> Merck's subsidiary in India launched its diabetes drug Januvia at one-fifth the U.S. price, establishing a strategy of high-volume, low-margin sales for that market, local executives said. Report
> The FDA set a public hearing on using the internet and social media to promote drugs as a step toward possible marketing guidelines. Report
> One of Britain's leading bone specialists is facing disciplinary action over accusations that he was involved in "ghost writing" a journal article. Report
> Bayer's and Onyx Pharmaceuticals' drug Nexavar helped stave off progression of breast tumors, the most common form of cancer in women, a study found. Report
> At a time when global multinational drug makers are slashing their workforces to reduce costs, their Indian counterparts are on a hiring spree. Report
> Sanofi-Aventis chief Chris Viehbacher said its first H1N1 vaccine doses would be delivered to the U.S. in mid-October and in France by the end of November. Report
> Celgene shares could rebound on increased use of the cancer drug Revlimid, said a Robert W. Baird analyst who upgraded the stock. Report
Biotech News
> Biogen Idec won't take no as an answer to its buyout proposal for development partner Facet Biotech. Article
> Nektar Therapeutics will pocket $125 million upfront and up to $1.4 billion in milestones in exchange for licensing two of its therapies for pain and opioid-induced constipation. Article
> Amgen shares got a boost this morning as researchers for the company continued to build a blockbuster case for their bone drug denosumab. Article
Biotech IT News
> Phase Forward has contracted BMC Software to manage virtual machines in a datacenter running applications that support hosted clinical trials and data capture and management. Article
> The 2009 Edition of the DDI Predict software application targets risk assessment of drug-drug interactions, including those involving multiple enzymatic pathways. Recent DDIs have caused adverse events leading to removal of drugs from the market, says Paris-based Aureus Pharma. Article
> Genedata has unveiled Expressionist 5.3, which emphasizes capabilities for transcriptomics-based biomarker discovery for drug profiling and patient selection. Article
And Finally... A daily dose of aspirin can prevent cancer in people with a genetic disorder that increases their risk of developing the disease. Report