The battle for Warner Chilcott moved to the next round today when the drugs group confirmed an approach that could value it at more than £1.5bn (€2.15bn).

The race for drugs group Warner Chilcott (formerly Galen) will hot up this week when two rival consortia table bids of more than £1.5bn (€2.2bn), it was reported today.

The ISEQ index has slipped back in morning trading today, as financial stocks were all in decline in Dublin today.

The ISEQ index mirrored the FTSE in a slight decline today, dropping 9.7 points to close at 5668.0.

Dublin's Iseq managed to rally today among some big gains.

Financial stocks failed to rally in Dublin today, spelling a morning in the red for the ISEQ index.

A £1.5bn (€2.2bn) bidding war for Warner Chilcott loomed today after the Northern Ireland-based pharmaceuticals group revealed a second takeover approach.

The ISEQ index of Irish shares finished - just about - in positive territory today, up 2.45 points to 5661.53.

The ISEQ has slipped back 10.87 to 5,648.21 in morning trading today, shares in Elan falling sharply today.

Pharmaceutical giant Warner Chilcott, formerly known as Galen, has confirmed it has received an approach for a takeover of the company.

The ISEQ climbed 14.7 today to close at 5,630.28 this evening.

On the day that the Government announced a falling exchequer deficit and the European Central Bank left its key interest rate unchanged, the ISEQ was up 1.55 at 5542.17.

The ISEQ managed to recover from the poor start by markets across Europe today to close the day still in the red but only just.

The ISEQ ended the day up 75.9 points at 5260.61, with the pharmaceutical sector performing well.

WARNER CHILCOTT, the Northern drugmaker formerly called Galen, has reported a 13% rise in third-quarter sales.

The ISEQ index has climbed 7.73 points in morning trading today, rising to 5,207.96 at 11.15am.

The ISEQ showed a modest gain today to close up 7.82 at 5349.2.

The ISEQ has enjoyed a positive morning of trading, climbing 10.24 to 5,352.42 at 11.45am today.

The ISEQ dropped back 21.15 today to close the day at 5,414.87.

The ISEQ index mirrored the trend in London and Europe today as shares slipped 25.80 to end the day at 5,440.39.

Northern Ireland drug company Galen said its shareholders had “overwhelmingly approved” the change of the company's name to Warner Chilcott plc.

Dublin's stock exchange saw a modest rise of 3.33 today to 5376.09 despite big rises from Abbey holdings and Elan.

Pharmaceutical giant Galen Holdings today announced it will change its name to Warner Chilcott.

Dublin's ISEQ closed up 13.51 points to 5,328.80 today despite the financials seeing a decrease of 65.38

Dublin's ISEQ index closed up 20 points to 5,326 today with gains in the financial and pharmaceutical sectors outweighing losses from Ryanair and Jurys.

The Iseq index of Irish shares rose steadily today, to close up 52.84 points at 5232.42.

GALEN HOLDINGS plans to complete its metamorphosis from an Irish pharmaceuticals group into a company focused on the US by changing its name to Warner Chilcott.

Pharmaceutical company Galen has seen pre-tax profits double to $48m (€40.38m) in Q2 and directors are to recommend a name change to shareholders at year's end to Warner Chilcott PLC.

Northern-based drugmaker Galen Holdings has bought an exclusive licence for a generic version of its Ovcon 35 oral contraceptive from Barr Pharmaceuticals.

Northern pharmaceutical company Galen Holdings has said it bought an exclusive licence for a generic version of Galen's Ovcon 35 oral contraceptive from Barr Pharmaceuticals, for €19m

Northern drug company Galen Holdings has announced its Warner Chilcott subsidiary is to buy a manufacturing facility in Fajardo in Puerto Rico from Pfizer Inc.

Northern Ireland-based Galen Holdings is selling its British drug sales and marketing business for £40m to a company controlled by its founder, Dr Allen McClay.

The ISEQ index closed down 12.97 points at 5417.27, with pharmaceutical company Galen posting a loss of 4.6%.

Speciality pharmaceutical company Galen Holdings has sold its UK pharmaceutical product sales and marketing business for £40m (€59.8m).

Craigavon-based pharmaceutical firm Galen has settled its patent litigation with Barr Pharmaceuticals.

GALEN founder and former president Allen McClay sold a 6.3% stake in the Northern Irish drugmaker for around £97 million (€147m) yesterday, sources close to the deal said. The sale spurred a drop in its share price.

The chief executive of Northern Ireland pharmaceutical company Galen Holdings, Roger Boissonneault, has sold off most of his shares in the company for just over $3m (€2.48m).

The ISEQ index finished up 89.65 points to close at 5189.35 on Thursday

Pharmaceutical companies Galen and Barr this morning announced that they have closed two out of the three parts of their outstanding deal originally announced last September, which was under FTC review.

IT was like the good old days for Elan shareholders, with a €1.4 billion rise in the value of the company’s stock in the last two days.

THIS year will be one of steady but not spectacular share price growth in the pharmaceutical sector, according to Goodbody Stockbrokers, which believes the share price of the five main Irish pharmaceutical companies will increase in 2004.

Belfast-based pharmaceutical holding company Galen, has announced product revenues of $140.9m (€110.32m) and operating profits up 52% to $72.9m (€57.07m) for the first quarter to December 31, 2003.

The ISEQ index of Irish shares finished up 59.53 points on Monday at 5159.98.