Patent Baristas

Bloggers May Need to Yield Equal Time
FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell (R) recently warned bloggers that the Commission’s decision to smack down Comcast  for hobbling Bit Torrent could lead the government to start “dictating content policy” by requiring blogs to give equal time to opposing views under the Fairness Doctrine.  We’re not sure if criticizing the [...]

FDA Sets New User Fee Rates
FDA published a Federal Register notice announcing the 2009 user fee rates under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA).  A similar notice  will also be issued with the FY 2009 user fee rates established under the Medical Device User Fee Amendments.  (via FDA Law Blog)
Homeland Security Can Take Anything [...]

Better Living Through Chemistry
The World Anti-Doping Agency claims that Italian rider Riccardo Ricco tested positive at the Tour de France after a secret molecule was planted in the blood booster EPO (erythropoietin) during its manufacture. Apparently, Roche included a molecule in the third generation of EPO, called Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator (CERA), that acted as [...]

25 Shocking Facts
Laura Milligan uncovered 25 of the most shocking facts about the pharmaceutical industry.  While some aren’t really shocking — like the price of drugs is increasing faster than anything else a patient pays for — some are not widely known — like pharmaceutical companies spend more on marketing than research.  The reasons [...]

The Connecticut Attorney General is suing McKesson Corp., the nation’s largest pharmaceutical distributor, on allegations it illegally inflated wholesale drug costs for many brand-name drugs, including Lipitor and Prevacid.
Genzyme Corp. spent $640,000 lobbying the federal government in the first quarter on matters such as on patent-reform legislation and bills that would allow generic drug companies [...]

Pfiscal Responsibility
Pfizer announced that it has posted a list of U.S. medical, scientific and patient organization grants and charitable contributions made in the first quarter of this year, part of an ongoing drive throughout the company to increase transparency. 
Of a total $9.97 million in grants and charitable contributions reported for the first quarter of 2008, [...]

Negotiations in the Senate on patent reform bill S. 1145 seemed to break down this week after Sen. Arlen Specter released a statement saying:
The Chairman [Sen. Leahy] and I differ on a number of aspects of the proposed patent reform legislation. . . . . The principal sticking point is the issue of how to [...]

The Kentucky BioAlliance has established a fund to provide stipends for Kentucky-based biotech companies to attend the annual Biotechnology Industry Organization BIO2008 conference. Companies that are selected will be awarded a stipend to cover up to $800 in expenses associated with attending the annual BIO International Conference. To apply, fill out an application here.
Biotech companies [...]