June 29, 2006: Company and People Notes

CompanyNews

CoTherix, Inc. (South SanFrancisco, CA,

www.cotherix.com

)and Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation (Tokyo, Japan,

www.asahi-kasei.com

)enteredinto an agreement granting CoTherix exclusive rights in North Americaand Europe to develop and commercialize oral and inhaled formulationsof ""Fasudil," a rho-kinase inhibitor for the treatment of pulmonaryarterial hypertension. In addition, CoTherix acquired exclusive rightsto develop and commercialize oral formulations of Fasudil for thetreatment of stable angina in the same territories. CoTherix will makean upfront payment of $8.75 million to Asahi Kasei Pharma, plusdevelopment and revenue milestone payments and royalties on futureproducts.

BaxaCorporation (Englewood, CO, www.baxa.com) opened its Skills Training,Academics, and Resources (STAR) Center. The STAR Center, a facilitydesigned for cleanroom and pharmacy practice demonstration, is located at the company's headquarters in Colorado. Baxa built the STAR Center toprovide professional education on pharmacy practice, cleanroomprinciples, and compliance to regulatory requirements. The first class,"Compliance Tools and Aseptic Certification for USP 797," will be held in September.

Eli Lilly andCompany (Indianapolis, IN, www.lilly.com) said yesterday it may shut downthreefacilities in Europe, leading to the loss of nearly 900 jobs at thesites,according to published reports. The sites include research anddevelopment facilities at Hamburg, Germanyand Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, as well as a manufacturing plant inBasingstoke in the United Kingdom. No final decisions have been madeabout the proposed site closures.

NeurocrineBiosciences, Inc. (SanDiego, CA, www.neurocrine.com)and Pfizer (New York, NY, www.pfizer.com) willterminate their collaboration agreement to develop and copromoteindiplon. Neurocrine will reacquire all worldwide rights for indiploncapsules and tablets and will independently develop indiplon forapproval and commercialization.

The supervisory board of PLIVA d.d. (Zagreb,Croatia, www.pliva.com)endorsed Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s(Woodcliff Lake, NJ, www.barrlabs.com)proposal to make a tender offer to PLIVA's shareholders to purchase100% of PLIVA's shares for $2.2 billion in cash. Under the terms of itsproposal, Barr would pay PLIVA shareholders HRK 705 in cash for eachPLIVAshare, which equates to $24.42 per each Global Depositary Receipt atcurrent exchange rates. Barr anticipates it will launch a tender offerfor PLIVA shares later this year.

At its most recent business review meeting, SkyePharma (London, UK, www.skyepharma.com)said it will concentrate on oral and inhalation products and divest itsinjectable business interests. As part of the strategy, SkyePharma isreviewing its near-term and preapproval pipeline, including"Pulmicort" (AstraZeneca) HFA-MDI, a non-CFC aerosol inhaler containingthe inhaled steroid budesonide for asthma; "Requip," a once-a-daycontrolled-release oral formulation of the Requip (GlaxoSmithKline)treatment for Parkinson's disease;  a controlled-releaseformulation of "Zyflo" (Critical Therapeutics) for severe asthma; and"Lodotra" (Nitec), a new approach to the treatment of rheumatoidarthritis that uses SkyePharma's "GeoClock" technology to deliver theactive ingredient at a specific time of day. This product, previouslyundisclosed, has recently completed Phase III and is expected to befiled later this year.

WyethPharmaceuticals (Madison,NJ, www.wyeth.com)submitted new drug applications for the approval ofbazedoxifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator for theprevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis, and desvenlafaxinesuccinate, a nonhormonal agentstudied for the treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptomsassociated with menopause.

People Notes

Specialty pharmaceutical company AuxiliumPharmaceuticals, Inc. (Malvern,PA, www.auxilium.com)appointed Armando Anido aschief executive officer, president, and member of the company's boardof directors, effective July 17, 2006. Anido previously served asexecutive vice-president of sales and marketing at MedImmune, Inc.Gerri Henwood will resign as Auxilium'schief executive officer, interim president, and board member on July17, 2006 to pursue new opportunities.

Eisai Inc. (Teaneck,NJ, www.eisai.com)recently promoted Judee Shulerto director of corporate planning and communications. Shuler previouslywas associate director of that department and now will direct publicrelations activities for Eisai's products, with specific emphasis ononcology and critical care. The company also promoted Eran Nadav, PhD,to director ofbusiness development. Nadav will leave his position as associatedirector of scientific evaluation and assume additionalresponsibilities for identifying and executing strategic business dealsfor Eisai.

Fred Farmer,acting chiefinformation officer (CIO) in the FDA'sOffice of Management (Rockville, MD, www.fda.gov),announced  he will leave FDA to return to a career in privateindustry,effective July 22, 2006. GlennRogers, deputy CIO, will take over the day-to-dayoperations. 

TunnellConsulting, Inc. (King of Prussia, PA,

www.tunnellconsulting.com

)named its president and chief executiveofficer, Joseph S. Tempio, tothe post of chairman of the company. Tunnell also announced theelection of its directors for 2006, which include Marian Preston, corporate secretaryat Tunnell; Conrad J. Heilman, Jr.,Tunnell's vice-president of life sciences; Susan C. Devane, vice-president ofmarketing and sales at Tunnell; DwightPorter, president of Applied Decision Resources, Inc.; and Frank Ecock, vice-president ofoperations (retired, Merck).