> Wyeth and India's Lupin settled patent litigaton over Effexor XR with an agreement allowing the generics maker to sell its version of the antidepressant in 2011. Report
> Merck won't face a class-action lawsuit filed by consumers seeking reimbursement for costs tied to the painkiller Vioxx, a California judge ruled, denying plaintiffs' request to sue as a group. Report
> NYT Editorial: Dozens of damage suits filed around the country raise serious questions about whether the FDA has been regulating medical devices with sufficient rigor. Report
> UCB is seeking to acquire the Schwarz Pharma shares held by minority shareholders--representing approximately 0.4 percent of stock capital--via a "squeeze-out" procedure. Report
> AstraZeneca's drug candidate Brilinta beat Sanofi-Aventis/Bristol-Myers Squibb's clotbuster Plavix in a key clinical trial. Report
> King Pharmaceuticals swung to a first-quarter loss on acquisition-related costs as branded-drug sales skidded, with its once top-seller Altace blood-pressure drug tumbling amid generic competition. Report
> Schering-Plough announced a live webcast of its annual meeting May 18 at 7:30 a.m. Central Times, which viewers can access at the company website www.schering-plough.com. Schering release
> MedImmune, a subsidiary of AstraZeneca that produces FluMist, is among a handful of drug companies now working with swine flu virus in a scramble to develop and produce a vaccine. Report
> Just one week after inking a $407 million pact with Bayer--which included a $35 million up-front payment--San Diego-based Ardea Biosciences says it's cutting 47 percent of its workforce. Report
> Cambridge, MA-based Tokai Pharmaceuticals has rounded up $12 million in funding as part of a $22 million equity-financing round. Apple Tree Partners, which founded the company, contributed the money. Report
> Pfizer is revving up its engines to get those planned R&D changes into high gear. The drugmaker says it's pumping $100 million into its international stem cell development program. Report
> South San Francisco-based Exelixis has signed a potential $354 million collaboration agreement with Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim to discover, develop and commercialize autoimmune disease therapies. Report
And Finally... Do Tamiflu and Relenza really work to treat pregnant women with flu? Report