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

• EMEA panel recommends Renvela for approval
  An advisory committee of the European Medicines Agency gave positive opinion on the use of Genzyme's drug Renvela in patients with chronic kidney disease, regardless of whether they are undergoing dialysis. The treatment, which Genzyme hopes to market in tablet and powder forms, is approved in the U.S. for kidney disease patients on dialysis. Google/The Associated Press (3/19)

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Health Care in Transition

• 15 experts to advise HHS on comparative-research spending
  The HHS selected 15 experts to serve on a panel tasked with advising the agency on how to spend $1.1 billion in funding allocated for comparative-effectiveness research from the economic-stimulus package. Members of the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research include Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, adviser on health care with the Office of Management and Budget. Yahoo!/Reuters (3/19), Modern Healthcare (free registration) (3/19)

• Sources: House Democrats might use shortcut for health plan
  House Democratic leaders reportedly intend to use a shortcut called budget reconciliation to move President Barack Obama's health care reform plan through Congress without seeking Republican votes, in case lawmakers from both parties fail to reach a compromise on the proposal by September. House Democrats decided to include the approach in their version of the budget bill, which is set to be introduced next week, after meeting with White House officials on Wednesday. The Washington Post (3/20)

Health Care & Policy

• Researchers discover tuberculosis-fighting compound
  Scientists developed a compound that was able to destroy Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria in mice without noticeable adverse effects. The researchers plan to further explore the compound, labeled BTZ043, in the hopes of developing a new drug for tuberculosis. Reuters (3/19)

• New Alzheimer's drugs 5 to 10 years away, expert says
  Experimental drugs that stopped or stalled the progression of Alzheimer's disease in late-stage studies could be launched in five to 10 years, said Simon Lovestone of the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London. As many as 11 Alzheimer's treatments are in Phase III trials, and about 80 more are in early-stage development. Google/The Press Association (U.K.) (3/19)

• Study: Gene plays role in converting carbohydrates to fat
  Mice that lacked the DNA-PK gene had lower levels of blood cholesterol and were more likely to stay slim even when they ate food rich in carbohydrates compared with those with the gene, U.S. researchers found. They think the gene, which appears to play a role in turning carbohydrates into fat, could be used as a therapeutic target for obesity. Yahoo!/Reuters (3/19)

Company & Financial News

• European advisers reject Gilead drug for cystic fibrosis
  Gilead Sciences failed to gain support from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Human Medicinal Products for aztreonam lysine, the company's experimental drug for cystic fibrosis. "We are disappointed by the committee's opinion but remain committed to advancing therapies for patients with cystic fibrosis," a Gilead official said. Google/The Associated Press (3/19)

• Affymetrix sells clinical services facility to Navigenics
  Navigenics has acquired Affymetrix's clinical testing facility in West Sacramento, Calif., for an undisclosed amount. The laboratory will enable Navigenics to provide "fully integrated genome screening and analysis under one roof," the company said. American City Business Journals/Sacramento, Calif. (3/19)

• Novartis' Glivec receives positive review from EMEA
  The European Medicines Agency backed the use of Glivec, a cancer drug from Novartis AG, to prevent relapse in patients who underwent surgery for gastrointestinal stromal tumors. The company is seeking to promote wider use of Glivec as a first-line treatment for GIST. Reuters (3/19)

• Roche: Herceptin extends lives of stomach cancer patients
  Roche Holding released limited results of a trial showing the effectiveness of Genentech's breast cancer drug Herceptin in improving survival of some patients with advanced and inoperable stomach cancer. The study focused on patients with the HER2 protein, which was previously found in 20% of people with breast cancer. Roche, in the process of acquiring Genentech, markets Herceptin outside the U.S. San Francisco Chronicle (3/19)

• Other News

• Anti-clotting drug rivaroxaban wins FDA panel's support
  NYTimes.com (3/19)

Featured Content

Food & Agriculture

• Dow AgroSciences biotech cotton seed gets approval in Brazil
  Dow AgroSciences Industrial has secured approval from CTNBio, Brazil's biosafety commission, for the commercial planting of WideStrike -- a biotech cotton seed resistant to insects. The seed, which has been evaluated in several research facilities in Brazil, is expected to reduce insecticide use, the company said. Reuters (3/19)

Industrial & Environmental

• Danisco, DuPont plan to start cellulosic ethanol production next year
  Danisco is on track to begin commercial production of cellulosic ethanol with DuPont at its demonstration facility in Tennessee next year, according to Danisco CEO Tom Knutzen. The plant is designed to produce 250,000 gallons of the biofuel a year. Reuters (3/19)

News from BIO

• Registration now open for BIO-Windhover 2009
  The eighth annual BIO-Windhover 2009, April 13 to 15 in New York, is organized by the Biotechnology Industry Organization and Windhover Information. Meet one-on-one with other key decision makers and network with your peers. Identify prospective partners using the conference's unique partnering software. Communicate with and directly schedule meetings with prospective partners. Don't miss this chance to build your R&D pipeline today. Register now for BIO-Windhover 2009, the partnering conference for decision makers.

SmartQuote

Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!' " --Robin Williams, American comedian and actor