Vertex sells HIV drug royalties; AstraZeneca's Iressa may treat breast cancer;

> ImClone's Erbitux shows promise for advanced lung and colorectal cancers, but not at expense of current leading drug, Genentech's Avastin. Report [1]

> Vertex Pharmaceuticals sold the rights to future royalties on two HIV drugs for $160 million on Tuesday and will fund further development of its hepatitis C treatment, telaprevir, with the increased capital.  Report [2]

> AstraZeneca's drug Iressa might resurface as a potential for breast cancer treatment, despite 2005 disappointments for lung cancer treatment. Report [3]

> Diabetes drug makers Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Novo Nordisk will present data at the American Diabetes Association's annual meeting in San Francisco--starting this Friday--that might help their stock prices soar. Report [4]

> Study findings presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago indicate that chemotherapy with the drug carboplatin is as effective as radiation is for testicular cancer--and less toxic. Report [5]

> Stock prices are likely to increase for Shering-Plough, which will receive royalties on sales of a polio anti-viral drug candidate, V-073, after licensing the compound to ViroDefense Inc. Report [6]

> Kendle has acquired a privately held CRO, DecisionLine Clinical Research, which specializes in Phase I studies of central nervous system (CNS) drugs. Report [7]

> Sartorius Stedim Biotech entered into an agreement to work on viral clearance studies with WuXi AppTec, to work on viral clearance studies. Release [8]

> Mistral Pharma received a notice of default and a notice to enforce security from one of its secured creditors, MMV Financial, which is requesting $1.314 million. Release [9]

> For the past 15 years Dr. Francis Collins has been a leader of the genetics revolution in the U.S. Last week he announced that he would be stepping down from the post. Report [10]

> OncoMed's Michael Clarke, George Q. Daly at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Sir Martin Evans from Cardiff University and Rene Hen from BrainCells/Columbia University are among 12 stem cell luminaries highlighted by Forbes. Report [11]

> The Buck Institute for Age Research was the only non-academic group to receive California stem cell grants for new research facilities this year. Report [12]

>The Scripps Transitional Research Institute was one of 14 research groups that will gain $533 million from the NIH over five years. Report [13]

> In a bid to create the world's largest stand-alone molecular diagnostics company, San Diego-based Gen-Probe has launched a $334 million cash bid for Belgium's Innogenetics. Report [14]

> Investors dented the value of Medarex shares after analysts doused its recent claims concerning its late-stage cancer drug ipilimumab with cold water. Report [15]

And Finally... HPV vaccine maker Merck is at it again, this time promoting its Gardasil product to summer moviegoers aged 19 through 26 by placing ads that appear in theaters showing movies like the blockbuster Sex and the City. Report [16].