And so, another working week will soon draw to a close. Not a moment too soon, yes? This is, as you know, our treasured signal to daydream about weekend plans. Our agenda is, as usual, rather modest. We hope to catch up on our reading, take a few naps, and escort Mrs. Pharmalot to the latest installment of our “Let’s-see-them-before-they-die” concert series. And you? If you crave excitement, you could prepare your taxes or handicap the voting for presidential candidates. Perhaps, instead, this is an opportunity to make time to seek out someone special. Whatever you do, have a grand time, but be safe. See you soon …
Bayer has infuriated doctors in New Zealand for withdrawing free supplies of its Xarelto blood thinner after failing to win a state subsidy, Radio New Zealand reports. Last December, the drug maker gave three months warning and then withdrew free supplies to 1,500 patients. PHARMAC, the state agency, said companies supplying medicines for free have an ethical obligation to continue the practice as long as patients benefit.
Scientists at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have identified a gene known as PRMT5 that may be a promising target for drugs to knock out cancer cells, The Boston Globe writes. “This is an exciting new research target,” Bill Sellers, global head of oncology at Novartis Institutes, told the paper. “If we can make the right therapy, it would selectively kill tumors.”
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