Amylin board tries "poison" antidote; Sepracor's Pristiq challenge gets appeals hearing;

> Carl Icahn and Eastbourne Capital won a small battle in their war for Amylin Pharmaceuticals as the company's directors decided to try to circumvent "poison" provisions that would be triggered by a change in board control--but some experts doubt that the avoidance strategy will work. Report  [1]| Report [2]

> Sepracor's challenge to patents on Wyeth's Pristiq antidepressant will be heard by the U.S. Board of Patent Appeals in January 2010. Report [3]

> One of Cipla Medpro South Africa's shareholders said it will reject a buyout offer from Adcock Ingram Holdings, holding out for a higher price. Report [4]

> The Indian Patent Office has denied Gilead Science patent rights for its anti-influenza drug oseltamivir phosphate, marketed as Tamiflu, in India. Report [5]

> Actavis was the first to launch fluvastatin SR 80mg, the generic equivalent of Novartis's Lescol XL, in the UK and the Netherlands last week. Report [6]

> Banyu, Merck's subsidiary in Japan, has tapped the generics company Mylan to promote two of its key cardiovascular products in the country. Report [7]

> Device maker Smith & Nephew has received a subpoena from the U.S. Department of Justice over its ultrasound stimulation product Exogen. Report [8]

> Colorado-based Accera, a biotech company exploring CNS therapies, announced today that it is launching a spin-off company called Neuera Pharmaceuticals. Report [9]

> With its staff whittled down to a handful of dealmakers, TorreyPines Therapeutics has hired on an investment banker to look at a possible sale of the company as it ponders its remaining options. Report [10]

> Ensemble Discovery has teamed up with Bristol-Myers Squibb on a new discovery program to develop new drugs aimed at "high-value" targets. Report [11]

> Several venture capital companies have joined hands to provide a $36 million Series A round to Lycera, a University of Michigan spinoff developing small molecule therapies for autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. Report [12]

> G. Steven Burrill of Burrill & Company outlines several steps biotech companies can take to find cash, pick the best partner and stay afloat in the economic crisis. Report [13]

And Finally... Pharma dealmakers making the rounds at drug conferences these days are coming with a message: We're ready to buy, but we're going to be careful. Report [14]