> Japan's Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical said it would buy Miami-based Noven Pharmaceuticals for $430 million and would offer $16.50 for each Noven share. Report
> GlaxoSmithKline plans to invest up to 60 million pounds ($97 million) over 10 years to improve research, development and access to AIDS drugs in Africa. Report
> Jurors have told an Alabama judge they are deadlocked and unable to reach a verdict in the trial of that state's prescription drug overpricing lawsuit against Watson Pharmaceutical. Report
> Sandoz, the generics division of Novartis, plans to shut down a research and development operation in Wilson, N.C., putting 50 people out of work. Report
> Healthcare workers should get priority access to H1N1 flu vaccinations to ensure health systems keep functioning as the swine flu pandemic spreads around the globe, the WHO said. Report
Biotech News
> A mid-stage compound named NIC5-15 has shown promise as a safe and efficacious therapy for stabilizing the cognitive impairment experienced by Alzheimer's patients, according to researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Report
> Tempers rise as biosimilar debate reaches a boil. Report
> Shares of Spain's Zeltia wilted after U.S. regulators raised serious questions regarding its flagship cancer drug Yondelis. Report
> The U.S. is preparing a $1 billion order of bulk vaccine ingredients. Report
Research News
> Developers studying new stem cell therapies for orthopedic injuries could learn a lot from the researchers working in the veterinarian field. Report
> The non-profit Institute for OneWorld Health has forged a research pact with Novartis that will tap years of lab work on cystic fibrosis in an effort to find new therapies to treat secretory diarrhea, a condition that kills some 1.6 million children in the developing world every year. Report
> The general public is rarely all that interested in preclinical research. And why should it be? In most cases, the science is years and years from arriving at patients' bedsides. But resveratrol is the exception to the rule. Report
> Tiny Fate Therapeutics appears to have taken an early lead in the race with pharma giant Novartis to create a new stem cell therapy that can pump up the body's supply of blood-generating stem cells and rebuild immune systems. Report
> Francis Collins (photo) is a world-renowned geneticist and devout Christian. Newly appointed to run the National Institutes of Health, Collins has never been shy about discussing how religion and science can peacefully co-exist. And his appointment to helm the NIH has triggered a buzz on both sides of the debate. Report
Poll: How many years should biologics be protected from generic competition? Vote
And Finally... Swine flu thrives in greater numbers all over the respiratory system, including the lungs, and causes lesions, instead of staying in the nose and throat like seasonal flu. Report