Lipitor

Report: Pfizer makes counter-offer for Ranbaxy

Maureen Martino — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:06:09 -0400

Pfizer may be crashing Daiichi Sankyo's party. Business Standard is reporting that Pfizer is considering a counter-offer for Ranbaxy, India's largest drugmaker. The rumor comes on the heels of the $4.6 billion offer Daiichi made just two days ago. Sources say Pfizer may "make a bid for 41.3 percent of the company from institutions and another 21.2 percent from individual shareholders." None of the companies involved have confirmed the rumors.

So why would Pfizer be interested in Ranbaxy? It turns out that there are plenty of reasons. An acquisition of Ranbaxy would give the world's largest drugmaker a big slice of the hot generic drug market. The other big reason? Lipitor. Ranbaxy is planning to launch a generic version of the $10.1 billion-a-year earner in 2010, and wouldn't it be nice for Pfizer if it could control that bit of competition? There's no word on what Ranbaxy's thoughts are on the deal. Ranbaxy says the deal is already done and that it's too late for Pfizer to make a bid, but this battle may just be getting started.

- read the WSJ report
- here's a Forbes article for more

Pfizer gets new cancer team to advance key drugs

Thu, 15 May 2008 06:59:56 -0400

With the clock ticking on its patent for Lipitor, Pfizer has turned to a group of new executives to lead the company to the promised land of new cancer therapies.

Garry Nicholson, a 30-year Eli Lilly vet, will be responsible for overseeing every aspect of Pfizer's new oncology programs, from the first clinical trial to marketing, notes Forbes. Neil Gibson, formerly chief scientific officer at biotech OSI Pharmaceuticals, has been brought in to direct oncology research. And Briggs Morrison, who was able to speed clinical trials at Merck, has been brought in to do trial design.

"It's an exceptional situation," says Nicholson. "And for someone like me, who is in the business to get as many cancer drugs that extend survival to patients as possible, it is the best situation that I know of."

Pfizer needs all the help it can get. The drug giant is likely to lose 25 percent of its current revenue to generic competition for Lipitor.

- see Pfizer's statement on Nicholson's appointment
- read the article from Forbes

ALSO NOTED: ISTA announces positive data; Proteolix launches Phase II trial; and much more...

Thu, 01 May 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> If anyone doubted Andrew Witty's professed faith in emerging markets, those doubts can be put to rest. The incoming GlaxoSmithKline CEO lured Eli Lilly's Abbas Hussein to spearhead a new unit charged with building business in China, Russia, Brazil, India and the Middle East. GSK report

> ISTA Pharmaceuticals announced positive preliminary results from its second and final late-stage study of Bepreve. ISTA release

> Proteolix has launched a Phase II clinical trial of carfilzomib (PR-171), a selective blocker of proteasome activity, in relapsed solid tumors. Proteolix release

> Oncothyreon has filed an investigational new drug for PX-866, a small molecule phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase inhibitor for advanced cancers. Oncothyreon release

> The FDA has given Merck 15 days to decide how to fix manufacturing problems at its main vaccine plant in West Point, PA, according to a warning letter dated April 30. Report

> As the U.K. nears a long-term drug-pricing deal with pharma firms, drugmakers are grousing about the fact that the government decided to renegotiate at all. Report

> Pfizer is breathing a big sigh of relief. The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office has said it will confirm the drugmaker's basic patent on the blockbuster Lipitor drug. Report

Special Report... CEO Pay: Who makes what in Big Biotech? Report

And Finally... A large group of American parents are having a tough time keeping up with their kids' vaccination schedules. Vaccine report

Pfizer seeks salvation in late-stage biotherapeutics

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 06:59:58 -0500

Pfizer's Jeff Kindler (photo) has boldly staked out plans to make 15 to 20 regulatory filings for new drug approvals and expanded use of existing drugs between 2010 and 2012, insisting that the pharma giant can gin new revenue to replace the $12 billion a year it will see evaporate when Lipitor loses its patent protection. In a highly anticipated meeting with analysts this morning, Kindler outlined how Pfizer is bracing itself for the massive losses connected with generic competition for Lipitor--a fateful moment that could come as early as 2010. Expanding aggressively into China and Latin America will help, he told the analysts, who were more eager to hear how Pfizer intends to compete in the U.S. market, which provides the bulk of its drug revenue. And Pfizer insists it will continue to lower costs as it finds the "right size" relative to income.

