While You Were Running

It was mostly liver most of the time this weekend, and so your weekend roundup will comply with a few highlights out of AASLD. But there was much, much more. And yes, there was baseball, but we don't want to talk about that right now. Also congrats to you marathon runners.

OK let's do that thing where we tell you what happened this weekend. While you were dealing with children high on Halloween candy ...

• HCV: You've seen the $70mm milestone, now see the full Phase Ib data behind BMS and Zymogenetics' decision to move forward.
  
• HCV: Does Vertex's telaprevir work well when given only twice a day? Yes. Yes it does. See also this story from "The Pink Sheet" posted over the weekend.
• HCV: Yes but what about Schering-Plough's boceprevir? Does additional data from Sprint-1 look good? Yes. Yes it does.
  
• HCR: What does Jeff Kindler think about the chances for health care reform? Read the FT interview.
  
• Alzheimer's: Private German biotech Probiodrug rakes in more than $54 million to back its glutaminyl cyclase inhibitors. Funds raised from new backers BB Biotech, and Edmond de Rothschild, Life Science Partners, and Biogen Idec, plus A rounders IBG, TVM, HBM, and CFH.
• C. Diff Infection: Additional Phase III data on Optimer's fidaxomicin wows 'em at IDSA.
  
• Obesity: Takeda and Amylin team up on obesity compounds--$75 million up-front secures them a spot in this week's DOTW.
  
• Lupus: GSK and HGSI keep the Benlysta train rolling with positive Phase III data from a second pivotal study.
• Lidge'd: We said we didn't want to talk about it, OK? Sheeesh.

image from flickr user t_a_i_s //creative commons.