GlaxoSmithKline agreed to acquire Reliant Pharmaceuticals for $1.65 billion in cash.

Sanofi-aventis entered into an agreement with Chinese authorities allowing Sanofi to construct a vaccine-manufacturing plant in Shenzhen municipality.

Company and People Notes: Cambridge Major Labs acquires ChemShop; Helix BioPharma restructures senior positions, more.

Eli Lilly plans to invest $100 million in research and development in China over the next five years through Lilly Asian Ventures, a Lilly-owned venture capital firm that makes investments in Asia.

Growth in the global pharmaceutical industry is expected to slow in 2008, marked by slowing growth in the United States and other major markets. At the same time, pharmaceutical industry growth in emerging markets is expected to reach double-digits, although these markets still represent a small percentage of global pharmaceutical sales.

The US Government Accountability Office issued findings that are largely critical of the US Food and Drug Administration in managing its inspections of foreign drug-manufacturing facilities.

The Interagency Working Group on Import Safety issued its action plan for ensuring the safety of imported products, including drugs, food, and consumer products, into the United States.

At the opening session of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists? 2007 Annual Meeting and Exposition, President Gene Fiese, PhD, presented awards to researchers commemorating their contributions to the pharmaceutical sciences

The Bulk Pharmaceuticals Task Force, an affiliate of the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association (SOCMA) weighed in on the Congressional debate concerning the US Food and Drug Administration?s inspection process of foreign drug- manufacturing facilities.

Company and People Notes: BASF raises prices on excipients; Verus Pharmaceuticals appoints president and CEO; more.

Submitting a safety update to European regulators, Novartis provided data showing its 100-mg once-daily dose of ?Galvus? (vidagliptin), an oral type 2 diabetes treatment, has more frequent liver enzyme elevations in patients than its already approved 50-mg once- and twice-daily doses.

Pfizer's Lipitor patent revoked in Germany, promotions at Charles River Labs, more.

Wyeth Consumer Healthcare launched a voluntary recall and replacement program for US retail outlets that sell several ?Robitussin? and ?Children?s Dimetapp Cold and Chest Congestion? products.

US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach testified before Congress last week to outline the agency’s inspection process for foreign drug manufacturers and efforts to improve the agency’s information technology systems.

The US Food and Drug Administration’s effectiveness in regulating the manufacture of pharmaceutical products and active pharmaceutical ingredients at foreign facilities was questioned at a Congressional hearing last week. Congress, industry, and government officials weighed in on the issue.

King Pharmaceuticals, and Acura Pharmaceuticals have entered into a license, development and commercialization agreement for the United States, Canada, and Mexico, encompassing a potentially wide range of opioid analgesic products utilizing Acura?s patented Aversion (abuse-deterrent) Technology platform.

Recent activity among contract manufacturing organizations include expansions for Lonza and Codexis in Asia and the addition of aseptic cytotoxic capabilities for DSM. Also, Vetter adds anticounterfeiting capabilities for prefilled syringes.

Ash Stevens is adding cryogenic capabilities as part of an overall strategy to focus on small molecules requiring smaller volumes and complex chemistry.

Equipped with a new sourcing strategy in Asia and improving market conditions, Pfizer CentreSource expects a good performance from its steroid business this year and in 2008.

The US Food and Drug Administration launched a new program on Oct. 4 to increase the number and variety of generic drugs available to the public, beginning in fiscal year 2008. The Generic Initiative for Value and Efficiency (GIVE) will use existing resources to help the agency "modernize and streamline the generic drug approval process," according to FDA.

Representatives from 17 nations sit down to decide upon standards-setting initiatives.

As the mother of a 15-month-old, I was quite shaken last month to hear about over-the-counter cold medicines for children under age 2 being pulled off the shelves. Glued to the news, I wondered if the decongestant I had given my daughter when she was sick would have any negative impact on her long-term health.

News and Views

Thin are the lines that separate stability, statistics, and chaos.

Thanks to the media, Nobel Laureates are underrated, undervalued, and simply uncool.

The EIP process addresses the problems encountered with numerous questionnaires when qualifying excipient manufacturers.

Some people claim the statins are so effective and that their cholesterol has dropped to a point where they can "supersize" their burger and chips every time they visit a fast food outlet

Novartis opened a new $180-million tableting facility in late October in Singapore and announced its intention to construct a $700-million cell-culture facility in the country.