Monsanto seeks $100 mln damages from Novartis

(Reuters) - CHICAGO, Aug 3 - Biotech crop company Monsanto Co said on Friday it filed an arbitration claim against Novartis AG's Sandoz unit, seeking to recover at least $100 million in damages it says were caused by Sandoz in suppling a Monsanto product.



St. Louis-based Monsanto said it filed a claim against Sandoz in an international arbitration proceeding, arguing Sandoz' failure to meet U.S. Food and Drug Administration quality standards disrupted supplies to Monsanto.


Read more at Reuters.com Government Filings News

European Stocks Advance; SAP, Roche, Vodafone, Actelion Lead the Gains

(Bloomberg) -- European stocks rose for the first
time in three days after profit from SAP AG and Roche Holding AG
beat analysts' estimates.

SAP and Roche joined Novartis AG among members of the Dow
Jones Stoxx 50 Index to report better-than-expected earnings so
far in this earnings season. Vodafone Group Plc gained after the
mobile-phone company said it added more subscribers than analysts
anticipated. Actelion Ltd. rallied the most in two years after
the biotechnology company said net income almost doubled.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

Harvard's Fishman Focuses Novartis on Rare Disease to Find Arthritis Cure

(Bloomberg) -- Mark Fishman says Novartis AG's most-
productive research may come from a disease called Muckle-Wells
that affects 1,000 people.

Fishman, Harvard University's top cardiologist and
Novartis's head scientist, is determined to uncover whether rare
diseases, such as Muckle-Wells, share some of the same biological
makeup as cancer and arthritis. Since he joined Switzerland's
largest drugmaker four years ago, Fishman has sought to identify
``disease pathways'' in unusual disorders that may help lead
scientists to drugs for more common ones.


Read more at Bloomberg Exclusive News

European Stocks Retreat From 6 1/2 Year High; Novartis, Daimler Pace Drop

(Bloomberg) -- European stocks declined from a 6 1/2-
year high as investors bet share price gains have exceeded
earnings prospects.

Novartis AG and DaimlerChrysler AG paced the drop. Societe
Generale, Axa SA, and STMicroelectronics NV weighed on markets as
they traded without the right to their latest dividend. Capitalia
SpA fell after UniCredit SpA agreed to buy the Italian bank for
21.8 billion euros ($29.5 billion).


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News