While You Were Wavering

So it seems the so-called public plan option so intrinsic to Obamacare may not be so important after all? Color us confused, but take a look at what various officials had to say over the weekend, as reported by the NYT. Meanwhile, while you were at the beach ...

• NeuroSearch is has inked a drug discovery and development deal with J&J's Janssen Pharmaceutica that will bring in €32 million in guaranteed funding over three years, comprising a €5 million up-front payment, €12 million in research funding, €10 million in an up-front equity investment and a right to put €5 million more worth of shares. Janssen gets various options for each drug that comes out of the CNS alliance and NeuroSearch is eligible for milestones and royalties on compounds Janssen opts into.


• Duke researchers have found a gene that predicts response to interferon alfa in HCV patients. The findings, reported in Nature, could help doctors decide which patients should receive the gruelling regimine of IFN therapy, says Reuters.


• IntelliPharmaCeutics is reverse merging with Nasdaq-traded Vasogen; the company will be 86% held by IPC shareholders and focused on controlled-release drugs.


• Bayer-Schering's Betaseron interferon beta for MS by any other name is ... Novartis' Extavia, coming soon to a pharmacy near you.


• Crucell said this morning that it received an award for $300 million worth of its Quinvaxem multi-disease pediatric vaccine.


• How to solve the pharmaceutical industry's problems? Start with a high-end working group to discuss the issues, apparently. The FT profiles the Athenaeum Group. (IN VIVO Blog's invitation must've been lost in the mail.)

image by flickr user photograham used under a creative commons license.