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Last week, Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM) adopted a new policy to protect patients by limiting the influence of pharmaceutical marketing on faculty and physicians? decisions.

Also, Sanofi-aventis acquires Medley and Laboratorios Kendrick; Eli Lilly's Cook to retire from board; more...

In late March, the US Food and Drug Administration sent warning letters to nine companies to stop manufacturing 14 unapproved narcotic drugs. Less than two weeks later, on Apr. 9, the agency amended those letters when it realized that one particular unapproved opioid (a high concentrate of morphine sulfate oral solution) is desperately needed by patients.

PharmTech's monthly newsletter, Equipment & Processing Report, reviews the Editor's Picks for the April 2009 edition from Buzdar and Kaeser.

ATSM and ICH approaches, in place of traditional qualification or integrated commissioning and qualification (C&Q) using impact assessment, can make projects and processes more efficient and help facility owners and designers ensure compliance, quality, and safety when defining acceptance criteria for their critical process systems and equipment.

Many drugmakers have begun to evaluate and improve their manufacturing operations to become more economically and environmentally sustainable.

Pfizer outlined the progress of its late-stage pipeline last week and announced this week plans to separate its research activities into two organizations, one focused on small molecules and the other on biologics, pending the closure of its pending acquisition with Wyeth.

Following several years of debate, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 15?4 last week to approve a comprise patent reform bill, the "Patent Reform Act of 2009" (S. 515).

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) elected David Brennan, CEO of AstraZeneca, as board chairman.

Also, Genzyme and Bayer HealthCare form agreement; FDA releases draft guidances; TransMolecular appointed Robert Radie president and CEO

The US Food and Drug Administration issued 14 untitled letters last week to pharmaceutical companies in violation of the Federal, Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for publishing misleading and misbranded information about their drug products online.

The financial crisis is adding further injury to already weakened prospects for the pharmaceutical industry.

Follow-on biologics or biosimilars offer a niche growth market for the pharmaceutical industry. As the process for establishing a regulatory pathway for biosimilars is debated, companies, including Big Pharma, are positioning themselves to gain this piece of the pharmaceutical pie.

The US Senate introduced a bipartisan bill (S. 726) on Mar. 26, 2009, which establishes a regulatory pathway for approval of biosimilars.

Although industry is tightening its belt, contract manufacturers across Europe are actually making out quite well by taking on additional projects and new roles.

Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) sent a letter to Frank Torti, acting commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, to express concern about a memo that Torti sent to agency staff.

Also, SOCMA changes name; two FDA approvals; Biogen Idec names chief operating officer; more...

On March 26, the Michigan House of Representatives passed House Bill 4316, effectively repealing part of a 1996 law that provides drug companies immunity from liability lawsuits involving products that have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

The United Kingdom's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) seized nearly half a million pounds worth of counterfeit medicines on Mar. 26, 2009 in Middlesbrough, England, according to a MHRA press release.

In a recent book, UK regulators explain how to establish a pharmacovigilance system.

Standards data is helpful, but FDA needs to apply its information across the board. This article contains bonus online-exclusive material.

Obama's cost-containment and science-innovation initiatives need to overlap.

President Obama's economic recovery plain includes goals such as reducing the number of uninsured citizens and improving the quality of healthcare.

The financial and economic downturn is likey to have long-term implications for outsourcing.

The role of automation suppliers is transforming to meet the pharma industry's demand for change.

GMP agents report on old products, aseptic violations, and unexpected emotions.

The formation of a partnership, whether personal or professional, is risky business.

President Obama's plan for increasing drug comparative effectiveness research is moving forward. The 15 members of the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research, created to manage the $1.1 billion allocation designated for the research in Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, were named last week, according to a Mar. 19 press release from the US Department of Health and Human Services

On March 19, 2009, IMS, the leading provider of market research for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, reported that annual sales of prescriptions in the US grew 1.3% from 287.6 billion in 2007 to 291.5 billion in 2008.

Also, Hospira to reduce workforce; WuXi AppTech makes senior appointments; more...