Salix Pharmaceuticals (SLXP) is working on gaining approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for new indications of rifaximin, which should help in driving long-term growth. Rifaximin is currently marketed for the treatment of patients, aged 12 years or more, with travelers diarrhea caused by non-invasive strains of E coli.  Salix received a boost recently when it announced positive results from two pivotal phase III trials of rifaximin for the treatment of non-constipation irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trials, TARGET 1 and TARGET 2, were conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rifaximin 550 mg. Patients treated with rifaximin saw statistically significant improvement in the primary endpoint compared with placebo. Rifaximin also achieved statistical significance in the key secondary endpoint of providing relief from IBS-related bloating.  Favorable data from these studies is a major positive for the company. Rifaximin ...

Shares of Salix Pharmaceuticals (SLXP) jumped 51% yesterday after the company announced positive results from two pivotal phase III trials of rifaximin for the treatment of non-constipation irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trials, TARGET 1 and TARGET 2, were conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rifaximin 550 mg. Patients treated with rifaximin saw statistically significant improvement in the primary endpoint compared with placebo. Rifaximin also achieved statistical significance in the key secondary endpoint of providing relief from IBS-related bloating.

Positive data from these studies is a major positive for the company. Rifaximin has become the company’s primary growth driver following the introduction of generic versions of Colazal in December 2007 by three players including Mylan Inc. (MYL).

Salix has been working on new indications of rifaximin, which should help in driving long-term growth. Rifaximin is currently marketed for the treatment of

...

This post provides links to a number of interesting articles I have read over the past few days that you may also enjoy. Please also add the links to any other thought-provoking articles you would like to share to the comments section.

• Paul Krugman (The New York Times): Averting the worst, August 9, 2009. So it seems that we aren’t going to have a second Great Depression after all. What saved us? The answer, basically, is Big Government.

• Niall Ferguson (Financial Times): A runaway deficit may soon test Obama’s luck, August 10, 2009. Six months in, “Felix the Prez” still has the look of a lucky, two-term president. But that could change if voters become even more disenchanted with the legislative branch and start blaming the president for the looming fiscal train-wreck.

• Simon Johnson (The Baseline Scenario):

...

GM’s Union Snowflakes

Alexander Wissel, Editor in Chief, Investment U

Listening to the reports that keep coming out of “talks” with General Motors ownership groups: bondholders, government officials, and just about everyone else it seems. We are struck by the notion that somehow the UAW thinks that this wasn’t their fault.

With the dysfunction between management and workers at GM and Chrysler, no one saw the slippage – no one noticed the problems. No one took ownership of them.

No snowflake ever thinks it caused the avalanche…

With unions bloating the budgets, overtaxing the finances and putting out sub-par products, innovation at American automakers fell by the wayside while thousands of union snowflakes sat by and watched it happen.

Let’s face it; the unions have been parasites to our automotive industry. They have slowly bled these once

...

America is in a real pickle these days – but just how did we get here? Jim Amrhein reminds us, in signature pull-no-punches style, that the man who just left the White House had an eight-year hand in this mess…

“Farewell, fair cruelty.” – Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

Like the unceremonious dumping of a codependent spouse once a new lover has come of age, America’s mainstream media seems to have stuffed the entire George W. Bush presidency into a shoebox and crammed it into the back of history’s closet…

I guess this should come as no surprise. For better or worse, a new era of American leadership dawns. And it does not serve the architects of an emergent ethos and by “architects,” I mean the mainstream media — to glorify, or even acknowledge, the achievements of past leaders…

Especially when they’re Republican.

The

...

Adolor Corporation (Nasdaq: ADLR) is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel prescription pain management products. The company announced GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) returned to Adolor the worldwide rights related to Entereg for chronic opioid bowel dysfunction (OBD), as well as rights related to Entereg for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

While GSK will retain the rights to Entereg in regards to postoperative ileus (POI), Adolor will work with GSK to coordinate development and commercialization of Entereg for POI in the United States.

OBD is commonly described as constipation, but also includes other gastrointestinal effects such as abdominal cramping, bloating and gastroesophageal reflux. According to Michael R. Dougherty, president and CEO of Adolor, the company intends on addressing the needs for individuals affected by OBD.

“There is a large, unmet need for treatment options for the many patients who suffer with chronic OBD,” Dougherty stated in the

...

Source: Jeff Clark, Casey Research  09/02/2008
Psychologists say decisions aren’t made simply on what you hear from others but also on what you hear in your own inner dialog. With investing, that can be the kiss of death if you let either fear or euphoria dominate the conversation.

So what did you tell yourself this summer when gold plummeted 20% in 5 weeks and most gold stocks lost a third or more of their value? Did the dialog help you make a wise decision?

I’ll tell you what I told myself. When I saw a chart of gold’s mid-summer drop, it looked scary…

…then I told myself to take a longer look at gold’s history.

What I saw is that gold’s recent drop is a blip in the big picture. So I told myself, “Maybe you should relax a little.”

Then I thought about corrections in past gold bull …