While You Were Turning Three

It's IVB's birthday, so have a cupcake. As always, thanks for reading and commenting. And remember, IVB is just the appetizer -- check out the rest of what we have to offer.

On to your weekend news. While you were grounded ...

• Charles River Labs is buying WuXi Pharmatech in a cash/stock deal valued at $1.6 billion, creating a worldwide presence in early stage drug development services. The deal prices WuXi at $21.25/ADS, a 28% premium to Friday's close.


• Nycomed has inked a set of deals with Merck & Co. around European and Canadian rights to Daxas, its first-in-class PDE-4 inhibitor for COPD. The Swiss pharma wasted little time cashing in on the positive opinion it received late last week from EMA's CHMP.


• Index Ventures unveils Index Seed. The VC is dedicating a pool of capital to seed investments and hopes to do 20 over the next two years. The fund will have a technology focus, but life-sciences deals aren't ruled out.


• In the New York Times Magazine, blogger/psychiatrist Daniel Carlat explains a fundamental shift in his field, one that has led to a split between specialists in therapy and psychopharmacology and the implications for patients today and the future of psychiatry.

image from flickr user clevercupcakes used under a creative commons license