Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced today that the UK Court of Appeal released its decision (Conor v. Angiotech) regarding one of Angiotech's several patents related to paclitaxel-eluting stents. "As expected, given that the UK seldom upholds the rights of a patent holder, Angiotech's appeal to reverse a previous decision was denied," said Dr. Bill Hunter, President and CEO of Angiotech. "This decision does not impact other patents relating to our paclitaxel stent technology in the UK, and we continue to feel very confident in the strength of our patent portfolio protecting paclitaxel-eluting stents."

King Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Vascular Solutions, Inc. announced today that the companies have entered into a series of agreements relating to Vascular Solutions' hemostatic products. Pursuant to the agreements, Vascular Solutions grants King an exclusive license to its hemostatic products designed for use outside of catheterization and electrophysiology laboratories, which include THROMBIX(R) and THROMBIGEL(R) hemostats.

Amphora Discovery Corporation, a small molecule drug discovery company, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Genentech, Inc. pursuant to which Genentech will purchase Amphora's entire program for an unnamed oncology target with the potential to treat multiple oncology indications. Other terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Conor Medsystems, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has granted early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act with respect to the previously announced merger agreement between Conor Medsystems, Inc., Johnson & Johnson and a wholly owned subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.

Anesiva, Inc. (NASDAQ:ANSV) today outlined the planned Phase 2/3 clinical trial program for the development of 4975, the company's long-acting, non-opioid drug candidate for the acute treatment of severe pain. After a successful meeting with the FDA, the company will be focusing its near-term development efforts of 4975 in two areas-post-surgical pain and osteoarthritis.

Xytis announced today that it has signed a $40 million Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the National Institutes on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to test the hypothesis that Neboglamine can facilitate abstinence from cocaine or prevent relapse in cocaine addiction. The CRADA is subject to the completion of on-going multiple-dose escalating safety and tolerability studies being conducted by Xytis and to safety studies evaluating the interaction of cocaine and Neboglamine in animals and humans that will be conducted by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA).

ThromboGenics NV (Euronext Brussels: THR), a biotechnology company focused on vascular disease, announces that it has initiated a Phase IIb clinical trial of Microplasmin in vitrectomy (MIVI III - Microplasmin for Vitreous Injection) in the United States. The Company had previously announced that it had received IND clearance from the FDA to proceed with this trial.

Affinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., has executed a two-year US$4.8 million research contract with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), an agency of the United States Department of Defense (DoD). The contract will fund preclinical studies of selected compounds from Affinium's fatty acid biosynthesis inhibitor portfolio that have demonstrated potential as therapeutics for the treatment of diseases caused by serious pathogens including Francisella tularensis, a potential biological warfare and bioterrorism agent.

Biotechnology Company Innogenetics announced today that a U.S. District Court judge for the Western District of Wisconsin affirmed a previously awarded $7 million damage verdict against Abbott Laboratories for infringing the company's HCV genotyping patent. In the same ruling the judge rejected Abbott's requests for a new trial on infringement and validity.

Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted tentative approval for the Company's Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Sertraline Hydrochloride Tablets, 25mg, 50mg and 100mg. Final approval is expected upon the expiration of the first ANDA filer's 180-day marketing exclusivity in February 2007.