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

• Renovo in early takeover talks with unnamed bidder
  Renovo Group, a U.K. biotech firm, announced it got an unsolicited acquisition offer and that it began negotiations with the unnamed company. Renovo has a partnership with Shire for scar treatment Juvista, but some analysts said the bid might have come from a different firm. Renovo declined to give further details. Financial Times (free content) (4/7), The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model)/Dow Jones Newswires (4/6)

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Health Care in Transition

• Comparative effectiveness a common practice, group chief says
  Comparative-effectiveness research involving drugs, medical devices and hospital services was a popular topic at the annual meeting of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. The trade group expressed support for President Barack Obama's $1.1 billion plan to do this research. AstraZeneca CEO David Brennan, who was recently elected PhRMA's chairman, said such studies have become "a market requirement," with some companies adopting the practice to determine which medicines yield the most favorable patient outcomes. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model)/Health Blog (4/6)

• Los Angeles forum calls for changes to health care system
  The Obama administration should revamp the U.S. health care system because millions of people have been laid off and lost their employer-sponsored health coverage, participants at the final White House health forum in Los Angeles said. Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger hosted the event, which was attended by celebrity physicians and chief executives. Los Angeles Times (4/7), Yahoo!/Reuters (4/6)

Health Care & Policy

• Experts call for better oversight of biotech advances
  Experts attending a conference in Morocco urged more oversight of the biotech sector to address pandemics and other security risks, saying that recent innovations have made it easier to create fatal organisms. "There are so many advances in bacteriology and gene sequencing leading to the possibility of designing genes -- that is what is driving the concern," said Tim Trevan of the International Council for the Life Sciences. Reuters (4/6)

• Killing faulty stem cells holds promise for treating bowel cancer
  U.K. scientists think that bowel cancer could be treated at its earliest stages by detecting and destroying aberrant stem cells. "Drugs could be targeted to specifically work on cancer stem cells and so provide a more direct approach for treating bowel cancer," said Malcolm Alison, a professor at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. BBC (4/6)

• Researchers: Gene variation might increase melanoma risk
  A mutation in the BRAF gene caused by overexposure to sunlight might play a role in the development of as many as 70% of melanoma skin cancers, U.S. researchers found. They hope the finding can pave the way for improved treatments against the deadliest form of skin cancer. Yahoo!/Reuters (4/6)

• Scientists regenerate movement-regulating neurons
  U.S. scientists were able to regrow corticospinal motor axons -- neurons that help control movement -- in the brains of rats by genetically modifying the nerve fibers with the aid of a virus. The researchers said the study was an important step but cautioned that obstacles remain before they could develop a treatment for patients with spinal cord injuries. Yahoo!/HealthDay News (4/6)

Company & Financial News

• Bristol to co-market Abilify with Otsuka until 2015
  Bristol-Myers Squibb will co-market Abilify, a psychiatric medication, with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Group until April 2015, extending their partnership for more than two years. The deal includes a joint development and commercialization effort for Bristol-Myers' cancer treatments Sprycel and Ixempra. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (4/6)

• Millennium, Seattle Genetics to work on antibody-drug conjugates
  Millennium: The Takeda Oncology agreed to develop and commercialize antibody-drug conjugates with Seattle Genetics. The deal is part of Seattle Genetics' effort to generate nondilutive capital and "leverage our proprietary technology to enhance our product portfolio," an official with the biotech firm said. American City Business Journals/Seattle (4/6)

• Genzyme sues Impax over plan to launch Renvela copy
  Impax Laboratories said it is facing litigation over its plan to launch a generic version of Genzyme's Renvela, a new form of dialysis drug Renagel. Genzyme is working to shift U.S. patients from Renagel to Renvela by Sept. 30. American City Business Journals/San Francisco (4/6)

Global Developments

• Commentary: Marine biotechnology could bolster economic growth
  Countries should take advantage of marine biotechnology to achieve economic development amid the global recession, Rokhmin Dahuri writes in a Jakarta Post commentary. Bioactive compounds derived from marine organisms could boost aquaculture and bioenergy production as well as provide treatments for various human diseases, Dahuri writes. The Jakarta Post (Indonesia) (4/7)

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.

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