Pfizer has been on a buying spree lately, snatching up biotech programs and companies in its bid to stay competitive and boost income. In the meeting this morning executives said that between 15 and 20 mid-stage therapies would shift into late-stage trials by the end of next year. During that time, Phase III trials will jump by 50 percent to 75 percent, to 24 to 28 programs. They currently have 16 Phase III trials underway. In the process, says Pfizer, the company intends to become a top-tier biotherapeutics player.

- read Pfizer's release
- check out the AP report
- read the Dow Jones story

ALSO: As Pfizer held its big conference call this morning, the New York Daily News was reporting on the company's job cuts and plant closure in Manhattan and Brooklyn. At issue: a $10 million tax-break package the drug maker got in return for creating new jobs in New York. Pfizer was supposed to be on the hook for boosting employment to 8,659 from 5,735. Report

Related Articles:
Is Pfizer's CEO as bold as promised? Report
A look inside Pfizer's biotech center. Report
Pfizer hires new R&D chief, launches biotech center. Report
Speculation soars over Pfizer's interest in biotech. Report
Pfizer's future rests with biotech. Report

Full speed ahead for Vytorin II at Merck, Schering

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:59:56 -0500

The disastrous results of the recent Vytorin study have apparently done nothing to blunt the appetites of Merck and Schering-Plough for a follow-up therapy that is designed to work--or not work--in much the same way. Spokesmen for both companies tell Dow Jones that it is full speed ahead for a program to develop a similar cholesterol pill that combines Vytorin and a generic Lipitor as they looks to expand their command of the $32 billion market for cholesterol drugs.

Researchers released data earlier this week showing that Vytorin failed to perform better at reducing the rate of artery clogging than a generic statin, even though the drug reduced greater levels of bad cholesterol. Scientists at the Big Pharma companies are planning to complete studies on a Zetia-atorvastatin (Lipitor) combo so they can begin marketing it when the blockbuster Lipitor loses patent protection in 2010. AstraZeneca and Abbott are also both working away at a new combo cholesterol pill.

- here's the Dow Jones report

ALSO: Day three of chatter about Vytorin's poor performance in the ENHANCE study, and the furor seems to be increasing. Report

Related Articles:
Heart docs back Vytorin. Report
Vytorin fallout doesn't faze analysts. Report
Merck, Schering's Vytorin fails trial. Report
Merck, Schering left trial chief out. Report
Schering CEO defends Vytorin decisions. Report
Merck, Schering backpedal on Vytorin. Report

Merck cautiously upbeat on cholesterol drug

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 06:59:57 -0400

Merck is looking to succeed where Pfizer so spectacularly failed. Merck presented positive Phase II data for its CTEP inhibitor anacetrapib, a drug designed to increase good cholesterol and decrease bad cholesterol. Anacetrapib significantly reduced LDL-cholesterol and Apolipoprotein B and increased HDL-cholesterol and Apolipoprotein A-1 both as monotherapy and in combination with Lipitor compared to placebo.

The key, of course, is creating a drug that doesn't increase blood pressure--the side effect that led to torcetrapib's demise. The question regulators will want answered is whether the mortality associated torcetrapib is common to the entire class of CTEP inhibitors. Roche is also developing a Phase II CETP-Inhibitor, R1658. Merck plans to evaluate what went wrong with torcetrapib before proceeding with the next stage of testing. Analysts estimate the market for such a drug could be $15 billion dollars.

- see this release on the data from Merck
- read the Star-Ledger article for more

Related Articles:
Merck's CETP program advances--with caution. Report
Merck scores high in race for cholesterol drug. Report
Pfizer halts Torcetrapib development. Report
Session to detail torcetrapib's stunning failure. Report

Pfizer's future rests with biotech

Maureen Martino — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 11:00:07 -0400

At this week’s Bear Stearns Healthcare Conference, Pfizer discussed its plans for the future with analysts. As we all know, Pfizer is facing a major loss of sales when its best-selling drug Lipitor goes off patent in 2010. This wasn’t a major cause for concern until January, when Pfizer abandoned development of Torcetrapib due to concerns about mortality and cardiovascular events. Torcetrapib was slated to replace Lipitor, and the stunning loss of the progam left a gaping hole in Pfizer’s pipeline. In addition to concerns about Lipitor, both Viagra and Geodon, a schizophrenia therapy, will be faced with generic competitors by 2014. All told, Pfizer has to find a way to replace an annual $19 billion in sales when these drugs go off patent.

