Here are 2 brief news for your quick update:

• GSK sets to buy Stiefel Labs
• US FDA to allow 'morning-after' pill for Young Women

• GSK sets to buy Stiefel Labs
GSK PLC will be spending US$2.9billion in the purchase of Stiefel Labs, a privately held dermatology company with a  production facilities in Singapore. The deal was struck after Stiefel allegedly offer itself to be auctioned. The Florida-based company is part-owned by Backstone group when Stiefel acquired another dermatology company Connectics in 2006 for US$640 million. With this purchase, GSK will further consolidate its speciality business line in dermatology. About 70% of Stiefel’s claimed SS$900 million sales came from prescription while 30% from non-Rx sales. GSK will further assume about US$400 million of Stiefel’s debt in this deal. GSK's existing prescription dermatological products will be combined with Stiefel's and the new specialist global business will operate under the Stiefel identity within the GSK Group.

• US FDA to allow 'morning-after' pill for Young Women
Women's groups cheered the government's decision to allow 17-year-olds to buy the "morning-after" emergency contraceptive without a doctor's prescription, but conservatives denounced it as a blow to parental supervision of teens. The US FDA it would accept, not appeal, a federal judge's order that lifts Bush administration restrictions limiting over-the-counter sales of "Plan B" to women 18 and older. Women's groups said the FDA's action was long overdue, since the agency's own medical reviewers had initially recommended that the contraceptive be made available without any age restrictions. The FDA's latest action does not mean that Plan B will be immediately available to 17-year-olds. The manufacturer must first submit a request.

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