As the race continues for marketing clearance of a therapy for hereditary angioedema, the specialty pharma firm Kos Life Sciences has put its chips on Jerini AG, of Berlin, paying the company 22 million (about US$27 million) for rights to develop, market and distribute the Phase III compound Icatibant. (BioWorld Today)

Though still haunted by questions about its management's handling of flu vaccine production, Chiron Corp. got a not-unexpected Halloween treat from Novartis AG, which upped to $5.1 billion its offer to buy out the company - and this time Chiron is recommending that shareholders approve. (BioWorld Today)