So how is Pfizer planning to deal with this loss? Company officials told analysts that Pfizer would increase its focus on biologics, which are much more difficult to make generic copies of. Lawmakers and healthcare professionals both here and abroad have embraced generic pharmaceuticals, which are relatively easy for generic drugmakers to produce. But Congress and the FDA have been slow to greenlight a faster approval process for generic biologics (on the other hand, the EMEA has had a regulatory pathway in place for almost three years). Pfizer has already announced a plan to invest $10 million a year for the next five years to help start-up biotechs in San Diego. Expect to see Pfizer snapping up biologics from smaller drug developers and investing more money in biotech companies in the months and years to come.

- read the Motley Fool article for more

Related Articles:
Pfizer goes public with R&D pipeline. Report
Troubled Pfizer blueprints biotech venture effort. Report
Waiting game continues for biogenerics. Report
Democrats to push for generic biotech drugs. Report
Pfizer halts Torcetrapib development. Report
Wal-Mart expands $4 drug program, Target follows. Report
Biotech sees big money from corporate players. Report

ALSO NOTED: Cell Therapeutics to bypass interim analysis; Nabi reports NicVAX data; Chinese see value in scientific failure; an

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 06:59:50 -0400

> Cell Therapeutics has decided to bypass an interim analysis of its non-Hodglin's lymphoma drug candidate Pixantrone. Instead, researchers say they will conduct a full analysis after the trial is completed later this year. Report

> Nabi reports positive results from nine-month results for NicVAX. Report

> Chinese officials are mulling a new law that will officially sanction the value of scientific failure. FierceBioResearcher

> Innocoll is selling its CollaRx Gentamicin surgical implant and European sales and marketing infrastructure to EUSA Pharma. Release

> Pfizer announced results from a new trial that showed statin-switching isn't such a good idea. Lipitor patients who switched to simvastatin saw their risk of cardio events and death rise by almost a third. FiercePharma

> AstraZeneca announced it has issued $6.9 billion in bonds on the U.S. market, planning to use the proceeds to retire a chunk of the short-term debt it took on for the $15 billion MedImmune buyout. Report

And Finally... It's tough enough worrying that the fellow in the next desk will beat you to that promotion--and now, Pfizerites have to worry about a colleague stealing their identities, too. Report

ALSO NOTED: Pfizer's Lipitor patent request rejected; Spherix sells InfoSpherix; and much more...

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 06:59:50 -0400

> Pfizer's request for a reissued Lipitor patent was stamped "Rejected" by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office--but the decision is only preliminary, so the drug maker can still hope for extended exclusivity on the cholesterol drug. FiercePharma

> Spherix's shareholders approved the sale of the company's InfoSpherix subsidiary to The Active Network for $17 million in cash. Release

> They weren't dishonest, just incompetent--or so says an outside investigator who's been looking into Bayer's Trasylol snafu. FiercePharma

And Finally... Japanese stem cell scientist Shinya Yamanaka conducts his ground-breaking research on lean budget. FierceBioresearcher

ALSO NOTED: Pfizer profit plummets; Orchestra kills HIV program; and much more...

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 06:59:50 -0400

> There's big trouble at Pfizer, where profit plunged 48 percent in the second quarter as new generics ate up market share and Lipitor sales floundered. Release | Report

> Orchestra Therapeutics has discontinued its HIV vaccine development program. Analysis of data from 70 patients who completed a 52 weeks clinical trial in Europe and Canada did not show a clear advantage of Orchestra Therapeutics' second generation HIV vaccine, IR103, over its original whole-killed HIV vaccine, REMUNE. Furthermore, although interim analysis of patients in this trial at 36 weeks suggested a trend toward stabilization of CD4+ counts in HAART naive patients vaccinated with REMUNE or IR103, this trend was not observed at week 52. Release

> Shares of PDL BioPharma tracked higher yesterday after one if its investors renewed calls for the termination of PDL CEO Mark McDade. Release

