| April 19, 2011 | | News | A Record Number of Therapies for Cancer Currently in Development
Amy Ritter
Nearly 900 therapies for the treatment, diagnosis, or prevention of cancer are currently in development, according to a report released by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. This is more than double the number of therapies that were in development six years ago.
More | J&J Announces Settlement for Corrupt Practices
Stephanie Sutton
Johnson and Johnson has agreed to pay more than $77 million after being charged for violations of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which include bribing public doctors in several European countries and paying kickbacks to illegally obtain business in Iraq.
More | Merck Forms Joint Venture with Sun Pharmaceutical
Patricia Van Arnum
Merck & Co. formed a joint venture with the Mumbai-based specialty pharmaceutical company Sun Pharmaceutical Industries to develop, manufacture, and commercialize new combinations and formulations of branded generic drugs in emerging markets.
More | FDA Publishes Guidance for Preventing Cross-Contamination
Erik Greb
FDA recently published guidance for preventing the cross-contamination of finished pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients with nonpenicillin beta-lactam antibiotics.
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| | Discovery Pipeline | Formation of an optic cup from embryonic stem cells
Researchers have used mouse embryonic stem cells to recapitulate development, using a three-dimensional tissue culture system to grow a protoeye, containing differentiated layers resembling a retina. (Nature)
More | Evolution of biomolecules in the laboratory
Scientists at Harvard have used bacterial viruses to accelerate the evolution of biomolecules in the laboratory, a technique that might eventually be used for custom production of proteins, nucleic acids or other biomolecules. (Nature)
More | Gene therapy restores vestibular function
Delivery of a transcription factor, atonal, to the inner ears of mice with damaged vestibular organs restores balance and function of vestibular hair cells. (Gene Therapy)
More | Antidepressants increase neurogenesis
Scientists use human embryonic stem cells to elucidate how antidepressants mediate the formation of new neurons. (Molecular Psychiatry)
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| | Company/People Notes | | The pharmaceutical and manufacturing company Cangene is making organization changes in its Canadian operations to reflect decreased US government contract-manufacturing activity and align its workforce with the company’s strategic focus on commercial products. The company is eliminating 40 positions and had previously eliminated 60 positions between Aug. 1, 2010 and Jan. 31, 2011, bringing the total positions eliminated in the current fiscal year to 100, or 12% of the company’s workforce. The company’s US contract-manufacturing operations, Cangene bioPharm, based in Baltimore, are not affected. | | The biopharmaceutical company Cephalon said in a preliminary consent revocation statement filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that its board of directors has recommended that shareholders reject the specialty pharmaceutical company Valeant Pharmaceuticals International's proposals to remove and replace Cephalon's current board of directors and not deliver any consent solicitation cards to Valeant. On Apr. 5, 2011, Cephalon's board rejected Valeant's unsolicited proposal to purchase the company for $73 per share, concluding that the nonbinding proposal is inadequate and not in the best interests of Cephalon's shareholders. | | Compass Biotechnologies, an Edmonton-based company developing biosimilars and biobetters, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with PanGen Biotech, a South Korean company that develops Chinese hamster ovary cell lines. The terms of the MOU lay down the foundation for a definitive agreement to be signed within the next 60 days between the parties, whereby PanGen will manufacture under cGMP conditions, active pharmaceutical ingredients, which will be used to produce the biobetter versions of various drug products. | | Millennium, the oncology arm of Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and the biopharmaceutical company Sunesis Pharmaceuticals have formed a license agreement for the development of Sunesis' oral, selective pan-Raf kinase inhibitor and one additional undisclosed kinase inhibitor program in oncology. | | OctoPlus, a drug-delivery company, has signed a feasibility agreement with an undisclosed top-10 biopharmaceutical company to develop a controlled-release formulation. | | Zacharon Pharmaceuticals, a company specializing in glycobiotechnology, has entered into a strategic research collaboration with Pfizer to develop drugs for orphan diseases, including lysosomal storage disorders. The potential value of the collaboration to Zacharon is approximately $210 million. The collaboration includes the potential development of compounds that may be discovered using Zacharon’s platform for developing small-molecule drugs targeting specific carbohydrate polymers or glycans. | 
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