Profile
Daiichi Chief Talks Effient
Lilly and Daiichi can breathe easier knowing that their new blood thinner Effient has FDA’s seal of approval. But what exactly separates the drug from Plavix and why all the excitement? Pharm Exec talks to Daiichi Sankyo President and CEO Joseph P. Pieronion to find out more.

New Media
Novo Nordisk Launches Branded Twitter Campaign
Social networking has been slow to permeate the pharmaceutical industry, and the response has been mixed at best. Novo Nordisk is gambling that Twitter might be the right tool for the job and latching racer Charlie Kimball’s name to the campaign might get them the Tweets they need to boost awareness of Levemir.

Global
Pharma Accused of Keeping Good Generics Down
EU Commission claims pharma firms are violating antitrust laws by delaying generic entry through shady practices, including false safety claims and reverse payment settlements.

Opinion
Playing Spot the Healthcare Lobbyist
National Public Radio has posted a photograph taken late last month during the first Congressional hearings on the trillion-dollar healthcare reform legislation. It shows not the 22 members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions who were the presumptive stars of the occasion, but the audience.

OncoMed Pharmaceuticals appointed Sunil Patel to senior vice president, corporate development // DOR BioPharma appointed Christopher P. Schnittker to vice president of administration and controller // Brecon Pharmaceuticals named Peter Belden executive vice president and managing director // Covington & Burling made Demetrios L. Kouzoukas the firm’s healthcare and food and drug practice groups as of counsel // Progenitor Cell Therapy appointed Daryl LeSueur to vice president of manufacturing operations // Amgen appointed Rebecca M. Henderson to board of directors // Covance appointed Steven M. Michael, MD, as vice president and chief scientific officer of Global Bioanalytical Services // Core-Create named Jin Li Frick managing director, Paul Maurer creative director of copy, Jennifer Philburn editorial manager/copywriter, Paul Moorcroft financial controller, and Michael Westhafer, MD, associate medical director of Alpha & Omega Worldwide // Poniard Pharmaceuticals appointed Gary A. Lyons to board of directors

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Free Educational Webcast Comparative Effectiveness

With President Obama calling for a national agency for comparative effectiveness and Congress introducing a bill in 2008 to set the stage at the federal level, no one doubts that comparative effectiveness is coming to healthcare. Join Tommy Bramley, senior director for Xcenda, and Tracy Foster, president for Lash Group on Thursday, June 25 at 2:00 PM (EDT) as they present on what these changes will encompass, how they will impact access to medications and what manufacturers can do to prepare.
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July 30–31 CBI’s 4th Clinical Supply Chain Management Conference, Princeton, NJ

August 11–22 3rd Annual Forum on Tracking State Laws and Aggregate Spend, Arlington, VA

September 14–15 4th Annual Forum on Educational Grants for the Bio/Pharmaceutical Industry, Philadelphia, PA

September 21–24 5th Annual Process Excellence Week for the Service & Transactional World, Chicago, IL

October 5–7 BioNetwork 2009: The 7th Annual Pharmaceutical-Biotech Partnering Conference, Laguna Niguel, California

FDA Issues Draft Guidance for Industry on Drug Anticounterfeiting

Hisamitsu to Acquire US-based Noven Pharmaceuticals (pdf)

Oscient Pharma files for bankruptcy

Rigel's R788 Significantly Improves Rheumatoid Arthritis in Phase 2b Clinical Trial