VENTURE CAPITAL POST

The U.S. administration on Monday dramatically cut expectations for 2015 Obamacare enrollment, saying it aims to have a total of 9.1 million people enrolled in government-backed federal and state health insurance marketplaces next year.

The chief executive of Quest Diagnostics Inc (DGX.N) said his company will stick to its core business of diagnostic testing and is not interested in acquiring a contract research organization (CRO), despite such a planned move by rival diagnostics firm LabCorp (LH.N).

Thermo Fisher Scientific has pledged to correct a glitch in software used to analyze data from clinical drug trials within "four to eight weeks", after independent experts highlighted a potential for errors.

Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, helped by growing sales of its cancer drugs and demand for its medicines in emerging markets, but did not signal any acquisition plans following its recent failed efforts to buy rival British drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc (AZN.L).

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc (VRX.TO) (VRX.N) on Monday said in a letter to Allergan Inc's (AGN.N) board of directors that it was prepared to raise its offer to at least $200 per share but stopped short of doing so.

Vernalis plc today announces that CTI BioPharma Corp. (CTI), a US corporation publicly listed on NASDAQ, replaces the UK venture capital backed Chroma Therapeutics (Chroma) as worldwide licensee of tosedostat. CTI previously held rights to tosedostat in the Americas under a Licence Agreement with Chroma. Chroma no longer retains any ongoing rights or financial interest in tosedostat.

Japan's Fujifilm Holdings Corp said on Monday it would buy 49 percent of Texas-based Kalon Biotherapeutics LLC, which has expertise in manufacturing vaccines used against pandemic influenza, Ebola and other public-health threats.

Australia's CSL Ltd (CSL.AX), the world's largest blood products company, said on Monday it had agreed to buy Novartis AG's (NOVN.VX) global influenza vaccine business for $275 million.

Salesforce Inc is betting big on healthcare, hiring key personnel and ramping up investment in hopes of replacing outmoded medical industry infrastructure and carving out a $1 billion annual business.

Generic drugmaker Actavis Plc and France's Sanofi SA are among the suitors for privately held Omega Pharma NV [COUCKO.UL], Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Hospitals and insurers are expected to give their clearest view yet on whether people are having more surgeries and other medical procedures during the next few weeks when they report earnings, according to investors who are closely watching U.S. medical services use.

Vernalis plc (LSE: VER) today announces it has opened its US office in Berwyn, Pennsylvania and has strengthened its US Executive team with the appointment of Dr Pascal Borderies, as SVP Medical Affairs. A physician by training, Pascal joins Vernalis from Actavis' subsidiary

Vernalis plc today announces that it has licensed worldwide rights in vipadenant (V2006), a small molecule A2A receptor antagonist, to RedoxTherapies Inc (Redox). Vipadenant has the potential to disrupt an immunosuppressive mechanism of tumor protection, generating improved efficacy for immunotherapies of certain cancers when used in combination.

Herbalife Ltd, the marketer of weight-management products, energy drinks and nutrition supplements that has come under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission as well as other agencies, has hired a former FTC official as its chief compliance officer.

A growing middle class and consumers' evolving attitudes toward health and travel have fueled a global spa and wellness industry worth an estimated $3.4 trillion in 2013, according to a report released on Tuesday.