December 6, 2005 -- Novartis licensed an oral cell cycle inhibitor from British biotech Astex Therapeutics in a deal worth up to $520 million; Bristol-Myers Squibb will pay Exelixis up to $165 million in a cardiovascular drug collaboration; Cephalon paid $360 million to acquire Zeneus Pharma of Europe, which focuses on cancer; Cell Therapeutics began a pivotal Phase III study of Xytotax, its experimental lung cancer drug, enrolling only women; and Accentia Biopharmaceuticals licensed a branded intranasal steroid for allergic rhinitis from Collegium Pharma of Rhode Island. At the close, the Centient Biotech 200™ was down 24 points at 3971.32, a loss of .60%. More details...
