@FiercePharma: Big Patent Expirations of 2010. Special Report | Follow @FiercePharma
> Drug and medical device companies are bracing for a revised proposal from the Greek government as hospital authorities attempt to pay off nearly €7 billion in outstanding debts to the firms. Report
> Daiichi Sankyo won FDA approval to market its blood pressure drug Benicar for hypertension in children and adolescents. Report
> William Chin, Eli Lilly's senior VP for discovery and clinical research, is going to take a newly created job at the Harvard Medical School. Report
> The closely watched case of Howard Udell, the first general counsel of a major company known to be debarred from doing business with federal agencies, has been combined with those of two fellow Purdue executives. Report
> Pfizer is holding talks with advertising agencies about a launch advertising brief for a new Viagra-like product that tackles erectile dysfunction. Report
Biotech News
@FierceBiotech: Dendreon, Acorda, Orexigen and Medivation CEOs talk up new deals for a new year at BIO CEO. Article | Follow @FierceBiotech
@JohnCFierce: Acorda is hiring as it rolls out Ampyra. CEO Ron Cohen: "We're busting at the seams." Follow @JohnCFierce
> Alexis Borisy, who bounced out of the CEO's office at CombinatoRx last summer after a lead program foundered, has taken up a role at Third Rock Ventures. Story
> Somnus Therapeutics, a small start-up biotech based in Bedminster, NJ, has rounded up a $15 million Series A round to finance a Phase II study of a new sleep therapy. Article
> Roche says that its experimental Type 2 diabetes drug taspoglutide looked effective, safe and was well tolerated in five late-stage trials. Story
> Genzyme touted the two-year results for its mid-stage study of a new oral pill for Gaucher disease, saying it looks comparable to its blockbuster Cerezyme. Story
Vaccines News
> An epidemic of obesity in American teens is forcing clinicians to reconsider how they vaccinate young people. Story
> Sanofi-Aventis saw its net profit surge in the fourth quarter of 2009 as sales of the H1N1 vaccine hit 465 million euros (roughly $638.3 million). Report
> Since The Lancet's recent decision to formally retract the controversial study connecting autism and childhood vaccines, there has been endless discussion about the enormous long-term fallout from the study. Article
Pharma Manufacturing News
> Risk evaluation and mitigation strategies--mandated measures to ensure the safe use of certain drugs--may be driving changes in drug distribution. Story
> ChemNutra, a pet food supplier, and principals Sally and Steve Miller are paying $35,000 in fines after pleading guilty to misdemeanor violations of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Report
> The Canadian government is holding out hope for construction of an HIV vaccine manufacturing facility with the Gates Foundation, but the Winnipeg-based International Centre for Infectious Diseases will not be part of the plan. Article
And Finally... Botox stunts your ability to process negative emotions, a small new study found, dovetailing with previous research showing the injection might help alleviate depression. Report