> Theratechnologies reported today that new positive data related to body image from the first 26 weeks of its first Phase III study testing TH9507 in HIV-associated lipodystrophy have been presented in Sydney, Australia. Release

> The FDA has fast-tracked Cardium's Generx, a therapy for insufficient blood flow in the heart muscle. Report

> Switzerland's Basilea says that the FDA has agreed to review its experimental superbug drug, but declined to give it an accelerated review. Report

And Finally... The incidence of serious strep infections has risen dramatically in the last three decades, and this increase is largely attributed to the spread around the globe of a single strain of strep known as the invasive M1T1 clone. Release

Pfizer halts Torcetrapib development

Sun, 03 Dec 2006 19:01:38 -0500

In a huge blow to the world's largest drug maker, Pfizer announced that it will halt development of its cholesterol drug Torcetrapib, one of the biggest drugs in Pfizer's pipeline. The decision came after an independent Data Safety Monitoring Board recommended terminating the study because of an imbalance of mortality and cardiovascular events. "Based on all the evidence we have seen regarding Torcetrapib and in light of prior study results, we were very surprised by the information received from the DSMB, the only body with access to the unblinded safety data. We believed that the study was coming along as expected, and this new information was totally unexpected and disappointing, given the potential benefits of this drug," said Dr. Philip Barter, Director of the Heart Research Institute in Australia and Chairman of the Steering Committee overseeing the Torcetrapib study.

Tapped by many as a future blockbuster, the drug was expected to take the place of Lipitor--a $12 billion-a-year blockbuster--before that drug loses patent protection in 2010. Pfizer spent more than $800 million developing Torcetrapib and now says it will refocus its efforts on other opportunities and "continue to invest in a wide range of pipeline opportunities across a diverse range of therapeutic areas." Potential Pfizer collaborators will, no doubt, take advantage of Pfizer's tough situation and demand premium prices for new pacts. Just last week the company reassured analysts that the company's pipeline was healthy, pointing to Torcetrapib as a promising new blockbuster.

- check out Pfizer's press release on the decision to halt Torcetrapib development
- see the FDA's statement on Pfizer's decision

PLUS: Pfizer isn't the only company dealing with cholesterol drug woes. Shares of Forbes Medi-Tech lost half their value this morning when the drug developer announced FM-VP4 did not lower bad cholesterol by 15 percent. However, the drug did hit its primary endpoint. Release

Related Articles:
Pfizer told to pack up presentation on Torcetrapib. Report
Pfizer prepares red carpet for market analysts. Report
CEO McKinnell gets the boot as Pfizer struggles. Report

Press Release: Pfizer to realign U.S. sales organization

Maureen Martino — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 10:20:01 -0500

As Initial Step in Transformation Strategy and Review of All Business Units, Pfizer to Align U.S. Sales Organization to Support Its Key Products and Customer Needs

Pfizer Says Representatives Are Critical Competitive Advantage and Core Asset in Communicating Value of Medicines

NEW YORK, Nov. 28 -- As part of its strategy to most effectively and efficiently meet customer needs as well as match the organization's business needs, Pfizer said today that it will realign its U.S. sales organization.

The company will reduce the U.S. sales organization by approximately 20 percent, while maintaining strong support for all of its in-line products, including Lipitor, Celebrex and Geodon, as well as important new products such as Lyrica, Exubera, Chantix and Sutent.

Pfizer announced in mid-October that it would undertake a comprehensive review of every aspect of its company-wide operations with the goals of being more agile, effective and capable of best ensuring success today and in the future. In January, Pfizer will present its long-term outlook and its additional actions for transforming the company.

"The changes we are making today will better align our sales organization to our overall customer and business needs. This is an important step toward making Pfizer a more agile and effective company," said Jeffrey B. Kindler, Pfizer's chief executive officer. "Our field force will now be in a much better position to adapt to changes in our product mix and capitalize on the growth opportunities we see for our innovative medicines. While we pursue these opportunities and respond to the accelerating changes in our marketplace, our field force will continue to be a critical competitive advantage in ensuring the success of both our products and our company as a whole. The relationship of our representatives with physicians and health care professionals is one of Pfizer's most important assets. We are committed to giving our representatives all the support and tools they need to make an even greater contribution to our success going forward."

