The news summaries appearing in BIO SmartBrief are based on original information from news organizations and are produced by SmartBrief, Inc., an independent e-mail newsletter publisher. The information is not compiled or summarized by BIO. Questions and comments should be directed to SmartBrief at bio@smartbrief.com.

Today's Top Story

• Study warns of Web sites promoting stem cell therapies
  Patients should beware of Web sites marketing safe and effective stem cell therapies because such claims are not supported by adequate scientific proof, according to a study. Researchers studied 19 sites found via Google in 2007 that touted such treatments in countries including China and Mexico but not the U.S. The International Society for Stem Cell Research criticized the promotion of unproven regimens. Yahoo!/The Associated Press (12/3)

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Health Care & Policy

• FDA teams up with WebMD for consumer-health alerts
  The FDA and WebMD are collaborating to improve the agency's ability to deliver product-safety and other health information to the public. Under the agreement, WebMD will publish FDA updates on its Web site as well as in its bimonthly magazine. United Press International (12/3), Health Data Management (12/3)

• Scientists to test drugs for 3 autism-related conditions
  Researchers plan to conduct human trials of three medications to explore their potential in treating rare, genetic disorders associated with autism -- fragile X, Rett syndrome and tuberous sclerosis complex. One of the studies will test whether chemically triggering a pathway called insulin-like growth factor in Rett syndrome patients is effective at inducing undeveloped synapses to mature. MIT Technology Review (12/2008)

• Tumors can originate from one cancer cell, researchers say
  U.S. scientists working with mice injected with melanoma cells found that an individual skin cancer cell could spur tumor formation. The finding indicates the need to further investigate the mechanism of cancer cells and also challenges current views that only a small number of specialist "cancer stem cells" can generate tumors, researchers said. BBC (12/4)

Company & Financial News

• Biogen to relocate headquarters to Weston, Mass.
  Biogen Idec, a biotech firm in Massachusetts, is looking to save money by transferring its management and administrative operations from Cambridge to a building under construction in Weston. Biogen said it will shift between 400 and 600 workers to the 350,000-square-foot facility in 2010. The Boston Globe (free registration) (12/3)

• FDA advisers recommend approval for Novartis' Coartem
  An FDA advisory committee concluded that Coartem, a malaria treatment from Novartis AG, is safe and works against infections caused by the parasite P. falciparum. The drug, which is administered twice a day for three days, would be the first artemisinin-based combination therapy for malaria in the U.S. should it win FDA approval. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (12/3)

• Pozen unveils positive data for arthritis-pain drug
  Pozen reported results from a late-stage study showing that PN 400, a candidate for arthritis pain, achieved its main objective of outperforming naproxen, an anti-inflammatory medicine, in reducing endoscopic gastric ulcerations. The FDA plans to meet in the first quarter of 2009 to decide whether to accept endoscopic gastric ulcers as the main endpoint of the trial, Pozen said. Reuters (12/3)

• Other News

• Catalyst Biosciences raises $40M for protease therapeutics
  American City Business Journals/San Jose, Calif. (12/3)

• Officials: Baltimore to serve as venue for 2009 stem cell conference
  The Sun (Baltimore) (12/3)

Industry Deals

• Biomonitor acquires Irish biotech firm for about $8.8M
  The Danish biotech firm Biomonitor has completed a takeover deal worth about $8.8 million for Neutekbio, an Irish company specializing in gene technology. Growcorp Group, a venture-capital firm that owned the controlling share in Neutekbio, will get a 6% stake in Biomonitor as part of the agreement. Independent.ie (Ireland) (12/4)

• Vical strikes licensing deal with Turkish firm for cancer drug candidate
  Eczacibasi Ilac Pazarlama has entered into an agreement that will allow it to market and distribute Vical's Allovectin-7, an experimental treatment for advanced metastatic melanoma, in Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Vical, which is based in San Diego, said it plans to seek similar deals for the cancer drug in other foreign markets. Reuters (12/3)

Industrial & Environmental

• Chromatin to enter biofuel sector with $12.4M in funding
  Chromatin, a Chicago-based firm that uses genetics to improve crops, said it intends to use the $12.4 million it raised from investors to partner with biofuel companies that could help distribute its products. The company plans to use its mini-chromosome technique to create feedstocks equipped with multiple genes that could help increase yields and reduce costs linked to creating fermentable sugars for cellulosic ethanol. NYTimes.com/GigaOm (12/3)

News from BIO

• Save the date -- Sept. 22 to 23, 2009 -- the first BIO India Partnering Conference
  The first BIO India Partnering Conference in Hyderabad, India, organized by BIO with local host Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises. This exclusive forum will bring together biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies from North America, Asia and Europe to meet and explore business opportunities with India's emerging biotech sector. Private meetings between investors, large biotech and pharmaceutical companies, and emerging Asian biotech companies will be arranged through BIO's new One-on-One Partnering software. Registration opens in early 2009.

SmartQuote

Chaos is the score upon which reality is written." --Henry Miller, American writer