> Pfizer lost a bid to exclude three medical experts from testifying for patients claiming the company's epilepsy medication Neurontin increases the risk of suicide. Report
> Novartis got the European Commission's nod for its cancer med Glivec (Gleevec in the U.S.) as a treatment for patients who've had a gastrointestinal stromal tumor removed. Report
> The FDA approved a new Sanofi Pasteur vaccine plant in Swiftwater, PA, which will increase the company's production capacity and perhaps be used for a vaccine against the H1N1 flu strain. Report
> As U.S. health authorities told Congress that they were prepared to mass produce a vaccine against the new H1N1 influenza virus, WHO officials said an expert committee would convene next week to determine if such production was desirable. Report
> Vanda Pharmaceuticals won approval to market its first drug, the antipsychotic med Fanapt (iloperidone). Report
> Par Pharmaceutical reported a more than 11-fold jump in quarterly profit, boosted partly by sales of its generic hypertension drug. Report
> Mylan got the FDA's final blessing on its versions of the Roche organ-rejection remedy CellCept, for use in patients receiving heart, kidney or liver transplants. Release
> Pharma services firm Covance elected John McCartney, chairman of A.M. Castle Corp., to its board of directors. Release
> The Wellcome Trust has signed on as a new investor of VaxInnate, leading a $30 million Series D for the vaccine developer as it pursues a more efficient approach to the field. Report
> San Diego-based Neurocrine Biosciences is joining the ranks of biotech survivalists, chopping half of its 120 staffers so it can continue to advance "high value assets." Report
> Canada's Biovail laid the groundwork today for a new round of acquisitions, slashing its dividend by 76 percent is it hoards cash for deals. Report
> In order to gear up mass production of a new vaccine for swine flu, scientists must first develop "seed stock," a form of the virus that can grow swiftly in eggs. The CDC has already distributed samples to 10 labs in the U.S. and around the world to get that process started, according to the New York Times. Report
> Slightly less than a year after plunking down $152 million in stock to buy South San Francisco-based Renovis, Evotec is shuttering the developer and laying off 45 staffers. The move is part of the German company's new plans to reduce expenses. Report
> The nonprofit Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation in Rockville, MD has opened the doors to a new manufacturing facility that has the capacity to satisfy the worldwide demand for TB vaccine. Report
> As governments around the world ponder the need for vaccinating their citizens against the swine flu outbreak, manufacturers around the world are rushing ahead with plans to satisfy the demand. Report
And Finally... Is the world ready for a killer second wave of "swine flu" this autumn? Report