— Women who take oral contraceptives might actually live longer, according to new data. Researchers in the UK followed 46,000 women for nearly 40 years and found that, despite small risks during use, those who took the pill in their lifetime had a 12% lower risk of death, including by heart disease, cancer and stroke. (BBC)

— Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline are nearing a deal that would provide developing countries with 200 million reduced-price pneumococcal vaccines each year. The Global Alliance on Vaccines and Immunizations says it will soon announce the 10-year agreement, which would sell vaccines for as little as $3.50 each (Reuters). Hopefully, the agreement will someday include an HIV vaccine, but funds need to be put toward translational research for that to happen, according to an opinion piece in this week’s Nature.

— Researchers have discovered the mechanism by which thalidomide, a drug prescribed for morning sickness in the late 1950s, causes limb malformation. Their study, performed in zebrafish and chick embryos, found that the drug inhibits a protein crucial for limb development called cereblon. By understanding thalidomide’s negative effects, researchers say they can engineer derivatives of the compound that only allow for its benefits, which also include treatment for leprosy and certain cancers. (BBC)

— A trio of Chinese companies is putting $120 million toward building Asia’s largest contract manufacturing organization in Beijing. With pharmaceutical companies already setting their sights on China, the addition of a large outsourcing plant makes pharma’s cost-cutting future even brighter (FiercePharma). You can read more about how the US Food and Drug Administration is monitoring contract manufacturing in the February issue of Nature Medicine.

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