BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com BloggingStocks http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/media/feedlogo.gif BloggingStocks http://www.bloggingstocks.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Merck Lifted by Cholesterol Drug Study]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/11/17/merck-lifted-by-cholesterol-drug-study/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/11/17/merck-lifted-by-cholesterol-drug-study/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/11/17/merck-lifted-by-cholesterol-drug-study/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Merck (MRK) logoMerck (MRK - option chain) shares are rising today after the company said a study of its experimental cholesterol drug Anacetrapib showed the drug dramatically lowered bad cholesterol (LDL) while raising so-called good cholesterol (HDL). If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on MRK.

MRK opened this morning at $34.81. So far today the stock has hit a low of $34.52 and a high of $34.94. As of 12:05, MRK is trading at $34.65 up 0.55 (1.6%). The chart for MRK looks bullish and S&P gives MRK a positive 4 STARS (out of 5) buy ranking.

Continue reading Merck Lifted by Cholesterol Drug Study

Merck Lifted by Cholesterol Drug Study originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Anacetrapibcholesterol drugsinthenewsInvestors ObserverMerckMRKoptionsWed, 17 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[AstraZeneca and Abbott Labs Receive FDA Response]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/03/30/astrazeneca-and-abbott-labs-receive-fda-response/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/03/30/astrazeneca-and-abbott-labs-receive-fda-response/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2010/03/30/astrazeneca-and-abbott-labs-receive-fda-response/#commentsFiled under:

AstraZeneca (AZN) and Abbott Laboratories (ABT) announced this morning they received a complete response letter from the Food and Drug Administration regarding their new drug application for Certriad capsules. The FDA requested more information. The companies stated that they are currently evaluating the FDA's letter and will continue discussions with the agency to see what the next step will be with the drug. AZN and ABT will then respond to the FDA's request for further information.

Certriad is for the treatment of mixed dyslipidemia, a combination of two or more lipid abnormalities including the "bad" cholesterol (LDL), high triglycerides, and low "good" cholesterol (HDL). The active ingredients in Certirad are Crestor and Trilipix from ABT and AZN.

Continue reading AstraZeneca and Abbott Labs Receive FDA Response

AstraZeneca and Abbott Labs Receive FDA Response originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Abbott LaboratoriesABTAstraZenecaazncholesterolcholesterol drugsFDAfeaturedinthenewsTue, 30 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Abbott (ABT): An 'income machine']]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/14/abbott-abt-an-income-machine/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/14/abbott-abt-an-income-machine/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/14/abbott-abt-an-income-machine/#commentsFiled under: , ,

"Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) is continuing its long record of rewarding shareholders," notes Alex Kolb In Zacks Elite, pointing to its 341st consecutive quarter of dividends since 1924.

"Abbott is a global, broad-based health care company that develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceuticals and medical products, including nutritionals, devices and diagnostics.

"The company employs more than 68,000 people and markets its products in more than 130 countries.

"The company recently released new data, showing that a combination of its new TriLipix triglycerides medicine and a low dose of AstraZeneca's Crestor cholesterol drug are better than the individual pills for treating heart problems.

Continue reading Abbott (ABT): An 'income machine'

Abbott (ABT): An 'income machine' originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>abbott laboratoriesabbott labsAbbottLabsabtadvanced medical opticsAdvancedMedicalOpticsalex kolbAlexKolbcholesterol drugscrestordrug stocksDrugStocksfeaturedhealthcare stocksmedical stocksMedicalStockspharma stockspharmaceutical stocksPharmaceuticalStockszacks eliteZacksEliteTue, 14 Apr 2009 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Merck's future obesity/cholesterol strategy risky]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/12/12/mercks-future-obesity-cholesterol-strategy-risky/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/12/12/mercks-future-obesity-cholesterol-strategy-risky/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/12/12/mercks-future-obesity-cholesterol-strategy-risky/#commentsFiled under: ,

Merck & Co. (NYSE: MRK), like its pharmaceutical competitors, has seen better days. A raft of patent protection expirations, bad PR, concerns over health risks for many of its drugs, and a lack of pipeline products, have all combined to stomp on one of the largest pharmaceutical firms in the world. Is the future brighter? Possibly, but there's a lot of risk to go with it.

Merck says that it will continue to develop experimental drugs for cholesterol and obesity [subscription required]. Nothing new there, as those two health conditions are increasing in numbers in the U.S. (obesity in particular). But Merck will be developing new drugs in these areas where the competition has miserably failed in the recent past due to safety problems.

What can Merck do to ensure its efforts to not meet the same fate? That is a question without a clear answer, although stakeholders long in MRK shares should be asking that question right now. It doesn't have the best track record, with the Vioxx lawsuit mess and strong competition for one of its most popular blockbuster drugs, the Zocor cholesterol product.

Merck, embracing some recent science, believes that raising good cholesterol could reduce the risk of heart problems beyond what can be accomplished by existing statin drugs (and let's hope they are right). Statin drugs work by lowering bad cholesterol, and although the approach works for many, it's not the best route according to many medical experts.

Merck's future obesity/cholesterol strategy risky originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 12 Dec 2007 13:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cholesterol drugsCholesterolDrugsinthenewsMerckMevacorMRKobesity drugsObesityDrugsWed, 12 Dec 2007 13:37:00 EST<![CDATA[Pfizer: one up, one down]]>http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/04/04/pfizer-one-up-one-down/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/04/04/pfizer-one-up-one-down/http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/04/04/pfizer-one-up-one-down/#commentsFiled under: ,

Pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) won an important suit to preserve its patent benefits for Lipitor, a popular and lucrative cholesterol-lowering drug. According to Peter Loftus (www.wsj.com - subscription required), Pfizer earned almost $13 billion from Lipitor sales in 2006. Indian drug maker Ranbaxy Laboratories had sued to sell a cheaper generic version of Lipitor. The US Supreme Court ruled in favor of Pfizer.

Pfizer agreed to pay a $35 million fine in order to settle a suit brought by the US Justice Department involving a drug sold by Pharmacia, now a Pfizer subsidiary. Prior to its acquisition by Pfizer in 2003, Pharmacia marketed a human growth hormone drug called Genetropin. There is nothing wrong with the drug. The fine is because Pharmacia improperly influenced a vendor for government health-care programs to purchase not only Genotropin but other Pharmacia products as well. Pfizer will still market Genotropin, but the guilty unit of Pharmacia will pay $20 million in fines and will not be able to participate in government health-care programs. Another Pharmacia unit will pay $15 million in fines for improperly promoting Genotropin as an anti-aging medication, an unapproved usage.

News of Pfizer's legal dealings did not seem to bother investors. Pfizer closed at $25.67 on April 3, up 33 cents for the day.

Pfizer: one up, one down originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 04 Apr 2007 09:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cholesterol drugsCholesterolDrugsGenotropinLipitorPfizerPharmaciaWed, 04 Apr 2007 09:46:00 EST