For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – October 21, 2009 – Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Biogen Idec (BIIB), Elan (ELN), UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH), Forest Laboratories, Inc. (FRX) and Cypress Biosciences (CYPB).

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Here are highlights from Tuesday’s AnalystBlog:

Biogen Reports Higher Earnings

Today morning, Biogen Idec (BIIB) reported third quarter earnings per share of $1.12, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.02. The company reported earnings of 98 cents in the year-ago period. Revenues increased 3% to $1.12 billion, with Tysabri being the primary growth

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This morning, Forest Laboratories, Inc. (FRX), reported earnings per share of 85 cents for the second quarter of fiscal 2010, in-line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Product sales increased 4% to $962.7 million. Although Lexapro sales declined 3.1% to $566 million, Namenda, which is approved for the treatment of moderate and severe Alzheimer’s disease, delivered sales of $275.3 million, recording a growth of 11.9% from the year-ago period. Improved patient access and increased promotional efforts should help keep Namenda sales strong. Bystolic, Forest’s beta-blocker for the treatment of hypertension, posted sales of $40.7 million. This was significantly higher than the year ago sales of $14.2 million. Contract revenue, consisting primarily of Benicar co-promotion income, increased 7.2% to $50.6 million. Forest’s most recent product launch, Savella, which is approved for the management of fibromyalgia, posted sales of $10.2 million. The product, which has been developed in ...

Sometime during the middle of the year, Genentech (DNA) shareholders are going to get $95 in cash for each share of Genentech stock they own. In total, nearly $47 billion in funds are expected to be returned to biotechnology investors.We've come up with an effective "basket approach" to re-deploy those funds back into the biotech sector -- in search of the next Genentech.Antisense Makes a Lot of SenseFor a little over $13, investors can pick up one share of Isis Pharmaceuticals (ISIS). Isis is the market leader in antisense technology.We've made it no secret in the past -- we are big fans of antisense. We view the drug discovery engine fueled by Isis' antisense technology very similar to the power of Genentech's recombinant DNA and monoclonal antibody technology breakthroughs of the 1980's. Antisense drugs are still in their infancy, ...

Cypress Biosciences (CYPB) announced the approval of Savella for the management of fibromyalgia in January 2009. Along with commercialization partner, Forest Labs (FRX), Cypress expects the product to be commercially available around the middle of the year.We think the approval of Savella is a transformational event for Cypress. We see profitability in 2010 based on a strong ramp in sales. By 2013, we think Cypress can generate revenues in excess of $100 million from royalties and expense reimbursement associated with Savella.We see fair value at $12 per share, or 25x our 2013 EPS estimate of $1.14 per share, discounted back to present day. The name is one of our top picks for small-cap biotech. Read the full analyst report on "CYPB"Read the full analyst report on "FRX"Zacks Investment Research

Cypress Biosciences Skyrockets on FDA Approval of SavellaAfter the market closed on Wednesday, Forest Labs (FRX) and Cypress Biosciences (CYPB) announced FDA approval of Savella (milnacipran) for the management of fibromyalgia. Once launched, Savella will enter the multi-billion dollar fibromyalgia market, a painful and debilitating condition affecting over 6 million Americans annually.Last month we initiated coverage of Cypress Bio at $6.04 with a 'Buy' rating and near-term $12 price target. Paramount to our thesis was the expected approval of Savella in early 2009.We view approval of Savella as a transformational event for Cypress Bio. We expect the company to become profitable almost immediately after the launch of the drug; and, highly profitable with net margins approaching the 50% range by 2012.We expect the drug to be priced very competitively relative to other leading fibromyalgia drugs such as Lilly's (...

Cypress BioScience (Nasdaq: CYPB) 1-Year Chart
Cypress Biosciences (CYPB) is set for two major trading catalysts over the second half of this year in the form of a PDUFA decision date by the FDA on 10/31/08 for milnacipran in the treatment of fibromyalgia (FM) and results from a third Phase 3 trial of the drug for the same indication. Cypress Bio has a partnership deal with specialty pharma company Forest Labs (NYSE: FRX), with the potential for total upfront & milestone payments of $200 – $250 million in addition to ongoing royalties on product sales.

The stock has bounced off its 52-week lows from mid-June when Eli Lilly’s (NYSE: LLY) Cymbalta was approved by the FDA for FM. The two drugs work similar, although Cymbalta is already approved and the FM indication was merely a label expansion for LLY. However, most analysts concluded that milnacipran …