pic thx to jake cook on flickr creative commons

And so, another working week is about to draw to a close. Not a moment too soon, yes? This is, as you know, our treasured signal to daydream about weekend plans. To be honest, our agenda is rather modest. We hope to manicure the Pharmalot grounds, indulge our shortest of short people and catch up on some reading. And what about you? This is a lovely time of year to enjoy the great outdoors. You know, picking apples and that sort of thing. You could plan an end-of-year getaway. Or maybe reach out to someone special. Whatever you do, have a grand time, but be safe. See you soon…

Valeant Pharmaceuticals will hold an investor briefing on Monday to refute reports about its accounting that “contain numerous errors, unsupported speculation and incorrect interpretations of facts.” For those interested to learn more about the short seller, Andrew Left, who triggered the latest kerfuffle over its business practices, there is an engaging piece in The Wall Street Journal.

Speedier diagnostics that can distinguish between bacterial and viral infections are needed to combat unnecessary prescriptions for antibiotics, according to a report by the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance. The group earlier this year called for a $2 billion research fund and now suggests using new technologies for developing tests to enable more precise treatments and maintain the effectiveness of existing antibiotics.

The latest biotechnology stock-market debut, Dimension Therapeutics, floundered yesterday, illustrating how the squeeze in new issues persists for one of the hottest segments of the initial public offering market in the past few years, The Wall Street Journal writes. IPO demand is waning – six drug or biotech companies went public in the past four weeks, five of which priced below expectations—the most to do so in a four-week period all year,

The number of animals used for scientific experimentation in UK labs fell 6 percent, according to Pharma Times, citing government statistics. The number of experiments launched in 2014 involving animals reached 3.87 million compared to 4.12 million in 2013, but around 50 percent is accounted for by genetically modified animals created but not subsequently used in any tests.

GlaxoSmithKline ceo Andrew Witty is touting innovation as the best defense against complaints over drug pricing and pledged to highlight a product pipeline next month that would help withstand pressure from payers, Bloomberg News reports. Witty, now in his seventh year heading the big drug maker, is under pressure to highlight growth prospects amid a lagging share performance, sluggish U.S. sales and earnings declines.

A first-in-class drug from Amgen based on a tumor-killing virus was okayed by European regulators, paving the way for its approval within a couple of months, Reuters says.

The FDA approved a Merrimack Pharmaceuticals drug for treating advanced pancreatic cancer, one of the first new treatments to be offered for the disease in decades, The Boston Globe writes.

Six non-government organizations urged US President Barack Obama to extend a patent transition period in world trade rules for the least developed countries, The Dhaka Tribune tells us.

Quintiles formed an alliance with IMS Health to access real-world drug data to be used in post-approval clinical research, according to Outsourcing Pharma.

Pfizer plans to create 130 jobs in Ireland – in Dublin and Cork, specifically – over the next year as its boosts manufacturing, according to The Irish Independent.