Hyperactivity

...ba href=/hyperactivity/a/b disorder, or ADHD.

The shares fell as much as 14.7% to $62.45 in early trading.

Late Thursday, Frazer, Pa.-based Cephalon CEPH said that a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel had voted against the drug Sparlon, stating additional clinical data on the safety of the drug were needed before it could be approve for ADHD in children and adolescents.

The committee was particularly concerned that Sparlon could ...

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...ba href=/hyperactivity/a/b drug, which would have competed with several products being developed by the UK company.

Analysts at Deutsche Bank said the news is positive for three ba href=/hyperactivity/a/b drugs that Shire is hoping to launch.

Oil heavyweights lent support, as crude prices edged closer to the 64 usd mark on the back of weaker than-expected US inventories.

BP took on 13 pence at 668-1/2, and Royal Dutch Shell added 34 pence at 1,848.

Miners also found favour, building on gains in Australia overnight, on yet another spike in commodity prices as copper hit all time highs.

Xstrata jumped 41 pence to 1,872, Rio Tinto took on 75 pence at 2,847, BHP Billiton was up 30-1/2 pence at 1,021-1/2, and Anglo American gained 74 pence at 2,151.

Anglo American was also in focus, gaining 74 pence to 2152, after the group revealed it is to further reduce its stake in AngloGold to 42.6 pct via a placing of 27.9 mln shares.

Elsewhere, Carnival rebounded 22 pence higher to 2,872 following falls in reaction to first quarter results yesterday, aided by Deutsche Bank reiterating its 'buy' advice and 4,500 pence price target on the cruise operator.

And on the M&A front, Gallaher was today's speculative target, up 9-1/2 pence to 857-1/2 as rumours circulated again that the tobacco firm could be a bid target for Japan Tabacco.

Antofogasta has upped its offer for the group by 17 pct to 112 mln usd but dealers thought this would not be enough to deliver a knock-out blow.

On the downside British Airways slid 4-3/4 ...

...ba href=/hyperactivity/a/b disorder in children until more is learned about a possible link to a serious skin disease, federal advisers said Thursday.A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee voted 12-1 against recommending modafinil as safe for children with ADHD.

Earlier Thursday, the psychopharmacologic drugs panel agreed unanimously that the modafinil works in treating ADHD.The FDA is not required to follow the recommendations of its advisory committees but usually does.The committee recommended that Cephalon Inc.

undertake a 3,000-patient trial to determine what risk modafinil may pose for Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.

Drug reactions cause nearly all cases of the sometimes fatal skin disease, which can produce widespread blistering and rashes, according to The Merck Manual.The FDA's drug chief, Dr.

Robert Temple, said one out of roughly 900 children involved in earlier studies of the drug developed the disease.Temple and Cephalon spokeswoman Jenifer Antonacci said the agency and company would discuss the committee's recommendation.

The company does not see a "clear link" between its drug and the skin disease, Antonacci said.

Related coverageVote: Are ADHD drugs overprescribed?

Strongest warnings on ADHD drugs rejectedIn December 1998, the FDA originally approved modafinil, under the brand name Provigil, to treat adults with sleepiness associated with narcolepsy.

The company has proposed calling a higher-dose version of the pill Sparlon when used to treat ADHD.Other drugs already a...