November 7 - November 13, 2005

November 7th:

Guidant Corporation (GDT) Sues Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) To Force $25.4B Acquisition

Medical device maker Guidant Corp. sued Johnson & Johnson on Monday, seeking to force the health care company to complete a $25.4 billion acquisition of Guidant which has been shaken by a series of recalls. J&J said it would vigorously oppose the suit.

Guidant, the heart devices maker facing U.S. probes and New York state fraud claims, said today it is filing suit in U.S. district court for the southern district of New York seeking an order for J&J to consummate the transaction. Johnson & Johnson agreed in December to buy Indianapolis-based Guidant, the second- biggest maker of implantable defibrillators behind Medtronic Inc.

VNU And IMS Health (RX) In Talks To Cancel $7 Billion Deal

Following a shareholder revolt, Dutch publishing giant VNU NV is in talks with U.S. pharmaceutical research company IMS Health Inc. (RX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) over how to terminate their $7 billion merger agreement, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the situation.

Holders of nearly half of VNU's shares have said they would turn down the plan to buy IMS, forcing the Haarlem, Netherlands-based company to find a way to abandon its agreed purchase of IMS. But after holding talks, the two companies cannot agree on terms to end the deal, the paper reported.

November 8th:

Genentech, Inc. Says Ready to Seek FDA OK For Eye Drug; Preliminary Data from Phase III Trial Show Lucentis Is the First Investigational Therapy to Demonstrate Clinical Benefit Over Visudyne In A Head-to-Head Study Of Patients With Wet AMD

Genentech, Inc. announced that a second Phase III clinical study of the investigational drug Lucentis(TM) (ranibizumab), ANCHOR, met its primary efficacy endpoint of maintaining vision in patients with the wet form of age- related macular degeneration (AMD). Approximately 94 percent of patients treated with 0.3 mg of Lucentis and 96 percent of those treated with 0.5 mg of Lucentis maintained or improved vision (defined as a loss of less than 15 letters in visual acuity) compared to approximately 64 percent of those treated with verteporfin (Visudyne®) photodynamic therapy (PDT) [p<0.0001] during the first year of the two-year study.

November 9th:

Boston Scientific and Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Receive Canadian American Business Council 2005 Achievement Award

Boston Scientific Corporation and Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that they have jointly received the Canadian American Business Council (CABC) 2005 Achievement Award, which recognizes innovative and successful alliances between Canadian and American firms. The award was presented today at the Council's 11th annual business achievement awards ceremony and policy forum held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Amgen Files Lawsuit against Roche for Patent Infringement

Amgen, the world's largest biotechnology company, today announced that it filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court in Boston, Massachusetts against F. Hoffmann-LaRoche Ltd., Roche Diagnostics GmbH, and Hoffmann-LaRoche, Inc., seeking a declaration by the Court that defendants' importation, use, sale or offer to sell a pegylated version of recombinant human erythropoietin infringe Amgen's patents. Amgen alleges infringement of six U.S. patents owned by Amgen that claim erythropoietin (EPO) products and pharmaceutical compositions, and processes for making EPO. Amgen seeks a permanent injunction preventing the defendants from making, importing, using, offering for sale or selling recombinant human EPO, including pegylated EPO, in the United States.

November 10th:

Boston Scientific new surgical lead gets FDA approval

Boston Scientific said its new Artisan surgical lead for the treatment of chronic pain, with use along with the spinal cord stimulation system, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Biophan to Receive Nano 50 ``Best of the Best'' Award for Innovation in Nanotechnology at NASA Tech Briefs Conference

Biophan Technologies, Inc., a developer of next-generation biomedical technology, announced today that it will receive a "Best of the Best" award from Nanotech Briefs magazine this week as part of its first annual Nano 50 Awards contest to recognize superior scientific achievement and innovation. In addition, CEO Michael Weiner will present the Company's nanotechnology strategic initiatives.

November 11th:

St. Jude Medical Obtains Foreign Antitrust Clearance to Acquire Advanced Neuromodulation Systems

St. Jude Medical, Inc. announced that the German Federal Cartel Office confirmed that the acquisition of Advanced Neuromodulation Systems, Inc. by St. Jude Medical may be completed. This approval, together with the previously announced expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, satisfies the antitrust approval condition set forth in the parties' merger agreement. No other regulatory approvals are required for the merger.

Guidant Completes Enrollment in International Drug Eluting Stent Clinical Trial

Guidant Corporation today announced that the company has completed enrollment in its SPIRIT II drug eluting stent clinical trial.

SPIRIT II is a 300-patient randomized clinical trial evaluating XIENCE(TM) V, an everolimus eluting coronary stent system utilizing Guidant's cobalt chromium rapid-exchange MULTI-LINK VISION(R) Coronary Stent System platform. This single-blind, prospective, randomized, non-inferiority study further evaluates the XIENCE V compared to the TAXUS(R) Express 2(TM) paclitaxel eluting coronary stent system for the treatment of coronary artery disease. Results of the SPIRIT II study will provide additional clinical data to support the launch of XIENCE V in several countries outside the United States. The primary endpoint of the trial is in-stent late loss at six months.

Cardiomedics Announces Breakthrough in the Treatment of Heart Failure

Cardiomedics Inc. today announced a clinical study on the use of its non-invasive CardiAssist(TM) External Counter Pulsation (ECP) System in the treatment of congestive heart failure (CHF) was published in Congestive Heart Failure, a peer-reviewed journal. The study showed a 90% reduction in mortality in the treatment of heart failure and an 87.5% reduction in the number of hospitalizations in the year following the ECP therapy. The study was conducted at six clinical sites in the United States and employed Cardiomedics' CardiAssist ECP System and new Graduated(TM) Pressure Regimen (patent-pending) in the treatment of 127 New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class II, III and IV CHF patients. The CardiAssist ECP System uses a series of cuffs fastened with Velcro around the patient's calves, thighs and buttocks. The cuffs are sequentially inflated, synchronized with the patient's electrocardiogram, forcing blood up the veins and arteries to the heart between heartbeats, significantly increasing perfusion of the heart muscle. The therapy is painless and non-invasive.