Dawn of the Geeks

Leerink Swann & Company Initiates Coverage of Avanir Pharmaceuticals (AMEX: AVN)

This morning, Senior Biotechnology Analyst, William Tanner, Ph.D., initiated coverage of Avanir Pharmaceuticals (AMEX: AVN) with an Outperform rating. His investment rating is based on his research that Avanir’s agent for pseudobulbar affect (PBA), Neurodex(TM), could be used with nearly half of the patients with PBA, implying a market opportunity in excess of $250 million, as supported by MEDACorp survey findings.

Industry Recognizes Provident Energy for Efficient Operating Cost Management

Provident Energy Trust (Provident) (TSX:PVE.UN) PVX was awarded a Canadian Upstream Achievement Award for Western Canadian Operations today at Ziff Energy Group’s 2005 North American Gas Strategies Conference. The award recognizes the fact that Provident, despite its fields’ declining production, has been able to maintain the same unit operating costs (dollars per barrel of oil equivalent) by focusing on operations that reduce total costs.