Ian Read, president of Pfizer Worldwide Pharmaceutical Operations, said, "The U.S. sales organization has done an outstanding job this year. At the same time, it is incumbent upon us to look ahead and carefully assess our changing marketplace and all the factors affecting our outlook, so that we can align our organization to properly support our key products and customer needs.

"As we do this, I am confident we will maintain our sales leadership and our representatives will continue their critical work in communicating important medical information to prescribing physicians. Consistent with Pfizer's long-standing values, we will provide affected employees with support services and benefits during their transitions. We will continue to support and reward our top performers," Read said.

Pfizer told to pack up presentation on torcetrapib

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 19:01:37 -0500

Pfizer's decision to discuss new data on its experimental cholesterol drug torcetrapib ahead of the American Heart Association's gathering in Chicago has earned the pharma giant a one-way ticket out of town. The AHA told Pfizer to pack up its data on the drug and leave, saying that Pfizer had violated strict rules against giving an advance preview on data scheduled for release at the conference. "Pfizer released the information early, and we need to uphold our policies," an AHA spokeswoman said.

Torcetrapib is one of the biggest drugs in Pfizer's pipeline. Tapped by many as a future blockbuster, Pfizer plans to seek approval for the cholesterol drug next year. But with interest in the drug at a premium, Pfizer decided to release a press statement at the end of October saying that the drug had raised blood pressure among volunteers taking the drug. The drug is expected to take the place of Lipitor before Lipitor loses patent protection. Pfizer is spending more than $800 million testing the drug and now plans to review its progress on November 30.

- here's the AP report on Pfizer's AHA presentation woes

Related Articles:
Data suggests torcetrapib raises blood pressure. Report
Pfizer reverses stand on torcetrapib combo. Report
Pfizer doc sounds off on drug development. Report

Data suggests torcetrapib raises blood pressure

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:01:38 -0500

New trial data demonstrates that Pfizer's cholesterol drug torcetrapib in combination with Lipitor increases blood pressure, according to a report in The New York Times. News of the serious side effect forced the company's stock down by two percent. Torcetrapib is designed to increase good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol, and Pfizer has designated it as a major drug candidate for the company. Pfizer badly needs to find another blockbuster to replace the $13 billion it earns from Lipitor, which is coming off patent protection in four years. Pfizer says it still expects to file for FDA approval next year, with a possible market launch in 2008. Pfizer will spend $800 million developing torcetrapib, which has been in the pipeline for a decade.

- here's the UPI report on the new data
- and here's the report from Marketwatch

Related Articles:
Pfizer reverses stand on torcetrapib combo. Report
CEO McKinnell gets the boot as Pfizer struggles. Report
Pfizer doc sounds off on drug development. Report

Pfizer reverses stand on torcetrapib combo

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 20:01:38 -0400

After being subjected to a wave of criticism, Pfizer says that it will market its experimental heart drug torcetrapib as a standalone therapy rather than in combination with Lipitor. The experimental heart drug, which raises the level of good cholesterol, is considered a prime candidate for blockbuster status. Pfizer's strategy had been to require patients who wanted torcetrapib to take the drug in combination with Lipitor, which lowers bad cholesterol. And that would have potentially clawed a large market share away from companies with products that compete with Lipitor, like Zocor. Pfizer says that it is spending $800 million to develop torcetrapib, but analysts say that could well be rewarded by multibillion-dollar annual sales.

- here's the article on Pfizer from The New York Times

Zocor feeling the heat from generics

Sun, 16 Jul 2006 20:01:36 -0400

Late last month Merck's blockbuster cholesterol-lowering drug Zocor came off patent, and generic copycats are already cutting into its market share. The generic version of Zocor, known as simvastatin, represented 49 percent of new prescriptions. Israel-based Teva led the way with about a third of the new scripts, followed by Dr. Reddy's Laboratories and Ranbaxy, both of which are based in India. The generics also impacted another best-selling statin, Lipitor. Pfizer has seen Lipitor's market share slide in recent as insurance companies encourage patients to switch to generic versions of Zocor.

- see this The Wall Street Journal article for more on generic drugs (sub. req.)

PLUS: In the next five years, 103 drugs will come off patent, representing $73 billion in annual sales. Generic drug makers in India such as Dr. Reddy's and Ranbaxy are positioning themselves to take advantage of the opportunity. Article

ALSO NOTED: Baraclude approved for hep B; Crucell to open U.S. lab; and much more...

