New documents released by the FDA seek to limit conflicts of interest among advisory committee members and provide greater transparency.

A big healthcare bill that passed Massachusetts' legislature last night contains a few nasty surprises for industry -- including a code of conduct for drug marketers, an academic detailing program and stringent reporting requirements for payments to physicians.

A group of senators and representatives is introducing a bill that would fund a test-run for so-called "academic detailing," whereby supposedly unbiased health professionals funded by non-commercial entities detail doctors just as drug company sales reps do.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) has announced an offer of $60 per share, or roughly $4.5 billion, for the acquisition of ImClone. BMS already owns approximately 17% of ImClone's shares.

The National Consumers League (NCL) filed a petition with the FDA calling for standardized, single-document patient guides for prescription drugs.

Verispan has been bought by rival healthcare analytics firm SDI for an undisclosed price.

A new GAO report finds the FDA incapable of reviewing all drug advertising -- including the identification of off-label promotions -- due to the quantity of submissions and the variety of materials.

M. Cass Wheeler, CEO of the American Heart Association, has announced that he will retire by the end of 2008.

The Medicare prescription drug benefit has goosed pharma industry profits to the tune of $3.7 billion, said a report from Rep. Henry Waxman's Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Here are the finalists for the MM&M Awards 2008, the winners of which will be named at our gala awards dinner in New York on the evening of October 30: