Topic: Biotechnology Sector

Is corn syrup killing the honeybees? (+video)

A trio of recent studies faults a common family of corn pesticides for disorienting honeybees, potentially leading to colony collapse disorder. The German chemical company Bayer, which manufactures the pesticides, disagrees.  

Facebook IPO: Are 800 million users worth $100 billion

Facebook, the most successful social network in history, is close to going public, according to one new report. 

Five major SOPA supporters

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its Senate counterpart, the Protect IP Act or PIPA, would allow the US government to seek a court order and even shut down websites that contain content or links “committing or facilitating online piracy.”  Moreover, advertisers and Internet service providers would be banned from doing business with violators.

However, payment and advertising networks, search engines or service providers that take voluntary action to redress detected violations – by terminating businesses with transgressor sites or comply with the law – will be granted immunity from liability charges.

On Sept. 22, 2011, more than 350 trade associations, professional and labor organizations, and businesses signed a letter urging Congress to enact legislation to stop “rogue sites” from copyright infringement.

Here are five key SOPA and PIPA supporters:

Stocks drift higher on yet another slow trading day

The Dow crept up 33 points to close at 12393 as traders waited for quarterly financial results from Alcoa Corp. that might offer clues about the economic recovery.

How genetically engineered caterpillars spin silk stronger than steel

A research team has genetically altered silkworms to spin spider silk proteins, resulting in a fiber that is stronger than steel that can also be mass produced.

Government-regulated health care saves money

Why a federally regulated approach to health care has proven more cost-effective than initiatives aimed at generating private competition

Arab Spring made diamond prices sparkle: fund manager

Wealthy individuals in the Middle East shifted money and assets away from the region to safe havens elsewhere, sometimes in the form of diamonds

Drug labels: Generics don't need warning updates

Drug labels and prescription records decisions by the Supreme Court Thursday favor the pharmaceutical industry. The court ruled that drug labels for generics don't need the same updated warnings that the brand-name makers do.

Supreme Court strikes down law restricting sale of prescription drug info

In a closely-watched case affecting data mining and physicians' privacy, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Vermont cannot stop prescription drug companies from accessing doctors' prescription histories in order to market newer, more expensive drugs.

Bill Gates: $4 billion vaccine pledge historic

Bill Gates calls it historic first that poor nations will get same child vaccines as rich nations. Bill Gates's foundation pledges more than $1 billion toward effort.

Stocks eke out gains, helped by deals

Stocks on the Dow average rose 1 point, only the second rise in stocks in June. Wendy's and VF Corp. deals help buoy sentiment.

Stock market: Corporate deals provide a boost

Stock market opened higher Monday after dipping below 12000 Friday. A number of corporate deals are boosting the stock market.

Top 5 insider trading convictions

Raj Rajaratnam, a wildly successful hedge fund manager, was sentenced and fined Oct. 13 on fraud and conspiracy counts for using insider information to make more than $50 million. Prosecutors called it the largest insider-trading case ever for a hedge fund. So how does his conviction stack up against other insider traders in the United States who were found guilty? Here's a look at the Top 5 convicted insider traders:

Osama bin Laden death may cause stocks to rise

Osama bin Laden death has caused 'exuberance and relief' among investors. The killing of bin Laden, along with strong earnings and a substantial deal in the drug sector, will likely send stocks up.

Supreme Court hears case: Is Vermont restricting drug companies' speech?

Drug companies tell the Supreme Court that by barring access to doctors' drug prescribing records, Vermont is discriminating against the firms' protected commercial speech.

Supreme Court case: Can drug companies buy doctors' prescription data?

Pharmaceutical companies are challenging a Vermont law that bans them from accessing prescription-drug records unless they have the doctor's permission.

Job opportunities on the rise: Five things new college grads should know

Thanks to improved job opportunities, this year’s crop of college graduates won’t have to hit the pavement quite as hard as their counterparts did in the past few years. Read our breakdown of hiring and salary prospects for various industries, college majors, and skill sets.

Parents can't sue drug firms when vaccines cause harm, Supreme Court says

A federal law grants drug companies immunity from certain lawsuits from injuries or deaths tied to vaccines, the US Supreme Court affirmed Tuesday.

Black History Month: 7 wonderful books for kids

Lovely pictures and deft prose bring history to life for young readers first encountering the Civil Rights movement, Gullah heritage, the Underground Railroad, and other chapters of the African American experience.

Government should stay out of the medicine cabinet

Is a drug development center at the NIH is an unwarranted extension of government?

What businesses liked in the State of the Union – and what they didn't

President Obama had chilly relations with US businesses until late 2010. The tone has changed, but they’re waiting to see what happens with some of the proposals in the State of the Union address.

Stock prices to watch: Crossing Wall Street has released their 2011 'Buy List'

Stock prices can look volatile from day to day, so some investors – like those at Crossing Wall Street (CW) – make one reasoned 'buy' decision each year, and stick with it.

When patents kill: Genzyme's patent-protected, life-saving drug

Should intellectual property protect the rights of a pharmaceutical company who can't produce enough of a key medication?