> The FDA approved Warner Chilcott's 24-day contraceptive Loestrin(R) 24 Fe. This is the first 24-day contraceptive to hit the U.S. market. Warner Chilcott focuses on dermatology and women's health. "This FDA approval is a significant step forward for Warner Chilcott as we continue to sharpen our therapeutic focus on women's health and expand our product portfolio in this area," said Roger Boissonneault, CEO. Report
> Inspire Pharmaceuticals has inked a licensing deal with Boehringer Ingelheim to develop a new therapy for rhinitis. Report
> Shares of Merck were on the rise this morning as investors bid up the stock after the company won its first federal trial regarding Vioxx. Report
> Iceland's deCODE Genetics has reported the successful conclusion of a Phase I trial of DG041 for peripheral artery disease. Release
> Corgentech announced that pivotal Phase 3 trial results from the second of two Phase 3 trials. The results demonstrated that children undergoing medical procedures requiring venipunctures and intravenous line placements treated with ALGRX3268 experienced significantly superior pain relief in just one to three minutes versus those receiving placebo. Release
> Memory Pharmaceuticals of Montvale, NJ released positive Phase I cognitive data for MEM 3454. Release
> Germany's Schwarz Pharma has received EMEA approval to market its Neupro Parkinson's disease treatment in 25 EU countries. Report
> Cerimon Pharmaceuticals of South San Francisco has licensed the worldwide rights to Novartis Pharma's Simulect for inflammatory bowel disease. Release
> Neurochem's safety review board has given its fourth recommendation to continue a late-stage trial of Alzhemed for Alzheimer's. Report
> Following discussions with the FDA, Synthetic Blood International says it will start a Phase II sickle cell anemia trial in the second quarter. Release
And Finally… Researchers are trying to determine if stem cells could hold the key to curing cancer. Article