• Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd., of Tokyo, gained approval of Lixiana (edoxaban) in Japan. Edoxaban is a once-daily oral anticoagulant that reversibly and directly inhibits enzyme Factor Xa for the prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients with total knee arthroplasty, total hip arthroplasty and hip fracture surgery.

• Inspire Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Raleigh, N.C., postponed its annual stockholders' meeting indefinitely due to its recently disclosed merger agreement with Monarch Transaction Corp., a subsidiary of Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based Merck & Co. Inc. The deal values Inspire at $5 per share, or about $430 million. (See BioWorld Today, April 6, 2011.)

• Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc., of Mississauga, Ontario, issued a statement to shareholders of Frazer, Pa.-based Cephalon Inc., in which Valeant said that Cephalon has not engaged with Valeant "despite what we believe to be a compelling all-cash $73 per share offer," and added it has repeatedly said the offer price could increase. Cephalon filed a definitive consent revocation statement last week with the SEC urging shareholders to reject Valeant's proposal to remove Cephalon's entire board and replace them with Valeant-picked nominees. Valeant's offer would value Cephalon at about $5.7 billion. (See BioWorld Today, April 6, 2011, and April 7, 2011.)