Drug companies make patent concessions
AIDS activists hailed a breakthrough agreement with two of the largest drug companies in South Africa Wednesday, saying it will help more poor people get vital medicines. They cited the Canadian government’s decision to override patent law for essential drugs for Africa as one key factor in persuading the pharmaceutical makers to loosen their hold on patents.

Dutch Official Calls on Europe to Open Markets to Biotech Foods
Europe should no longer exclude genetically modified agricultural products from the U.S., in the view of Economic Affairs Minister Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst. ‘The U.S. rightly complains about trade barriers,’ he said yesterday in The Hague during a University of Leiden meeting.

Financial Snapshot For November 2003: Hangin’ In There

A dietary magic bullet?
Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you can throw down a Longevinex pill, the new foe of culinary hedonism.

FDA, Industry Collaborate On Genomics Guide
Last month, the FDA issued its long-awaited draft guidelines for pharmacogenomic data submission. Companies large and small have been anxious to get their hands on these guidelines, for they are a critical starting point in the agency’s efforts to come up with the most appropriate requirements for pharmacogenomic data as part of a new drug application (NDA), a biologics license application (BLA) or even an investigational new drug application (IND).

Canola Case Tests GMO Patent
The future of genetically modified crops in North America is in the hands of a 73-year-old Canadian canola farmer named Percy Schmeiser.
Schmeiser already has lost two court cases dealing with his use of seed designed by Monsanto, but he and his supporters have made it to the Supreme Court of Canada with a new argument: Monsanto’s patent is invalid.

Food Biotech Is Risky Business
The genetically modified food industry has battled opposition from consumer and environmental groups to get its food on the table. Its lobbyists have cajoled skeptical politicians; its scientists have produced studies contradicting other studies suggesting the food is somehow tainted.
Now the industry faces another hurdle with long-range, dire consequences: It may be uninsurable.