Johnson & Johnson, the world’s largest seller of healthcare products, won approval for the first in a new family of diabetes drugs, giving them the edge against rivals developing similar medicines.

Merck & Co, the second-largest US drugmaker, reported fourth-quarter profit that topped analyst estimates on higher sales of the Januvia diabetes drug. The company forecast 2012 earnings that matched estimates.

IRELAND will play an evolved role in the newly expanded healthcare corporation Merck & Co Inc, which yesterday completed its merger with Schering-Plough Corporation.

Heartening news on housing and corporate earnings are helping Wall Street to set aside some of its angst about the economy.

Wall Street tumbled again today as investors worried that the global economy was poised to weaken even as parts of the credit market slowly showed signs of recovery.

Wall Street finished a back-and-forth session higher today as investors overcame some of their nervousness about the credit markets and uneven earnings and found solace in the technology sector.

US stocks rebounded today after a fresh round of buyout news offered evidence that Wall Street’s liking for dealmaking has not disappeared.

A vaccine that blocks infection by four types of viruses could cut global deaths from cervical cancer by more than two thirds, its manufacturer says.

A JUDGE declared a mistrial yesterday in the first federal lawsuit over the once-popular painkiller Vioxx after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.

US stocks finished mixed today as interest rate worries and a legal setback for Merck & Co countered momentum from a possible multi-billion-dollar acquisition by ConocoPhillips.

Good news, from better-than-expected retail sales and worker productivity figures to a major court victory for Merck & Co, drove US stocks higher today, although a leap in oil prices limited the gains.

Wall Street staged an impressive rally today after the nomination of top White House economist Ben Bernanke as the next Federal Reserve chief.

THE 85 complaints to the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) about the controversial painkiller Vioxx are just the tip of the iceberg, a solicitor warned yesterday.

US stocks ended an uneasy week mostly higher today, as a jury verdict against drug giant Merck & Co over its painkiller Vioxx erased much of an earlier advance fuelled by bargain hunting.

A Texas jury found pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co liable for the death of a man who took the once-popular painkiller Vioxx.

US stocks dipped lower tonight despite a sharp drop in oil prices and new strength in the dollar as investors worried about the market’s ability to hold its gains after last week’s rally.

PFIZER chief executive Hank McKinnell yesterday said doctors should be made aware of the health risks in prescribing Celebrex to their patients, but the company does not plan to recall its popular arthritis drug.

Pfizer’s surprise announcement of possible health risks connected with its Celebrex drug pushed stocks lower in heavy trading on Wall Street today, renewing investors’ concerns over the pharmaceutical sector.

AT least five medications now sold to consumers pose such risks that their sale should be limited or stopped, said a government drug reviewer who raised questions earlier about the arthritis drug Vioxx.

Wall Street’s pre-election jitters left stocks with only a modest gain today even as crude oil futures fell near the 50 dollars per barrel mark. A mix of economic data added to the ambivalence.

Stocks drifted higher in New York today, brushing aside another record high for oil prices amid hopes third-quarter profit reports would override worries about a struggling economic recovery.

Newly optimistic investors sent stocks sharply higher today, propelling the Dow Jones industrials 112 points higher as new economic data showed strength in manufacturing.

A late-session buying spurt gave US stocks a moderate lift today.

Wall Street roared back to life today as investors refocused on earnings news, shaking off concerns about rising interest rates that have dogged the market for almost two weeks.

The world’s third largest pharmaceutical company Merck & Co is to create 80 jobs in Dublin over the next five years.

Wall Street had an indecisive session today, closing mixed as better-than-expected earnings from Apple Computer and Citigroup were again eclipsed by investors’ growing anxiety over interest rates.

Buyers enticed by Wall Street’s depressed prices moved back into the market today, giving stocks a moderate boost after a slide lasting more than two weeks.

In Dublin, the ISEQ index was up 4.91 points to 4628.20, or 11%, barely keeping itself out of negative territory.

Wall Street sank today as investors sifted through a series of downbeat economic reports.

ELI LILLY, the maker of prozac antidepressant pills, raised its 2003 earnings forecast on demand for psychiatric medications including zyprexa for schizophrenia and new drugs such as cialis to treat impotence.

Leading shares plunged in opening deals, dragged lower by TMTs, heavyweight drugs and oils after precipitous falls on Wall Street last night, with only a handful of defensively positioned stocks registering a gain, dealers said.

Share prices are expected to open flat, as investors digest the latest batch of fourth-quarter corporate earnings and wait for the Federal Open Market Committee decision on interest rates tomorrow, dealers said.