Bristol-Pfizer's blood thinner Eliquis wins FDA approval

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December 31, 2012 BIO has teamed up with FedEx to offer member companies discounts of up to 35% off select FedEx Express, FedEx Ground and FedEx Home Delivery services through the BIO Business Solutions cost-savings program. Learn more. The news summaries appearing in BIO SmartBrief are based on original information from news organizations and are produced by SmartBrief, Inc., an independent e-mail newsletter publisher. The information is not compiled or summarized by BIO. Questions and comments should be directed to SmartBrief at bio@smartbrief.com.   Today's Top Story  Bristol-Pfizer's blood thinner Eliquis wins FDA approval Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer's Eliquis, or apixaban, has been approved by the FDA to reduce the risk of strokes and blood clots for people with atrial fibrillation. The anticoagulant, however, should not be given to patients with artificial heart valves or those with atrial fibrillation due to heart valve problems, the FDA said. Eliquis, which has been approved in Europe, is seen has having the potential to become a blockbuster. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (12/28), USA Today/The Associated Press (12/28)        Health Care & Policy  Cepheid gains FDA clearance for chlamydia, gonorrhea test Cepheid has received FDA clearance to market its Xpert CT/NG assay, which runs on the company's GeneXpert technology. The test, which is used to quickly detect and distinguish between Neisseria gonorrhoeae and chlamydia, enables patients with the infections to receive check-up and treatment on the same day. GenomeWeb Daily News (free registration) (12/28)      FDA delays action date for Raptor's cystinosis drug Procysbi The FDA postponed from Jan. 30 to April 30 its expected decision on Raptor Pharmaceutical's cystinosis drug Procysbi, a delayed-release version of cysteamine. The agency did not ask for more studies. The FDA is expected to approve Procysbi, but it has yet to decide on orphan-drug exclusivity, an analyst said. American City Business Journals/San Francisco/BiotechSF blog (12/26)      Coronado gets rights to immunomodulating worm eggs from Ovamed Coronado Biosciences obtained the rights to manufacture its lead product, CNDO-201, or Trichuris suis ova, in North America, South America and Japan after amending a license and supply deal with Germany's Ovamed. Coronado plans to produce the immunomodulating microscopic eggs from the porcine whipworm at a plant it will build in Woburn, Mass. American City Business Journals/Boston/bioflash blog/Mass High Tech (12/28), Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (12/27)      Synthetic Biologics signs research deal with University of Texas Synthetic Biologics secured the rights to use discoveries from whooping cough research at the University of Texas at Austin. The university also granted the firm licensing rights to patents related to a pertussis antibody research by one of its professors. American City Business Journals/Austin, Texas/Morning Call blog (12/27)        Company & Financial News  Stem cell startup gets support in Wis. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. has approved tax credits for Regenerative Medical Solutions and several other startups under the Qualified New Business Venture program. Regenerative Medical Solutions develops pancreatic stem cells for use in research on treatments for diabetes. Wisconsin State Journal (Madison) (12/27)        Food & Agriculture  Bayer buys additional land at N.C. research park Bayer CropScience acquired almost 70 acres of land near its Research Triangle Park facility in North Carolina. The additional space could allow Bayer to expand its North American headquarters in the future. BiofuelsDigest.com (12/25)        Hot Topics  Top five news stories selected by BIO SmartBrief readers in the past week. FDA issues guidance to expedite drug development (MedPage Today (free registration)) Why Kalydeco is the FDA's biggest approval of 2012 (Forbes) Aegerion's cholesterol drug Juxtapid gets FDA nod (Reuters) Roche wins FDA OK for wider use of flu drug Tamiflu (Reuters) Pfizer licenses Halozyme's technology for biologics development (Pharmaceutical Business Review Online) Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.   Industrial & Environmental  Medical study could offer clues into cellulosic biofuel development A study at the University of Virginia School of Medicine aimed at preventing the spread of bacterial infections could help scientists find better ways to break down cellulose in plant cells for biofuel production. "One argument would be that understanding how cellulose microfibrils are being formed might allow us to design/engineer plants with optimized cell walls for biofuel production," said one of the researchers. The study appears online in the December issue of the journal Nature. BiomassMagazine.com (12/27)   News from BIO  BIOtechNOW BIOtechNOW is the first in a number of new products from BIO intended to enhance our communications with the biotech community -- not only with our members, but with other stakeholders as well. This e-newsletter, combined with its website, serves as our flagship in that effort. BIOtechNOW will offer original content that emphasizes the business needs of the industry; highlight BIO's advocacy efforts; and provide a portal to all BIO activities and events. Most importantly, it will spotlight for those outside the industry the value of biotechnology. 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