Botax this.

Allergan is ramping up the fight against the proposed tax on cosmetic procedures, as was first brought up a couple weeks ago. It seems fairly obvious that Allergan would argue against this measure, but the funny thing is that the manufacturer is playing down the impact the tax would have on itself, in favor of arguing that the tax would essentially be penalizing women and setting a bad precedent for future healthcare laws. I don't believe Allergan's arguement, and I still feel that for them, the fight against "botax" is all about the bottom line.

Read more here

Massachusetts based Cubist Pharmaceuticals has finalized an agreement to purchase Calixa Therapeutics, and in doing so, Cubist snatches up Calixa's promising antibiotic candidate (as of now, it does not have a name). This antibiotic has looked good in phase II trials and is being developed as a front line IV treatment for a variety of serious, hospital borne infections. The deal went through smoothly on both ends, and Cubist will be paying Calixa stockholders upon completion of certain developmental milestones for the antibiotic. An optimistic date of an NDA filing has been set for sometime in 2013...stay tuned for more information. Cubist could be worth a look as the deal shakes out.

Here's the report from Fierce Biotech

And, in case you're interested, Cubist's pipeline (not including the newly acquired antibiotic)


Targacept, which has been making waves lately with its partnerships to develop its lead drug candidate (an adjunct depression therapy), announced that it has started enrollment in a phase II study for a new drug candidate intended for use in treating cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. According to the article in the Winston-Salem Journal, Targacept is potentially addressing an unmet need because many adults with schizophrenia experience a degree of cognitive dysfunction, but currently there are no treatments especially for this aspect of the disorder. Targacept has steadily gained value during 2009, and baring a significant setback in late stage testing, it looks to continue this trend in 2010. Make sure you keep this company on your watch list....

Read the Winston-Salem Journal Article