Pharmaceuticals

Pre-open movers US stock futures are lower this morning, as investors are awaiting data on demand for durable goods. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 99 points to 11,042.00 and S&P 500 index futures fell 10.60 points to 1,148.00. Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 18.50 points to 2,...

Par Pharmaceutical Companies, Inc. (NYSE: PRX) announced today that it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Anchen Pharmaceuticals, for $410 million in cash.  The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to non-GAAP earnings in 2011.

Piper Jaffray has published a research report on Salix Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SLXP) reporting largely positive outcomes. In the report, Piper Jaffray wrote, "A key reason for the weakness in our view, aside from weakness in the broader markets, is a general Street view that Xifaxan in irritable...

Morgan Keegan has downgraded Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) from Outperform to Market Perform and has lowered the price target from $60 to $57.

Credit Suisse has upgraded Elan Corporation (NYSE: ELN) from Neutral to Outperform.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (NYSE: VRX) announced today that it has filed a Notice of Intention to make a normal course issuer bid with The Toronto Stock Exchange and that the TSX has accepted the Notice of Intention. Under the bid, the Company will have the right to purchase for...

CEL-SCI Corporation (NYSE: CVM) today announced that it has entered into an exclusive Sales, Marketing and Distribution agreement with IDC-GP Pharm LLC under which CEL-SCI has granted IDC-GP Pharm an exclusive license to market and distribute the Company's investigational cancer therapy, Multikine...

VIVUS, Inc. (NASDAQ: VVUS) today announced that it has entered into definitive agreements dated August 23, 2011 with a select group of institutional investors to sell 6,889,098 shares of its common stock in a "registered direct" offering. The investors have agreed to purchase the shares at a...

First Global Research has published a research report on Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE). In the report, First Global wrote, "Pfizer Inc. (PFE) delivered a respectable performance for Q2 CY11 that met our expectations. The company's non-GAAP EPS of 60 cents for the quarter came in line with our estimate,...

Deutsche Bank is out with a research report on Medicis Pharmaceutical (NYSE: MRX) and it has a Buy rating and a $40 price target on shares. In a note to clients, Deutsche Bank writes, "We recently hosted a day of investor meetings with management. Following these meetings, we maintain our Buy...

Forest Laboratories (NYSE: FRX) today announced that the preliminary report of IVS Associates, the independent inspector of elections for the Company's Annual Meeting, confirms that all ten of Forest's Board nominees were elected by a substantial majority. Based on the IVS report of the...

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) announced today that it has expanded its Healon family of ophthalmic viscosurgical devices with the European CE Mark of Healon EndoCoat OVD.

Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated (NASDAQ: CORT) today announced that it has been advised by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that no advisory committee meeting will be scheduled in connection with its review of the New Drug Application for CORLUX, a glucocorticoid receptor type II antagonist...

Corcept Therapeutics (NASDAQ: CORT) today announced the appointment of Gary C. Robb to the position of Chief Financial Officer, effective September 1, 2011. Mr. Robb will oversee Corcept's financial operations, including preparations for potential commercialization of our first product, business...

Abbott (NYSE: ABT) announced today it has received 510k clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a new in vitro diagnostic test to aid in determining the prognosis of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a cancer of the lymphocytes. Abbott's Vysis CLL FISH Probe Kit is the...