February 2004

Pfizer Wins One For Sane Patents “What’s in a patent? For the drug industry, everything. And that’s why a court appeal that Pfizer won late Friday [Feb 13] is so important. At issue was whether a researcher must actually discover a drug in order to patent it. “

Cloning Creates Human Embryos “Scientists in South Korea report that they have created human embryos through cloning and extracted embryonic stem cells, the universal cells that hold great promise for medical research. Their goal, the scientists say, is not to clone humans but to advance understanding of the causes and treatment of disease. “

FDA a Big Winner In ’05 Bush Budget “One of the biggest winners in President Bush’s proposed 2005 budget is the Food and Drug Administration, which would receive an almost 9 percent increase in funding to expand a ‘food defense’ program, to respond to the mad cow disease crisis and to continue construction of its [...]

Drug may give cells a fresh start “Chemists in California have found a synthetic molecule that seems to reprogramme adult cells to make them more like youthful ones. If the discovery pans out, it could provide an easy source of cells to regenerate tissues damaged by disease or injury.”