Ranbaxy reportedly in talks to buy vaccine company; Canada lends surplus H1N1 vax to Mexico; Inovio hires new CMO;

Vaccine Market

India's Ranbaxy is reportedly negotiating to buy a small vaccines company in the subcontinent as it continues to restructure its business operations. The Economic Times, which picked up on the buzz, said the deal was being driven by Ranbaxy's interest in the company's technology platform rather than its production capacity. "Vaccines is an attractive segment given the opportunity from immunization programs, government tenders and focus on prevention of diseases such as hepatitis and cancer," said Sujay Shetty of PricewaterhouseCoopers. Report

A growing number of parents in the U.S. are avoiding getting their children vaccinated against chicken pox, confident that as most kids are getting the jab, their children can safely avoid any safety issues posed by a vaccine. But a new study indicates that their decision exposes their children to a significantly elevated risk of getting the disease. The authors say their study provides "evidence to counter the misperception among some parents that unvaccinated children are not at risk for vaccine-preventable disease." Story

H1N1

Canada says it plans to lend five million doses of their swine flu vaccine to Mexico. The move comes as the government mulls over what to do with its unexpected surplus of the vaccine. Story

So far, only 25 percent of the swine flu vaccine ordered by the Australian government has been used. Health officials are pleading that the most vulnerable members of society get vaccinated soon. Report

FiercePharmaManufacturing reports on the product recalls that have roiled Sanofi-Aventis and AstraZeneca's MedImmune have underway. Some 2,000 Ohioans who visited an H1N1 clinic were called back for a second jab because their first had been frozen in shipment. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes the importance of proper cold chain storage and shipment to vaccine potency. It estimates that 17 to 37 percent of providers expose vaccines to improper storage temperatures. Story

Vaccine Research

San Diego-based Inovio Biomedical says that Mark L. Bagarazzi, M.D., has been appointed chief medical officer. Release

Dutch researchers say that rheumatoid arthritis patients taking rituximab should time their flu shots around their RA therapy, which blocks the development of flu fighting antibodies. Story

The Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology has received a $5.3 million grant to develop a new vaccine that can guard against both anthrax and the plague. Report

And Finally... If your looking for a job, vaccines R&D is the place to go, according to this Q&A. Article