Ireland´s Elan Corp should recover from the sharp drop in its shares this month due to news of further multiple sclerosis (MS) patients on their drug Tysabri contracting progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), estimated market analysts, yet they were not optimistic regarding the fate of the company´s experimental Alzheimer´s disease drug bapineuzumab, which had less than positive results in clinical trials.

Doctors who worked on Amgen´s clinical trials with experimental osteoporosis drug denosumab stated to JP Morgan market analysts that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may demand additional data, or request “black box” warnings, to allow this drug on the market. However, doctors also agreed Amgen´s drug could make its mark, depending on its dosage and eventual cost.

Genzyme Corp was upgraded by brokerage firm Sanford C. Bernstein to "outperform" from "market perform," due in part to the potential of several drugs in Genzyme's portfolio.

Shares of ViroPharma rose after a market analyst from Thomas Weisel Partners reported that the company "remains well-positioned for long-term growth."

GfK Market Measures’ 2008 Avastin Market Event Study indicates a potential twofold increase in market share for Genentech’s Avastin as a first-line and second-line breast cancer treatment. Survey of 100 medical oncologists and hematologists/oncologists shows Avastin hailed as the new standard of care for metastatic breast cancer. Full story

Irish biotech Elan expects Tysabri sales to hit $1 billion in next year after the MS drug returned to market with stringent prescription guidelines in 2006