| Today's Top Story |  |  | | - German alliance questions European court's stem cell ruling
The Alliance of German Scientific Organizations is criticizing the European Court of Justice's decision to ban patents of inventions based on human embryonic stem cells. The alliance says that regulation of the field should be left to national governments since there is lack of consensus on the issue. "The European Court of Justice is neither the proper place to decide on patent rights nor to impose a general moral order on the whole of Europe," the alliance said. Nature (12/8)        | The Business Platinum Card® from American Express OPEN
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  - Savings for follow-on biologics may not be great, experts say
By the end of this year, the FDA is set to issue a pathway for the approval of follow-on biologics, but experts don't expect the savings to be great because avoiding costly clinical trials will be difficult. The leader of the FDA's biotechnology products office expects the evolution of improved analytical tools to allow the approval of follow-on biologics "with relatively small clinical trials." ScientificAmerican.com (12/5) - California makes $27M available for stem cell research
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has agreed to provide $27 million to advance stem cell research projects in the state. About $15 million will be allocated through an "external innovation initiative" that aims to establish ties between stem cell researchers in California and those in other states and countries; projects could receive as much as $500,000 a year. The agency will also make $12 million available for bridge funding for projects already receiving money from the institute. American City Business Journals/Biotech SF blog/San Francisco (12/8) - Drug combos could be "practice changing" for advanced breast cancer
Two experimental drug combinations extended survival in women with advanced breast cancer, according to studies presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and published in The New England Journal of Medicine. In one study, women with HER2-positive breast cancer treated with Genentech's Herceptin, chemotherapy and experimental drug pertuzumab lived an average of 18.5 months without recurrence, compared with 12.4 months in the group receiving only Herceptin and chemotherapy. Genentech applied for FDA approval of pertuzumab this week. MSNBC/The Associated Press (12/7), HealthDay News (12/7) - Scientists deposit "clinical-grade" stem cells into U.K. Stem Cell Bank
The U.K. Stem Cell Bank is now keeping human embryonic stem cells created without the use of any animal products in compliance with standards found in the European Union Tissues and Cells Directives. The cell lines soon will be made available among European researchers after completion of further quality tests, Stem Cell Bank director Glyn Stacey said. Researchers from other regions may have to wait longer, except for research teams backed by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine with whom the bank has agreed to share the cells. Nature (12/6) - Geneticists urge more oversight for DIY genetic tests
Genome and exome sequencing offer great promise for diagnosing and treating disease, but tests offered directly to consumers and analyzed by the manufacturers open the door to conflicts of interest, two University of North Carolina genetics researchers say. "What you're now dealing with is a real medical test, one that has the power to help, hurt, and to confuse," researcher James Evans said. "I believe we need to think carefully about how to best use it and how that use should be regulated in order to maximize benefit and minimize harm." GenomeWeb Daily News (12/7)  | The Cutting Edge of Chemistry is a free report from Thomson Reuters, delivering an action-packed review of the latest synthesis schemes, scaffolds, mechanisms of action, and new structures shaping today's drug discovery and development pipeline. Extensively researched, this report gives you a deeper insight into the latest chemistry news that matters to you. Access the report here! |
 - J&J unit and Pharmacyclics will work on blood cancer drug
Janssen Biotech, a Johnson & Johnson unit, and Pharmacyclics reached a profit-sharing agreement to develop and market PCI-32765, an investigational oral treatment for multiple myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Pharmacyclics, which discovered the compound, will get $150 million upfront and is entitled to as much as $825 million if regulatory milestones are reached. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (12/8) - Industry faces "perfect storm," Roche CEO Schwan says
A mix of strict regulation, investor scrutiny and patent expiration created a "perfect storm" for the drug industry, Roche Holding CEO Severin Schwan said during the Financial Times Global Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Conference in London. He predicted that highly innovative drugmakers will survive the pressure during the next decade. Generics players likely will decrease through consolidation, while companies with "limited differentiation" will disappear, Schwan said. PharmaTimes (U.K.) (12/7), The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (12/6) 
- FMC buys two Bayer fungicides
FMC has announced that it has purchased Bayer CropScience's Rovral iprodione and Sportak prochloraz fungicides for agricultural use outside Europe. "These are highly effective, resistance management technologies that are used worldwide, primarily in the tree, fruit and vegetable markets, as well as in a wide range of crops, including cereals, canola, and soybeans," said Milton Steele, president of FMC Agricultural Products Group. Delta Farm Press (12/8)  | LET’S GO DESIGN: Episode #6
This time, we go inside the tracks and review the shocks and suspension system. Also, Jeremy hears the expert opinion of a mom on the baby buggy and unveils the chosen cockpit design. Watch the new episode now at LetsGoDesign.tv |
 | Industrial & Environmental | | | | - Report: Global ethanol capacity to reach 35 billion gallons by 2015
The world's production capacity for ethanol is expected to rise to 35.1 billion gallons a year by 2015, making it the biggest-growing segment in the renewable-fuel market during that period, according to a report from Lux Research. After 2015, ethanol production will likely slow down as the market shifts to next-generation biofuels, said Andrew Soare, the report's lead author. "These fuels bypass the major logistical hurdles of first-gen alternative fuels, and investors, as well as governments, are realigning investment to grow capacity," Soare added. Mass High Tech (Boston) (12/8)  | |  | | The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
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| News from BIO | | | | - Ship with FedEx
FedEx is now offering member companies discounts of up to 35% off select FedEx services, both U.S. and international services. The BIO program with FedEx is one of the many cost-savings programs offered by BIO through its Business Solutions program. There is no charge for BIO member companies to participate in any of the BIO Business Solutions programs -- it is a benefit of membership. Learn more about the BIO and FedEx program.
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