Animal rights activists are personally targeting FDA chief Andrew von Eschenbach, buying a full-page ad to criticize him in the Washington Post. The activists contend 65,000 animals die annually because of pharmaceutical research and say the experiments on beagles and other mammals are antiquated. Here’s the release.

Parexel’s acquisition of ClinPhone has been approved by the British company’s shareholders. The merger could take effect on August 14. Here are a few details.

DataTrak has hired an Elmhurst, Illinois consultancy to explore its options. Healthcare Growth Partners appears to be a three-man firm specializing in IT companies specializing in health care.

An increasingly frustrated FDA is talking about sobering lapses at the American Red Cross related to the U.S. blood supply. The Red Cross has paid $21 million in penalties since 2003, the New York Times reports. U.S. politicians effectively control the Red Cross and have traditionally been reluctant to insist on managerial competence there. So we assume the hints of possible criminal prosecution are the usual empty Washington rhetoric. Here’s the story.

The government -controlled news media in China are reporting that 64,000 people work for the Chinese regulatory authorities. Just to keep things interesting, there are 2,692 separate regulatory departments in the Chinese system. Among other topics, the Chinese are touting the use of technology (including truck-based laboratories) to protect the public. In recent decades, “China has not only reversed the situation of inadequacy of medical services and drugs, but also remarkably elevated its guarantee capability regarding the quality and safety of drugs,” says a government white paper on the topic.

MDS Pharma will trim its workforce, firing 210 people to save $20 million annually. The company will also write down an unused facility in Canada.

This article considers eResearch Technology to be part of the contract research industry. It touts the late 2007 acquisition of Covance Cardiac Safety Services as something that will drive future growth.

Icon posted strong financial results. Revenue jumped 48 percent to $218 million. Profits rose 18 percent to $19 million. Said CEO Peter Gray: “As a result of these strong business wins, we continue to expand our global capability through opening new offices and hiring new staff and we now have in excess of 6500 staff working in 71 offices in 38 countries.” Here’s the release.

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