> Teva Pharmaceutical Industries is in talks to set up a development and sales joint venture with Japan's Kowa as part of comprehensive effort to break into the Japanese market. Report
> Credit Suisse upgraded Novartis to "outperform" because the stock has "defensive characteristics;" meanwhile, the bank downgraded Sanofi-Aventis to "underperform," saying that it's under pressure from the possible spread of Plavix generics in Europe. Report
> Sanofi-Aventis got the FDA nod to market its Nasacort nasal spray for use in children 2-5 years. Sanofi release
> UK-based Archimedes Pharma launched its Zibor heparin product in its home market for post-operative clotting prevention. Report
> Anika Therapeutics inked an exclusive distribution agreement with a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, under which DePuy Mitek will market Orthovisc-branded hyaluronic acid products in Latin America. Report
> Sanofi-Aventis has recalled remaining batches of its contaminated blood thinner Lovenox, a heparin product, which were distributed before May 2008. Report
> Drug delivery specialist Tris Pharma wrapped up an expansion of its New Jersey research and manufacturing building, with the addition of 15,000 square feet of space to its FDA-compliant facility. Tris release
> Canada's Angiotech Pharmaceuticals is restructuring its operations as a badly needed investment of up to $300 million appears to be in doubt now. Report
> Encorium Group, a multinational CRO, says that it is delaying a planned acquisition and will cut 18 percent of its U.S. staff. Report
> The UK's Allergy Therapeutics says that a late-stage trial of its ragweed vaccine proved positive, with a statistically significant improvement in comparison to a placebo. Report
> One of the biggest moves in biopharma this week will turn on the FDA's decision on prasugrel, a blood-clot drug advanced by Eli Lily and Daiichi Sankyo. Report
> The UK's Allergy Therapeutics says that a late-stage trial of its ragweed vaccine proved positive, with a statistically significant improvement in comparison to a placebo. Report
> OpGen was a tiny Madison, WI-based company with only five employees. Now with $220k in state and local loans and $23.6 million in financing, the Gaithersburg-based company plans to add 100 more to its 55 employees as it ramps up sales efforts. Report
> Genzyme has opened the doors to a new, 180,000-square-foot research facility in Framingham, MA that will eventually house some 350 investigators and other staffers. Report
> Investigators at the University of Wisconsin have made a key breakthrough in the use of adult stem cells to treat ALS. Report
And Finally... Alzheimer's patients who take both a cholinesterase inhibitor and memantine showed a significantly smaller rate of decline than those on no medication or a sholinesterase inhibitor alone. Report