> Merck, facing more than 850 lawsuits over claims that its osteoporosis drug Fosamax may cause irreversible "jaw rot," won't face punitive damages in the first trial, a federal judge said. Report
> An investor who alleges Genzyme was slow to release material information about problems following an FDA inspection filed suit against the company and CEO Henri A. Termeer. Report
> Drug wholesaler AmerisourceBergen posted better-than-expected quarterly profit on Thursday, helped by sales of generic drugs. Report
> Malaria is becoming resistant to the most powerful drugs available in Southeast Asia, as the WHO races to stop the spread of the strain that could be "disastrous" for global malaria control. Report
> FTC litigation against Cephalon over the drugmaker's payments to delay generic versions of its top-selling medicine will essentially start over after a new judge took over the case. Report
> Solvay posted a 44 percent slide in operating profit for the first half to €306 million, better than most analysts expected, as pharmaceuticals counterbalanced decline in the Belgian firm's chemicals and plastics divisions. Report
> Ranbaxy Laboratories is looking to shift its marketing and administrative operations from headquarters in Gurgaon, India, to Mumbai, a move that would relocate 350 to 400 executives. Report
> Sanofi-Aventis got the FDA nod for its cosmetic dermatology compound Sculptra Aesthetic, which is used to fill in "smile" lines around the mouth. Report
Biotech News
> Medicis Pharmaceutical agreed to pay Revance Therapeutics $10 million upfront and up to $94 million in milestones for worldwide licensing rights to a preclinical botox therapy that may help erase wrinkles for longer periods than currently used injections. Report
> GlaxoSmithKline says it reluctantly decided to pull its EU application for Bosatria (mepolizumab) after concluding that it didn't have the kind of efficacy data needed to make its case that the drug would help patients with hypereosinophilic syndrome. Report
> San Diego-based Helicon Therapeutics has reportedly raised $50 million in new venture funds to help it pursue the clinical development of memory-enhancing therapies. Report
Vaccines News
> Fears about swine flu have spurred more than 3,000 people so far to volunteer to take part in upcoming clinical trials of a new vaccine. That's already more than the number scientists will need at eight different sites around the U.S. Report
> The Dutch biotech Crucell has picked up financial support for its malaria vaccine program through a newly inked collaboration with the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative and USAID's Malaria Vaccine Development Program. Report
> A personalized cancer vaccine derived by mixing a patient's dendritic immune cells with an immune stimulator significantly improved the survival rates of a group of people afflicted by metastatic melanoma. Report
And Finally... Dana-Farber researchers engineered human cells to produce brown fat, a natural energy-burning type of fat that counteracts obesity. Report