- GSK's 4-strain flu vaccine receives FDA clearance
The FDA approved GlaxoSmithKline's Fluarix Quadrivalent vaccine to protect adults and children 3 years old and up from flu virus subtypes A and B. The intramuscular vaccine is the first to offer protection against four strains of flu. GSK plans to release the vaccine in time for the 2013-2014 influenza season. Reuters (12/17)       | To 'Infinity' and Beyond: $150M to Propel P13K Inhibitor IPI-145 | | Four months after raising $76.85 million in an underwritten public offering, Infinity Pharmaceuticals Inc. went back for a heaping plate of seconds, seeking to raise $150 million by pricing an offering of 5.7 million shares of common stock at $26.33 a piece. Find out the details. |  |
| Health Care & Policy |  |  | | - Merck CEO: More Medicare cuts won't cut spending
Reducing Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates has generated savings for the federal government by shifting costs to patients and employers instead of reducing overall spending, writes Kenneth C. Frazier, the chairman, president and CEO of Merck. More such cuts to drugmakers will reduce investment in cutting-edge research for conditions such as Alzheimer's, he writes. Rather than shifting costs through short-term cuts, policymakers should consider how innovative medicines can prevent more costly illnesses and invasive treatments and contain spending, he writes. Forbes (12/17) - Pediatricians back thimerosal use in vaccines
Thimerosal, a preservative containing ethyl mercury used in some vaccines, should not be considered a harmful source of mercury or be subjected to a ban contained in the United Nations' draft treaty, the American Academy of Pediatrics said. Dr. Walter Orenstein of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases said reducing mercury exposure is important, but the use of thimerosal in vaccines is an exception because it is key to protecting children. The policy statement, published in the journal Pediatrics, supports WHO's stance on the use of thimerosal. Reuters (12/17), Time.com/Healthland blog (12/17) | Company & Financial News | | | | | Global Developments | | | | | Food & Agriculture | | | | | Industrial & Environmental | | | | - MSU gets federal research grant for advanced biofuel development
The Department of Agriculture awarded a $349,695 research grant to the agriculture technology programs of Michigan State University to develop advanced biofuels. The award is part of the department's $10 million initiative to "spur production of bioenergy and biobased products that will lead to the development of sustainable regional systems and help create jobs," the agency said. "This award will help Michigan State remain at the forefront of innovative agricultural research and next-generation biofuel research," said Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. MLive.com (Michigan) (free registration) (12/15) | News from BIO | | | | - Are you taking full advantage of your membership?
BIO's cost-savings program, BIO Business Solutions, is helping 2,700 companies nationwide save on the cost of essential products and services. Members of BIO and 43 state and regional biotech associations are eligible to receive preferential pricing and other benefits at no additional cost beyond their membership dues. VWR International, FedEx, Office Depot and Business Wire are just a few of the industry leading providers that offer special pricing through this members-only program. Learn more or enroll here.
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