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

• Big pharmaceuticals spent $49.5B on R&D in 2011
  The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America said 28 members invested $49.5 billion in research and development last year, about $100 million less than in 2010. Despite the drop, drugs undergoing clinical study or FDA review increased from 2,400 in 2005 to more than 3,200. Also, the FDA approved more than 30 drugs last year, compared with 22 in 2010. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires (4/12)     

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Health Care & Policy

• Roche unit will create diagnostic for lymphoma therapy Adcetris
  Ventana Medical Systems, a Roche Holding unit, was tapped by Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Co. and Seattle Genetics to develop and commercialize a molecular diagnostic test for identifying patients who would respond best to lymphoma drug Adcetris. Seattle Genetics and Millennium plan to utilize the assay in two Phase III studies of Adcetris as a treatment for CD30-positive T-cell lymphoma. Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (4/12)     

• Agennix taps Lonza to produce talactoferrin
  Lonza agreed to commercially manufacture Agennix's talactoferrin, an oral dendritic-cell-mediated immunotherapy in late-stage trials as a therapy for nonsmall-cell lung cancer, at its microbial production plant in Kourim, Czech Republic. The deal initiates the process required for Lonza to be approved as a producer of talactoferrin. Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (4/12)     

• Scientists: Drugmakers should release complete trial data
  Drugmakers in the U.S. are not required to release full clinical trial reports to researchers or the public, and the FDA does not disclose the data that regulators review in the drug approval process, write research fellow Peter Doshi and epidemiologist Tom Jefferson. The European Medicines Agency intends to release clinical study data after regulators review a manufacturer’s application, and the FDA should follow suit, the scientists write. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (4/10)     

• Old drugs give new hope to patients with rare diseases
  Some drugs developed and tested to treat one disease show promise as therapy for another, sometimes rare, disease, NIH Director Francis Collins said at the TEDMED annual conference. For example, farnesyltransferase inhibitors used to treat cancer might mask the genetic mutation associated with progeria, which causes the body to age unnaturally quickly. Finding multiple uses for drugs is a win for drugmakers and the public, Collins said. ABC News/Medical Unit blog (4/11), MedCityNews.com (4/11)     

• PreSERVE-AMI tests autologous stem cell treatment for heart attack
  Doctors at Orlando Health have started a trial as part of the nationwide PreSERVE-AMI study of pelvic bone marrow stem cells in treating tissue damage after a heart attack. The study of autologous transplant will involve 160 patients at 34 sites. American City Business Journals/Orlando, Fla. (4/11)     

Company & Financial News

• Shire buys Pervasis for up to $200M
  Shire has purchased Massachusetts-based biotech firm Pervasis Therapeutics in a deal reportedly worth "single-digit millions" at the start and up to $200 million after milestone fees are paid. The agreement allows Shire to add Pervasis' endothelial cell technology to its regenerative medicine unit. Pervasis' experimental drug PVS-10200, a possible therapy for peripheral arterial disease, complements Shire's Dermagraft product for diabetic foot ulcers. American City Business Journals/Boston (4/12), Fox Business/Dow Jones Newswires (4/12)     

• China Cord Blood secures $65M investment from KKR
  Private equity company Kohlberg Kravis Roberts invested $65 million through the purchase of convertible notes in China Cord Blood, a major cord blood banking operator in China. CCBC offers umbilical cord blood collection as well as stem cell processing and storage services. Bloomberg (4/12), Proactive Investors (4/12)     

• South Korea to invest $29M in stem cell research this year
  The South Korean government will raise its investment in stem cell research and regenerative medical treatment to $29 million this year, four times higher than last year, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The additional money will go in part to practical research and development to confirm the efficacy and safety of stem cell therapies. The Korea Times (Seoul) (4/12)     

Featured Content

Food & Agriculture

• EFSA: Monsanto biotech maize safe for humans and the environment
  Based on data from the 2010 farming season, a European Food Safety Authority panel concluded that cultivation of Monsanto's MON810 biotech maize poses no risks to human and animal health or the environment. The panel's scientific opinion, which appeared in the Post-Market Environmental Monitoring report for 2010, supported the findings of the agency's earlier evaluation of MON810 using 2009 data. FoodNavigator (4/12)     

Industrial & Environmental

• NASA project uses plastic bags to cultivate algae
  NASA is developing a method that uses floating plastic bags filled with wastewater to grow algae. The system is aimed at lowering the cost of algae-based fuel production by making it possible to grow algae near sewage facilities without having to build expensive artificial ponds. MIT Technology Review online (4/11)     

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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