Biotech Busine$$ Daily (BNT, TEVA, BPAX, NCST, RPRX, VRTX)

Bentley Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NYSE: BNT) will be purchased by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NASDAQ: TEVA) for $360 million. Bentley shareholders will receive $15 per share and an undisclosed amount of shares in CPEX Pharmaceuticals, a drug-delivery Bentley spin-off. Bentley sells about 130 products in Spain and the transaction will allow Teva to meet its strategic Spain target. Bentley is up 15% to $15.70 on a 52-week range of $8.06 to $15.89. Teva is up marginally, almost 2% to $46.81 on the announcement. Their 52-week range is $35.90 to $50.00.

BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: BPAX) announced Friday they are to begin Phase III late stage studies for their “Viagra for Women” treatment, LibiGel, which attempts to remedy a loss of libido in women. Shares are not stimulated, down by $0.55, a 12% drop, to $4.13. The 52-week range is $2.05 to $8.00.

Nucryst Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: NCST) up over by over $0.60, a whopping 60% jump, to $1.64 in mid-day trading on new news. Friday, the stock dropped $0.50 to a new 52-week low. This volatile infection and inflammation biotech company has a 52-week range of $1.01 to $1.85.

Repros Therapeutics (NASDAQ: RPRX) reported some interim safety results from its ongoing One-Year open label study of its Proellex(R) for the indicated treatment of uterine fibroids.  Its shares are up 2.4% today.  We just covered this one in our weekly "10 Stocks Under $10" subscriber newsletter this morning ahead of the news.  It’s still under that $10.00 threshold, for now.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (VRTX) and their hepatitis C competitor, Schering-Plough, released clinical data on their respective drugs today. Schering-Plough’s drug, boceprevir, did not stack up to Vertex’s previously presented similar clinical data, hinting that Schering-Plough may not be as big as a competitor in the market as previously expected. Paired with positive results on Vertex’s drug, the stock is up almost 20% to $22.34 in mid-day trading. The 52-week range is $19.99 to $22.61.

Rachel Lopez
March 31, 2008