• The big news of the day was AstraZeneca’s new blood thinner, Brilinta. A pivotal trial showed the drug worked better than Plavix in protecting high-risk patients from heart attacks and strokes. Astra says it’s on schedule to submit the drug for regulatory approval in the fourth quarter, shares rise 6%. [Reuters]

• Cell Therapeutics (CTIC) made news after hours, agrees to sell $20M worth of common stock to a single, undisclosed investor. [Xconomy]

• Targacept’s attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drug met its primary endpoint in a Phase 2 study, stock skyrockets nearly 40 percent. [Reuters UK]

• Sweden’s Investor AB and Priveq Investment are exploring a sale or flotation of Swedish Orphan. [peHUB]

• The FDA has approved GSK’s ODT version of Lamictal (lamotrigine). [Pharmalive]

• Icahn wants Biogen split into two companies, one focused on neurology, the other on cancer. [Bloomberg]

• Finally, late Friday night, in the final hours of the 2009 session, the Vermont Senate and House agreed on a law to close loopholes in the state’s existing gift and payment disclosure law, and to ban gifts from manufacturers of prescription drugs, medical devices and biological products. The gift ban includes food and free meals. Doctors must now go steak-less. [MedAdNews]

Image from embl-hamburg

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