Industry - Pharmaceuticals latest news

SurgiCare, one of the UK's leading cosmetic procedure providers, has added chest rejuvenation to its portfolio of treatments, following large demand for the procedure across the US. - - Chest rejuvena... [WebWire - Friday, October 10, 2008]

BOSTON (MarketWatch) --- Drug stocks cratered in early action Friday as the broader market plunged on lingering fears about the health of the global credit markets. The Amex Pharmaceutical Index tumbled 5% to 231.98 and the Amex Biotechnology Index crumbled 3% to 620.34. Large cap pharmaceuticals were hard hit, with shares of practically all of the major U.S. drugmakers falling at least 5%. Pfizer Inc. , the world's largest drugmaker, had a bit of an easier ride, with shares only sliding 2% to $15.28.

LEIDEN, NETHERLANDS (MARKET WIRE)

BLUE BELL, Pa.- Employees of small Pennsylvania businesses can now obtain preventive health care services without being charged a co-pay, under a new suite of plans being offered by Aetna (NYSE: AET)... [WebWire - Friday, October 10, 2008]

A critical care specialist at Johns Hopkins who has reviewed recent studies of intensive care unit (ICU) patients and data from The Johns Hopkins Hospital concludes that the routine use of deep sedati... [WebWire - Friday, October 10, 2008]

The Harley Medical Group have revealed that the pout is out and women are increasingly opting for more natural looking lips, according to new data from the UK's largest cosmetic surgery provider. - - T... [WebWire - Friday, October 10, 2008]

Drug stocks crater in early action as the broader market plunges on lingering fears about the health of the global credit markets.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Walgreen Co.'s Chairman and Chief Executive Jeffrey Rein abruptly retired Friday after two years in the position and more than two decades at the drug-store chain. He is 56.

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- The largest shareholder of Longs Drug Stores says it now supports the company's deal to sell itself to CVS Caremark for $71.50 a share in cash. In a regulatory filing Friday, Advisory Research, which owns 9.2% of Longs' outstanding common stock, said it will tender its shares to CVS before the Oct. 15 deadline. It had balked at the offer price, arguing Longs could be worth more based on its real estate assets in California and Hawaii. Advisory is accepting the deal due to the "turmoil in the markets" and Walgreen Co.'s decision to abandon its higher bid of $75 a share. Another big shareholder, Pershing Square Capital management, also has opposed the deal but hasn't made any public statements of late.

CVS Caremark Corp. is edging closer to the finish line for its purchase of Longs Drug Stores, a deal that has faced shareholder opposition.