It’s been a busy week for me, so I’ve neglected the blog. But that doesn’t mean nothing was happening.
Perhaps the biggest biotech news for Puget Sound this week came from Amgen, which employs more here than any other biotech, including ICOS. The California-based company — which claims to be the world’s largest biotech firm — announced big expansion plans for its offices around the globe, including Seattle.
Overall, Amgen will add about 150 jobs in the Seattle area. It already employs nearly 1,000 locally — about 200 at its Canyon Park offices, with the rest in downtown Seattle.
Here’s the story from the L.A. Daily News, http://www.dailynews.com/business/ci_3433791, and the Puget Sound Business Journal, http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2006/01/23/daily9.html.
Also this week, the FDA approved some drugs that have doctors excited. This afternoon, the agency gave its OK to the first inhalable form of insulin, which was developed by Pfizer and two smaller companies. This could be a big deal to diabetics who’ve had to inject insulin. Here’s the news from CBS, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/27/health/webmd/main1248529.shtml, and from Forbes, http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2006/01/27/hscout530634.html, and The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/27/AR2006012701085.html.
Also today, the agency approved a new drug for chronic angina, http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.asp?feed=AP&Date=20060127&ID=5455252.
From earlier this week, Newsday tells about a newly approved Pfizer drug that seems to treat stomach and kidney cancers: http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-hscanc274602862jan27,0,1337067.story?coll=ny-health-print. Here’s the same news in USA Today, http://today.reuters.com/investing/FinanceArticle.aspx?type=businessNews&storyID=2006-01-27T002244Z_01_N26224313_RTRUKOC_0_US-PFIZER-SUTENT.xml, and from Reuters, http://today.reuters.com/investing/FinanceArticle.aspx?type=businessNews&storyID=2006-01-27T002244Z_01_N26224313_RTRUKOC_0_US-PFIZER-SUTENT.xml.
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