Zacks: Sanofi should buy Biogen; Almirall opens HQ for assault on U.K.;

> Sanofi-Aventis hasn't made a deal in the last couple of days, so Zacks Investment Research has a suggestion: Buy Biogen Idec. Report

> Spanish pharma Almirall opened a new HQ in London to continue its assault on the U.K. market with an expanding portfolio of locally approved products. Report

> Boehringer Ingelheim announced that its Parkinson's Disease treatment Mirapexin (a.k.a. Sifrol or prampexole) relieved despressive symptoms of the disease in a new trial. Boehringer release

> France's Ipsen won the FDA nod for Dysport, a wrinkle-fighter and treatment for cervical dystonia. Report

> Novo Nordisk followed its appearance on Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list with another "honor": Best Place to Work in New Jersey, as determined by NJBiz. Novo Nordisk release

> U.K. Health Minister Alan Johnson thanked the pharma industry for its help with the swine flu outbreak, saying, "[C]ompanies are helping to build up stocks of anti-virals and its researchers around the world are working on a vaccine for this virus." Report

> Amgen and the Oncology Nursing Society are teaming up with a celebrity make-up artist to educate nurses about the skin-related side effects of EGFR inhibitor cancer therapy. Amgen release

> AstraZeneca is holding a global public relations pitch for its blockbuster drug Seroquel, and it has hired a new product manager for the brand in the UK. Report

> After scrambling to come up with new data on the experimental hypertension drug Tyvaso, United Therapeutics says it will now have to wait a few more months before it gets a decision from the FDA. Report

> Shares of Dendreon went on a wild roller coaster ride yesterday, first plunging dramatically and then soaring back up after the company released new data demonstrating that its prostate cancer vaccine Provenge extended the lives of patients. Report

> The World Health Organization has called an emergency session today to evaluate the spread of swine flu so the organization can get a better idea of just how serious a threat this is to the world's population. Report

> After casting a cold, hard eye on its pipeline, Sanofi-Aventis says that it has culled 14 mid- to late-stage development programs that just didn't measure up. Report

> After scrambling to come up with new data on the experimental hypertension drug Tyvaso, United Therapeutics says it will now have to wait a few more months before it gets a decision from the FDA. Report

> Novartis will use data on a new vaccine adjuvant as it moves to design a new jab specifically for swine flu. Report

> Using a cocktail of proteins drawn from A and B influenza strains, researchers are testing a universal flu vaccine that could provide broad protection against a variety of seasonal flu strains and may help guard against pandemics. Report

And Finally... The first pharmacology research satellite is set for launch May 5, with yeast cells on board undergoing antifungal treatment. Report