| QLT's move to auction block lifts shares
Shares in QLT Inc. shot up almost 25 per cent Wednesday after the company put itself on the auction block with the announcement it is exploring strategic alternatives that could include the sale of some or all of its assets. The move pushed QLT shares up to $4.80 on the Toronto Stock Exchange by Wednesday's close, bolstering a flagging performance that saw them down at $3.88 on Tuesday, close to the 52-week low of $3.44 and far below highs in February of $11.67. The Vancouver biotechnology pioneer and University of B.C. spinoff, which rocketed to success with its anti-blindness treatment Visudyne, has been struggling as competition for the drug eroded revenues and new initiatives in its pipeline have failed to fill the gap. It has also faced costly court challenges related to Visudyne and to its prostate cancer drug Eligard.
Quack Michael Moore has mad view of the NHS
The fourth estate has always had a bad name, but it seems to be getting worse. Journalism should be an honest and useful trade, and often still is. But now that journalism has more power than ever before, it seems to have become ever more disreputable. In recent years it has been brought lower and lower by kiss-and-tell betrayals, by "reality" TV, by shockumentaries and by liars, fantasists, hucksters and geeks of every kind, crowing and denouncing and emoting in a hideous new version of Bunyan’s Vanity Fair. Outstanding among these is Michael Moore, the American documentary maker. He specialises in searing indictments, such as Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine, and has, without a doubt, a genius for it. Although his films are crude, manipulative and one-sided, he is idolised by millions of Americans and Europeans, widely seen as some sort of redneck Mr Valiant-for-truth.
Steroid Nation Slate 's coverage of drugs and sports.
William Saletan claimed steroids weren't that big of a deal as long as they didn't harm the body. Engber cautioned that the hubbub over human growth hormone may be for naught—as opposed to anabolic steroids, HGH may not do anything to help athletic performance. Not to mention that it's hard to detect. Michelle Tsai, meanwhile, wrote that it is possible HGH made Barry Bonds' head bigger. Jeff Pearlman wanted to know why baseball players were still getting free passes from journalists after the congressional hearings. Charles P. Pierce, on the other hand, asked why we get worked up over steroids in the first place. They weren't against the rules at the time, so who cares? Well, they can be dangerous: Michelle Tsai explored how professional wrestler Chris Benoit's murder-suicide could have been caused by " 'roid rage." But without Dr.
Cutting comments: the foreskin debate
The actor Alan Cumming gets quite a reaction when he drops his trousers. Especially in America. Why? His penis is uncircumcised. He is genitally intact, a cavalier rather than a roundhead. His johnson wears an opera cape, as they say in US gay circles. This gives him something akin to freak status in the hygiene-obsessed States, where 70% of the mature male population have been circumcised. Cumming, an endearingly puckish type, is really rather proud of his foreskin. "During interviews in America, I have made a point of talking about it," he says. "I think it’s insane that an entire nation is ignorant about a part of their body they have lost. When I take my pants off in America, people gasp, which is kind of nice, until I realise that they’re actually staring at my penis as if it’s some kind of National Geographic photo come to life.
Cancer patients achieve 'normalcy' with her work
For some cancer patients, losing their hair to chemotherapy or radiation can be almost as life-altering as the diagnosis itself.
Judy Sheehan believes it doesn't have to be that way.
In 1991, Sheehan, a licensed cosmetologist, became the coordinator of the Look Good Feel Better program for cancer patients going through treatment at the John Stoddard Cancer Center at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.
Sheehan talked about the value of helping patients develop a new outlook after treatment as well as what the program has done for her. .
Pfizer begins tender offer for Coley
Pfizer to buy Coley for $164M [St. Louis] Coley to be acquired by Pfizer [Boston] Dynavax lands late-stage drug deal with Merck for hepatitis B drug [East Bay] Adolor, Pfizer in pain drug development deal [Philadelphia] Waiting to inhale [San Francisco] .
ORU looks at selling station
Read the latest stories about the ORU lawsuit, view the lawsuit and other documents and watch slide shows and video.
Officials tell employees about finances, a professor says.
Oral Roberts University employees were told this week the school has moved to improve its financial situation, and officials have considered selling the university's television station, according to an ORU professor.
Accounting professor Terry Unruh said he attended the first of two meetings that gave employees a chance to hear directly from ORU's top leaders.
David Ellsworth, executive vice president for finance and operations, said during the meeting that ORU has extended the terms of loans that were coming due soon and has secured lower interest rates, Unruh said.
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