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— Pharmaceutical lobbyist Billy Tauzin is stepping down June 30 as president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). A former US congressman, Tauzin was a key player in negotiating the industry’s stake in US healthcare reform; his departure strikes another blow to the stalled legislation. (NYTimes)
— Researchers found that they could treat and even prevent diastolic heart failure in mice by administering a single compound. Feeding the mice tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) allowed for greater nitric oxide release, which relaxes the blood vessels and heart. The chemical might one day offer a new treatment for humans if further animal studies show heart benefits. (ScienceDaily)
— Former Pfizer exec Jesse Polansky has filed suit against the company for its marketing of Lipitor to segments of the population that in his view don’t need medication. Polansky alleges that the usage went against current National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines, though as our feature this month mentions, those guidelines might soon be changing, with recommended statin use expanding to more people. (Pharmalot)
— Oh, my©! Scientists have found a gene involved in cancer in the fresh water hydra, a simple, anemone-like organism that developed 600 million years ago. The myc gene, which promotes cell growth, is involved in 30% of human cancers, where it becomes deregulated. (ScienceDaily)
Image by // Between the Lines // via Flickr Creative Commons