Aastrom Biosciences, a developer of autologous adult stem cell treatments for cardiovascular diseases, has temporarily suspended enrollment and patient treatment in its U.S. Phase II IMPACT-DCM clinical trial, following a report that a trial participant who received the recommended treatment died at home after being released from the hospital.

AstraZeneca has announced that it plans to divulge compensation to healthcare professionals who speak on behalf of its company and products in the U.S. starting in 2010.

Biopharmaceutical firm Gilead Sciences, as part of the ongoing integration of CV Therapeutics, has announced changes to its cardiovascular research and development organization leadership.

Amgen has exercised its option to obtain an exclusive license, globally (excluding Japan), to Cytokinetics' cardiac contractility program. The license includes CK-1827452, a new cardiac myosin activator being developed for the treatment of heart failure.

Daiichi Sankyo and Ranbaxy Laboratories announced that Malvinder Mohan Singh has stepped down from the positions of chairman, CEO and managing director of Ranbaxy with immediate effect.

Pfizer has reported a slight drop in net income in its financial results for the 2009 first quarter, which ended March 29, impacted by decreased revenues from the pending Wyeth acquisition as well as strong pressure from generic competitors for Lipitor.

As healthcare providers move to adopt e-prescribing and drive greater patient safety, the need for better integration between core clinical systems and pharmacy automation software continues to grow. How well pharmacy software vendors deliver on that integration is having a significant impact on provider adoption and satisfaction, according to a report from market research firm KLAS.

An updated forecast of global pharma sales comes up nearly a billion dollars shy of the forecast from October, suggesting that the pharmaceutical market is indeed not recession-proof, according to a report from IMS Health . Innovation in drug therapy, however, continues to forge ahead and its interesting to follow the pharma industry as it adapts to tough economic times.Two combo pills for hypertension have received the nod from the FDA to move forward. Daiichi Sankyos Azor, which combines two medications, and Novartis Exforge HCT, a combination of three meds. Drug compliance is problematic when cardiac patients feel overwhelmed with the number of pills they must take daily. The movement to combine several medications into one pill seems to be on the right track.