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AFP - Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis on Thursday posted a better-than-expected net profit for the second quarter of more than 2.2 billion dollars, up 17 percent from the same period last year.

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The biotech giant will spend up to $437 million for rights to an oral suspension to treat cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy.

WESTPORT, CT (MARKET WIRE) market & Research Corp. ("MKRC") (PINKSHEETS: MTRE) today announced that LifeHealthCare, Inc. ("LHC") has filed a Registration Statement on Form 10SB as a required step towards becoming a publicly-traded company. Gary Stein, president, stated, "This is an exciting time for the company. Submitting LHC's registration is another milestone towards achieving our overall 2008 business plan, and reaffirms our commitment to shareholders to remain fully transparent in all our activities."

Pharmaceutical company Novartis has given a $625,000 grant to the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University to fund research programs. (NVS)

Florida was awarded $21.5 million as part of a global settlement with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and its former wholly owned subsidiary Apothecon, Attorney General Bill McCollum said Wednesday. (BMY)

State regulators have reached deals with Anthem Blue Cross and with Blue Shield of California to restore coverage to 2,220 individual customers whose policies, they say, may have been canceled unfairly. The health plans will pay fines to the state totaling at least $13 million.

PLANO, TX (MARKET WIRE) Wellness International network, Ltd., a company known for its weight-management product line BioLean(R) System and omega-3 supplement, WINOmeg3complex(TM), recently completed its "Summer Shape Up" weight loss competition, which included many local consumers in the Dallas / Ft. Worth area. WIN Founders Ralph Oats and Cathy Oats recently named Mona Albiola as the "Summer Shape Up" winner after she lost 40 pounds, more than 20 inches and nearly 7 percent body fat using WIN's products, including BioLean II(R), BioLean Free(R), LipoTrim(TM) and Sure2Endure(TM). Mona plans to keep off her weight

WellCare Health Plans Inc. continued to round out its executive team, naming Thomas Tran as senior vice president and chief financial officer. (UNH) (CI) (WCG)

COLUMBIA, SC (MARKET WIRE) BDI, a national leader in the distribution of biopharmaceutical products, announced that sales for the first two quarters of 2008 continued to demonstrate an increase of more than twenty percent (20%) in comparison to same time period in 2007. With a history of strong third and fourth quarter sales, BDI projects that year end revenues, which have grown at an average rate of twenty-three percent (23%) per year from 2004 - 2007, will meet or surpass expectations for the current fiscal year.