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 20:00:50 -0400

> The EMEA has approved Bristol-Myers Squibb's Baraclude for hepatitis B. Report

> Crucell and DSM say they will set up a pharmaceutical research lab in the U.S. next year. The lab is expected to have about 50 staffers. Report

> Teva has stopped marketing a generic version of an Abbott antibiotic after Abbott sought a motion in federal court to halt sales. Report

> Replidyne has cut its IPO share price to $10. Report

> A British appeals court has upheld Pfizer's patent for a key ingredient to Lipitor. Report

> Oscient Pharmaceuticals announced that the FDA had agreed to review its application for Factive as a therapy for acute bacterial sinusitis. The agency had rejected Oscient's application in January. Report

> With its headquarters in California at capacity, Amgen is moving staffers to a facility in Colorado. Report

> CoTherix has gained exclusive rights in North America and Europe to Fasudil, a treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension, from Asahi Kasei Pharma. Release

> Genelabs plans to raise $9 million through a stock sale. Report

And Finally… Much of Warren Buffett's fortune is likely to fund new research into the fight against malaria. Article

ALSO NOTED: Merck boosts stake in Schering; Lipitor studied for ALS; and much more...

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 20:00:50 -0400

> Merck KGaA has boosted its stake in Schering to more than 10 percent, raising speculation about its possible impact on the planned merger of Bayer and Schering. Report (WSJ sub. req.)

> Lipitor's ability to regulate immune systems has given hope to researchers who believe the cholesterol drug may be an effective weapon in the fights against ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease, as it is best known as. Report

> Hana Biosciences has won orphan drug status for its experimental brain tumor drug Ropidoxuridine. Report

> Millennium Pharmaceuticals has asked the FDA for approval to expand the use of Velcade to include patients with mantle cell lymphoma. Report

> The FDA has approved Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals expanded use of the cholesterol drug Zetia. Report

> Trophos plans to launch a Phase II trial for a diabetic neuropathic pain therapy following successful preclinical studies. Release

> Novartis has received FDA approval for two new doses of the antihypertensive drug Lotrel. Report

And Finally… In an editorial, The New York Times cheers on scientists engaged in new embryonic stem cell cloning efforts, despite attempts by the Bush administration to restrict research in the field. Editorial

Generic drugs, health plans take big bite out of pharma sales

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 19:01:38 -0500

The Wall Street Journal examines how generics have eaten into the sales of blockbuster drugs with years left to run on their patents. Pfizer's Lipitor is a classic example of a drug stalled by competing generics in the field of cholesterol-lowering meds. At Kaiser Permanente, fewer than 10 percent of patients receiving cholesterol-lowering drugs are getting Lipitor. Insurance plans are requiring members to try other meds and forcing members to pay more when they insist on Lipitor. That approach has badly damaged the big pharma's strategy of tackling major health issues and backing new drugs with huge advertising campaigns.

- read this article from The Wall Street Journal for more

ALSO: None of that, though, has dulled the internal race to succeed Henry McKinnell as CEO of Pfizer. Article

ALSO NOTED: German court rules against Pfizer; Diamyd buys Nurel; Genzyme acquires San Diego plant; and much more...

Mon, 21 Nov 2005 19:00:50 -0500

> A German court has ruled that regulators' price caps on Pfizer's Lipitor are legal. Pfizer's sales in Germany have plunged by one-fifth in the first half of this year. Report

> Sweden's Diamyd Medical has agreed to acquire all of the outstanding shares in Nurel, a Pittsburgh-based biotech valued at $1.5 million. Release

> Genzyme of Cambridge, MA, has acquired Cell Genesys' San Diego manufacturing operation for $3.2 million. Release

> Myriad Genetics has extended its research alliance with Abbott studying how genetics affect people's response to medicine. Report

> AMDL has inked a letter of intent to buy two Chinese pharmaceutical companies for more than 13 million shares of company stock. Release

> Bentley Pharmaceuticals has been given approval to market omeprazole for heartburn in Ireland. Report

> Cubist Pharmaceuticals of Lexington, MA, has expanded its US hospital sales organization. Release

> Oragenics has completed a deal to gain up to $1.2 million in equity based financing. Release

And Finally… A new procedure--preimplantation genetic diagnosis--is being used to help women successfully give birth after multiple miscarriages. Article