Cephalon has launched a national consumer awareness campaign and educational program to address the dangers, and responsible uses, of opioid medications.

Schering-Plough and GlaxoSmithKline have awarded the consumer advertising business for Levitra to Havas' Euro RSCG Life

Lilly will pay $62 million to 32 states investigating the company over its marketing of Zyprexa, an antipsychotic drug indicated for schizophrenia and some forms of bipolar disorder.

Boston-based agency Partners and Simons is launching a health practice with accounts from Genzyme Biosurgery, Charles River Laboratories, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and Capital District Physicians Health Plan of New York.

According to an internal memo, Pfizer is planning to end efforts to develop new heart disease medications, Forbes reported, while also scaling back R&D for anemia, osteoporosis, liver, muscle, obesity and peripheral artery disease treatments.

Allscripts Healthcare Solutions sold its Physicians Interactive emarketing business to Perseus, LLC, a private investment firm, reportedly for $11.5 million. The sale comes as Allscripts and Misys Healthcare seek a new lender to finance their pending merger following the collapse of Lehman Brothers.

Oriel Therapeutics, a specialty pharma concentrated on respiratory care, has appointed Richard Fuller as CEO, effective immediately. Fuller was formerly a senior executive at GlaxoSmithKline, and was most recently executive vice president of research and development at Aerovance.

Johnson & Johnson's anemia drug Procrit has been linked to death in some patients, according to a new study.

Merck has ended a research collaboration agreement with Surmodics Inc, a drug delivery systems provider.

ValueClick announced the launch of AdRX Media, a premium health and wellness online advertising network.