Pharma Roundup: Roche's DTC Regrets, Novartis and Mylan, and More

(MoneyWatch)  Roche exec calls DTC advertising the industry's "worst decision" -- As William Burns, head of pharmaceuticals, explained to the press, "when [the] industry says [it's] spending all the money on R&D but actually it's spending it on TV advertising to preserve margins, it doesn't get much credibility." [Source: WSJ Health Blog]

Novartis and Mylan reach Femara deal -- Mylan has already submitted its generic version of breast cancer treatment Femara to the FDA, granting the company 180 days of exclusive marketing. Novartis, which owns the rights to the original, will allow Mylan to sell the generic version before Femara's official patent expires in 2011. [Source: FiercePharma]

Trouble mounts for biotechs -- Pharmalot is featuring a mini-roundup of biotechs who have announced cutbacks and layoffs today. The list includes Titan, Targeted Genetics, and WuXi PharmaTech, among others. Meanwhile, In Vivo reports that, like car makers, biotech are asking for -- and may desperately need -- government aid, but lack strong business plans to justify a bailout. [Source: Pharmalot and In Vivo]

AmerisourceBergen's thrifty CEO -- Dave Yost, head of the $4.71 billion pharma services giant, reportedly flies economy and (perhaps) buys furniture at garage sales. [Source: BusinessWeek, via Drug Channels]