharma: Got an email from pharma rep who called on a doctor's office that only accepts rep visits on a paid basis ($20 for five minutes). Is this common? | Follow @FiercePharma
> German healthcare conglomerate Fresenius sees no need to pursue takeovers larger than €1 billion ($1.42 billion) in the near future, its chief executive told a Swiss paper. Item
> Johnson & Johnson's arthritis drug Simponi has been backed by Britain's healthcare funding watchdog as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis in specific cases in which previous treatments have not worked. Report
> Pfizer will lay off 119 workers at its Pearl River, NY, plant in the next five months as part of its previously announced cost-cutting plan. News
> Dr Reddy's Laboratories said consolidated quarterly profit doubled on strong generic drug sales in the U.S., topping forecasts and sending its shares up five percent. Report
> Desperate to lower the price of HIV treatment, AIDS advocates have enlisted scientists to tinker with the chemistry used to synthesize a key drug, tenofovir, reducing the cost of manufacturing it. Article
> Mylan said its subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals has launched Risperidone tablets, the generic version of Ortho-McNeil's Risperdal, which is used to treat schizophrenia. Item
> New research suggests that contrary to the package label for Merck's shingles vaccine, it's not necessary to wait four weeks between that immunization and one against pneumococcal bacteria. Story
> Global growth in the consumer industry has slowed and talk of recovery in the U.S. and Western Europe is premature, Reckitt Benckiser Chief Executive Bart Becht said. News
Biotech News
@FierceBiotech: Pharma CEOs talk tough about unproductive R&D spending. Item | Follow @FierceBiotech
@JohnCFierce: Here's an interesting idea: Take GSK, AZ and the University of Manchester, get each to invest £5 million and create an R&D center for inflammatory diseases. Follow @JohnCFierce
> Shire: A takeover target? Piece
> Big Pharma pursues epigenetics for cancer breakthroughs. Story
> Takeda: No deal has been struck for Nycomed. News
> FDA panel hands BioMimetic slim victory. Article
And Finally... People with diabetes are at higher risk for certain cancers than those without the blood sugar disease, including colon and pancreatic cancer for men and breast cancer for women, according to a U.S. study. Report