Eli Lilly and Co., of Indianapolis, said it acquired two positron emission tomography tracers from Siemens Medical Solutions intended to image tau tangles in the brain, one of two known hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease

Armgo Pharma Inc., of Tarrytown, N.Y., and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) said $1 million was awarded for preclinical work in support of an investigational new drug application for AMR201, an oral, small-molecule Rycal drug that has the potential to treat Duchenne's muscular dystrophy...In separate news, another Galapagos unit, Argenta, inked a deal with Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, of Ingelheim, Germany, to apply its respiratory drug discovery services to an undisclosed target within

Eddingpharm, of Hong Kong, said it inked a joint venture (JV) agreement with Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA, of Parma, Italy, to establish Chiesi Edding Hong Kong Ltd...The JV is controlled 51 percent by Eddingpharm and 49 percent by Chiesi and will leverage Eddingpharm's marketing platform to facilitate wide and quick commercialization of key products of Chiesi in the respiratory therapeutic area in China

BioAlliance Pharma SA, of Paris, said it received marketing authorization from the FDA for Sitavig (acyclovir Lauriad) in the treatment of recurring herpes labialis, marking the successful conclusion to the assessment procedure carried out by the American authorities...According to Epivax Inc., of Providence, R.I., the new H7N9 flu virus has serious potential for rapid expansion on a global scale...To date, 60 people have been confirmed infected with H7N9 in China, with 13 deaths

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., of New York, will invest $250 million to expand its large-scale biologics manufacturing facility in Devens, Mass., introducing biologics development and clinical trial manufacturing capabilities and adding about 350 employees...Work is expected to begin in late 2013

GSK is working to resolve the issues with its contract manufacturer, and it is expected that new inventory of Horizant will be available in pharmacies in June...Innate Pharma SA, of Marseille, France, reported preclinical data for two of its programs...PRCN-829 is designed to deliver multiple genes, including Factor H, to neural stem cells

Targeting 25% of $20B Market Tecarfarin (ATI-5923) recently completed a Phase III study demonstrating safety and effectiveness in patients with prosthetic heart valves in addition to those with other conditions such as atrial fibrillation or venous thromboembolism, independent of CYP status...Kengatharan declined to disclose Armetheon's financing to date but said the company is able to draw from a convertible note as it moves toward a Series A...Armetheon is meeting with investment bankers to complete

In the most recent action in the case, the mass torts law firm of Watts Guerra LLP, of San Antonio, has filed a motion to consolidate the incretins litigation nationally...Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, of Ingelheim, Germany, is the target of a proposed national class-action lawsuit by the Toronto law firm of McPhadden Samac Tuovi LLP, relating to the blood thinner Pradax (dabigatran etexilate...Pradax is used to prevent clotting in patients who suffer from atrial fibrillation

As a result of the amendment, Takeda assumes full responsibility for Omontys and, should the big pharma opt to re-introduce the drug to the market, Affymax would be eligible to receive royalties and potential commercial milestone payments totaling up to $180 million

On a personal note, CEOs of big pharma companies would have to give 30 percent of their earnings – of $1 million or more – to the government, and the budget would limit the value of tax deductions and other tax benefits for other high-income earners who haven't entered the millionaire's club

The drug is expected to be available by the end of May...GlaxoSmithKline plc, of London, and A*STAR's Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences, of Singapore, signed a five-year agreement to develop new evidence-based formulations (EBFs) specifically for emerging markets...EBFs are medicines reformulated to provide additional patient benefit

The company expects to see results from by late summer...The firms will aim to offer pharma and biotech companies a set of fully integrated nuclear receptor drug discovery capabilities by combining expertise in structural biology, medicinal chemistry, biology, DMPK, pharmacology and safety

Covis Pharma Sarl, of Zug, Switzerland, inked a deal with affiliates of Paris-based Sanofi SA to acquire full commercial rights to Nilandron (nilutamide), Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine), Rilutek (riluzole), Uroxatral (alfuzosin hydrochloride) and Kayexalate (sodium polystyrene sulfate) in the U.S. Sanofi will retain rights to the products outside of the U.S. Financial terms were not disclosed...In other news, Prana reported that it received a A$2.5 million (US$2.6 million) cash refund under the R&D

Merz Pharma Group, of Frankfurt, Germany, said it withdrew its nonbinding proposal to acquire the outstanding common stock of Obagi Medical Products Inc., of Long Beach, Calif., for $22 per share in cash...NovaDel Pharma Inc., of Bridgewater, N.J., signed a definitive agreement to sell its NovaMist technology and certain additional assets, including related patents and trademarks, to Australia's Suda Ltd

Valeant has granted Actavis the exclusive right to co-promote Zovirax cream to obstetricians and gynecologists in the U.S., and Actavis has granted Valeant the exclusive right to co-promote Actavis Specialty Brands' Cordran Tape (flurandrenolide) product in the U.S...and, Kayexalate is prescribed to remove dangerously high levels of potassium in the blood

Covis Pharma Sarl, of Zug, Switzerland, inked a deal with affiliates of Paris-based Sanofi SA to acquire full commercial rights to Nilandron (nilutamide), Plaquenil (hydroxychloroquine), Rilutek (riluzole), Uroxatral (alfuzosin hydrochloride) and Kayexalate (sodium polystyrene sulfate) in the U.S. Sanofi will retain rights to the products outside of the U.S. Financial terms were not disclosed

Furiex inked the deal with Menarini in 2012, giving the Italian pharma firm rights to commercialize Priligy in Europe, most of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East...The refund was received to support research and clinical development of PBT2 for Huntington's and Alzheimer's diseases, as well as for other Prana research activities into Parkinson's disease and other neurological indications

UCB SA, of Brussels, Belgium, said its Canadian subsidiary received Health Canada approval for Neupro (rotigotine), a non-ergolinic dopamine agonist in patch form, for treating the signs and symptoms of idiopathic Parkinson's disease and moderate to severe idiopathic restless legs syndrome in adults

In other news, GSK recently agreed to a nonexclusive material transfer, patent and know-how license deal with the Health Protection Agency (HPA) for the development and manufacture of a next-generation polio vaccine...The agreement allows the HPA to contribute to global polio eradication, while securing a commitment from a major pharma firm to develop use of its technology