The effectiveness of Merck’s (MRK) cholesterol lowering drug Zetia has been put to question following the release of data from a clinical trial comparing Abbott’s (ABT) Niaspan (niacin extended-release tablets) plus a statin with Merck’s Zetia. Although data are not encouraging for Merck, the company expressed its confidence recently at the American Heart Association meeting.

Results from the ARBITER 6 - HALTS study showed that patients at high cardiovascular risk showed significant reduction in atherosclerosis after 8 and 14 months of therapy with Abbott's Niaspan plus a statin, the study's primary endpoint. The study met its secondary endpoint too. It was observed that treatment with Niaspan plus statin resulted in significantly fewer major adverse cardiac events (or MACE, a composite endpoint consisting of heart attack, myocardial revascularization, admission to the hospital for an acute coronary syndrome, and death from coronary heart disease), as compared to Zetia. However, the

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Cornerstone Therapeutics Inc. (CRTX) reported third-quarter earnings per share of 7 cents, compared to a profit of 49 cents in the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate was pegged at 1 cent.   Net revenues for the quarter were up 12.1% to $23.1 million as against $20.6 million in the year-ago quarter. Revenues were boosted by the acquisition of a few products during the quarter. Sales for two of the company’s products fell due to increased competition. Hyomax sales fell 39 %, to $7.6 million, while the AlleRx Dose Pack product line witnessed a 42 % decrease to $3.5 million.   On the positive side, revenues from Spectracef sales increased $1.9 million for the reported quarter primarily due to the enhanced promotion of the drug by Cornerstone’s sales force to targeted physicians.   Zyflo CR and Zyflo revenues came in at $5 million for the reported quarter.  Curosurf ...

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – November 11, 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: Enzon (ENZN), Merck (MRK), OSI Pharmaceuticals (OSIP), Pfizer (PFE) and Bank of America Corporation (BAC).

Get the most recent insight from Zacks Equity Research with the free Profit from the Pros newsletter: http://at.zacks.com/?id=5513

Here are highlights from Tuesday’s Analyst Blog:

Enzon Beats, Announces Sell-off

Enzon (ENZN) achieved break-even earnings during the third quarter of 2009, better than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of loss of 7 cents but below the year-ago earnings of 1 cent. The company reported revenues of $44.6 million, a decline of 9% compared to $48.8

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Enzon (ENZN) achieved break-even earnings during the third quarter of 2009, better than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of loss of 7 cents but below the year-ago earnings of 1 cent. The company reported revenues of $44.6 million, a decline of 9% compared to $48.8 million reported in the third quarter of 2008. Enzon records revenues from three sources -- products, royalties and contract manufacturing. The three segments recorded a decline of 1%, 6% and 56%, respectively, compared to the year-ago period. Enzon has four marketed products -- Oncaspar for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL); DepoCyt for lymphomatous meningitis; Abelcet for antifungal infection related to cancer and Adagen used to treat severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID), commonly known as the "bubble boy" disease. Apart from Oncaspar, whose sales remained unchanged from the year-ago period, the other three recorded a decline of 4%, 15% and 10%, ...

The pharmaceutical industry has witnessed major changes in 2009. Performance has been affected by factors like sluggish prescription trends, intensifying generic competition and limited phase III catalysts. The next five years are expected to reflect a significant imbalance between new product introductions and patent losses. According to IMS Health (RX), this is the main reason why global pharmaceutical market growth will be restricted to the mid-single digits through 2013. Over the next five years, products that currently generate about $137 billion in sales are expected to face generic competition, including Lipitor, Plavix and Seretide. At the same time, new products are not expected to generate the same level of sales as the products losing patent protection have. With most of the big pharma companies already facing patent challenges for their blockbuster products or likely to face them going forward, the companies have been looking toward mergers ...

Santarus, Inc. (SNTS) reported third-quarter earnings of 9 cents per share, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate at a loss of 1 cent and the year-ago loss of 8 cents. Total revenues, consisting of net product sales, promotion revenues, and license and royalty revenues, came in at $39.5 million, up 22% from the year-ago period.

Product-related revenues, which consist of net product sales and promotion revenues, increased 30% to $38.3 million in the third quarter of 2009. Zegerid net product sales were $31.5 million, up 12%. Total prescriptions increased 6.3% in the reported quarter. Competition in the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) market is likely to increase with the launch of generic versions of Prevacid and an over-the-counter version of Prevacid.

Promotion revenues of $6.8 million increased significantly from the prior-year period's promotion revenues of $1.4 million, mainly due to revenues associated with the promotion of Glumetza. Glumetza total prescriptions increased 9.2%

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Depomed, Inc (NASDAQ:DEPO) today reported financial results for the third quarter that ended on September 30, 2009. The revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2009 was US$23 million compared to US$14.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2008. The revenue in the last three months ended this September also includes license payments from Merck &Co. Inc. as Depomed has entered a license agreement with Merck for fixed dose combinations of sitagliptin and extended release metformin which they finalized in July 2009.

Executives of Depomed announced that they have achieved significant milestones in the third and early fourth quarter and have also completed a transaction with Merck that has provided them a reason to rejoice and have a stronger and profitable balance sheet this quarter. Depomed is a specialty pharmaceutical company which has many product candidates in the pipeline with few of products already in Phase 3

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Recently, Merck (MRK) and Schering-Plough (SGP) received approval from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Swiss Competition Commission and the Canadian Competition Bureau for their proposed merger. However, the transaction has yet to receive approval from other regulators, including China and Mexico. The deal was approved by the European Union antitrust regulators last week. Shareholders of both the companies have already approved the deal in August. Merck expects to close the proposed merger by year end. The FTC approval has come with the condition that both companies will sell some assets. As a result, Schering-Plough has agreed to sell its rolapitant drug, meant to be used for the treatment for nausea and vomiting in chemotherapy patients to Opko Health Inc. In addition, Merck agreed to sell its interest in Merial Ltd, an animal health joint venture, to its French partner, Sanofi-Aventis ...

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) posted a loss of 83 cents per share in the third quarter, 3 cents wider than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 80 cents. The company posted a loss of 92 cents per share in the year ago period. The wider than expected loss was mainly due to a significant increase in costs and lower revenues.

Revenues declined to $24.9 million in the reported quarter from $31.6 million in the year ago period. Revenues consist of royalty revenues and collaborative and other research and development revenues. Lower revenues were primarily due to a decrease in collaborative revenues.

Expenses increased mainly due to the increased size of the company’s workforce, increased spending on late-stage clinical programs and increased stock-based compensation expenses. Research and development (R&D) expenses increased to $132.1 million, up from $131.7 million in the year-ago period, mainly due to investments supporting the company’s hepatitis C virus

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GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) recently received a positive recommendation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for its cervical cancer vaccine, Cervarix. The CDC has recommended that Cervarix should be given to girls and young women to protect against cervical pre-cancers and cervical cancer caused by oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 and 18.   The committee also recommended that the vaccine should be used in 11 and 12 year old girls specifically and in girls and young women who have not yet been vaccinated. Cervarix, which received approval in the U.S. recently, is indicated for the prevention of cervical pre-cancers and cervical cancer associated with oncogenic HPV types 16 and 18 for use in girls and young women (aged 10-25).   The ACIP’s recommendation should help increase adoption of the vaccine, which is slated to hit the U.S. market later this ...