> Pfizer said its shareholders will have input on compensation for company executives starting in 2010. Release
> U.K. drug maker Shire has been subpoenaed by the U.S. authorities over the marketing of three bestselling drugs. Report
> Mead Johnson Nutrition sold $1.5 billion worth of debt in a three-part sale. Report
> Time Warner said Schering Plough Chief Executive Fred Hassan has been elected to its board. Report
> Allergan said quarterly profit rose 8 percent as sales of anti-wrinkle drug Botox rebounded and helped offset lower sales of medical devices. Report
> Three of Japan's top pharmaceutical companies reported profit gains following aggressive acquisitions, but the strong yen damped their earnings recovery. Report
> Fourteen drugmakers have accepted Ecuador's new policy of bypassing the patents on 2,000 drugs in order to produce them locally or buy cheaper versions elsewhere. Report
Biotech News
> It seems even Google-backed companies aren't immune to the economic crisis. Personal genetics company 23andMe has confirmed that its laying off an unspecified number of staffers. Article
> Continuing its plan to redesign itself as a biotech, Lilly announced that it's establishing an environmentally-friendly, 200-person biotech facility in San Diego. Article
> Amicus has terminated it pact with shire and cut 20 percent of its staff. Report
> One of China's key economic development groups has spawned 20 new venture capital funds to invest in the country's high tech sector--with biotechnology as a prime focus. Report
> Genta's stock took a nosedive yesterday on news that its lead drug Genasense, a Phase III candidate for melanoma, did not show a statistically significant benefit for its co-primary endpoint of progression-free survival. Article
And Finally ... Lifestyle changes are the best way to stave off development of Type 2 diabetes, according to a 10-year followup of an innovative trial to prevent the disease in high-risk groups. Report