Occasionally -- when the bosses will let me -- I take a day to network, learn and maybe pick up a story idea by attending a biotech or healthcare investment conference. Many firms put on the events for their clients and they often invite reporters to hang out. ... The PR guy told me a couple of sessions during the day would be "closed" to me. It wasn't clear what the closed sessions were all about, and so my curiousity was piqued...   Read More

We almost missed out talking to Tony Tyler in Hong Kong. But we pushed on and managed to get a small window, and what a window it was!   Read More

Amgen is in major belt-tightening mode. Still it held its annual shareholder shindig at the swanky Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village, CA. The 400-500 investors who showed up were treated to valet parking, soft drinks, and a nice spread of cheeses, vegetable crudite, fruit and sweets    Read More

There's no money left under the pillow, but Amgen execs and directors have been handed a gift. One of the most outspoken, large, individual investors in the biotech company who's been calling for the Board and CEO to go won't be attending its annual shareholder meeting after all.   Read More

Taiwanese stocks have so far, bucked the negative trend of Asian markets this year. The TaiEx is up 5.4% year-to-date.  Charting Asia takes a look to see whether this rally will continue as the year progresses.   Read More

After the closing bell yesterday, Merck announced that it plans to get rid of 12-hundred or around 15 percent of its sales reps. Like Schering-Plough, the company is having to adjust to lower sales of its Vytorin and Zetia cholesterol drugs and on top of that the Food and Drug...   Read More

It's the kind of artwork I'm sure they weren't happy to see at Pfizer spacer headquarters this morning. The torn company logo on the front page of the Newark Star-Ledger business section above the headline, "Signs of Wear and Tear."    Read More

A rally is always something to get excited about, particularly after a market fall of around 50%. And that's exactly what Chinese stocks are experiencing at the moment. The Shanghai Composite Index is up 17% the past week. However a rally is not a trend change ...   Read More

Investors are finding no solace in Merck's reaffirmation that it'll still hit its earnings numbers this year. Instead they're punishing the stock after the company announced what everyone is calling a surprise and a significant setback.    Read More

The morning after Amgen reported its first quarter earnings my inbox runneth over with analyst research reports on the biotech behemoth. The company beat the Street by eight cents a share. But the focus remains on the anemia drug franchise.    Read More