With news that its deal with Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc. to develop Picovir (pleconaril) is being terminated by mutual agreement, ViroPharma Inc.'s stock took another trouncing - and the company disclosed plans to restructure, cutting its work force by 63 percent. (BioWorld Today)

With the antibiotic dalbavancin in Phase II trials, Versicor Inc. said it has agreed to buy collaborator Biosearch Italia SpA - from which it gained the rights to the drug - for $260.7 million in a stock swap expected to close early next year. (BioWorld Today)

As promised, BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. put the finishing touches on its rolling biologics license application for Aldurazyme, the enzyme replacement therapy for mucopolysaccharidosis I. (BioWorld Today)

Nothing's quite as dry as patent law, but many would make the argument that nothing's quite as important to biotechnology companies, either, as intellectual property in general and the legal protection thereof. (BioWorld Financial Watch)

Amgen Inc.'s Aranesp (darbepoetin alpha) for oncology applications won FDA approval, and the competitive race that began last year between the company and erythropoietin licensee Johnson & Johnson will begin heating up shortly. (BioWorld Today)

Hard market times did not deter MedImmune Inc. from putting together a venture capital subsidiary that the company said will invest up to $100 million in other biotechnology firms. (BioWorld Today)

These are the days of Amgen Inc. All eyes were on the biotechnology giant last week, when its $10.3 billion buyout of Immunex Corp. was completed although for less money than originally expected, it was still the largest deal in the industry thus far and as the deadline came for an FDA decision on Aranesp (darbepoetin alpha) in oncology. (BioWorld Financial Watch)