The fates and fortunes of biotechnology firms can be as twisted as any crime novel's plot, but the treasure at the center of the action - some novel drug or set of patents - often remains preserved, like the jewel sought by desperate characters of fiction. (BioWorld Financial Watch)

Vicuron Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s stock soared 21.9 percent Thursday after the firm said it would seek regulatory approval later this year on favorable data from a Phase III program of once-weekly dalbavancin in skin and soft-tissue infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria. (BioWorld Today)