Health and Healthcare

National Employee Morale Day At XenoPort (XNPT)

Biotech firm XenoPort (XNPT) will lay-off half of its employees. The company lists 219 full-time workers.

On February 17, the FDA rejected a restless leg syndrome drug being developed by XenoPort and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) because of a potential link to cancer found in rats. Six research firms downgraded the stock including DeutscheBank and Citigroup. XenoPort’s stock dropped from $20 to under $7 in a day.

To make shareholders feel better Ronald W. Barrett, Ph.D., XenoPort’s chief executive officer said, “We are fortunate to have a number of product candidates in clinical development as well as several other advanced preclinical compounds that can be developed.” But, there is apparently not enough potential in the candidates to keep the staff intact.

Dr. Barrett made $1.9 million last year, according to the company’s proxy. He had to fire a lot of people to cover that.

Douglas A. McIntyre

Travel Cards Are Getting Too Good To Ignore

Credit card companies are pulling out all the stops, with the issuers are offering insane travel rewards and perks.

We’re talking huge sign-up bonuses, points on every purchase, and benefits like lounge access, travel credits, and free hotel nights. For travelers, these rewards can add up to thousands of dollars in flights, upgrades, and luxury experiences every year.

It’s like getting paid to travel — and it’s available to qualified borrowers who know where to look.

We’ve rounded up some of the best travel credit cards on the market. Click here to see the list. Don’t miss these offers — they won’t be this good forever.

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