> You lose some, you win some: Teva won't be able to sell its generic version of Lexapro (see above), but it can go ahead with a copycat form of the herpes treatment Famvir, made by Novartis. A federal judge refused to stop the generic product launch as Novartis requested. The war isn't over, though; the fight continues over Famvir's patent, set to expire in 2010. Report
> Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan will now pay for the over-the-counter stomach acid drug Prilosec, hoping to switch its patients to the lower-cost remedy from the brand-name, prescription drug Nexium. AstraZeneca's Nexium costs $4 per capsule, compared with 70 cents for generic Prilosec made by Procter & Gamble. Report
> The life sciences service company MDS posted $321 million in third quarter revenues, up 24 percent from the $258 million reported for the same period last year. Earnings were $7 million. The company's pharma division grew sales by 4 percent, with growth in late-stage revenues at 12 percent. Release
> As expected, an FDA advisory panel recommended Merck's new anti-HIV drug Isentress for approval. If finally approved, it would be the first in a new class of HIV treatments called integrase inhibitors, which are designed to block the virus from infecting cells. Report
And Finally... Kindergarten teachers everywhere know gold stars are powerful stuff. Now, the grocery store chain Hannaford is finding that star ratings actually induce customers to buy more nutritious food. Gold stars as diabetes-and-obesity treatment? Sounds cost-effective. Article