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ChangeQuakes Of The Week

July 24, 2006

TOP CHANGEQUAKES OF THE WEEK
** AMD Confirms Plans To Buy ATI
** Veto Won't End Stem-Cell Research
** 1.5 Million Injured By Medication Errors Annually
** HCA Agrees To $21.3 Billion Buyout

MORE CHANGEQUAKES TO WATCH

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TOP CHANGEQUAKES OF THE WEEK

AMD Confirms Plans To Buy ATI

(CORPORATE CHANGEQUAKE) -- Advanced Micro Devices said it will pay $5.4 billion to acquire top graphics chip maker ATI Technologies, as Intel Corp.'s biggest rival in the market for personal-computer microprocessors attempts to expand its product portfolio.

abcnews.go.com

Related Story: AMD Drops Desktop Processor Prices By 47%
www.tgdaily.com

Veto Won't End Stem-Cell Research

(REGULATORY CHANGEQUAKE) -- President Bush's veto last week of a measure that would have expanded federal funding of research involving human embryonic stem cells promises to prolong years of sparring about whether the work promotes the destruction of life.

www.thestate.com

Related Stories: EU Will Fund Human Stem Cell Research
www.usatoday.com

Stem Cell Cheat Sheet
www.wired.com

1.5 Million Injured By Medication Errors Annually

(DISCOVERY CHANGEQUAKE) -- Medication errors injure at least 1.5 million Americans annually, costing the nation more than $3.5 billion a year, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

www.forbes.com

HCA Agrees To $21.3 Billion Buyout

(CORPORATE CHANGEQUAKE) -- The board of HCA Inc. is recommending the nation's largest for-profit hospital operator accept a $21.3 billion deal to take the company private in one of the largest leveraged buyouts ever.

www.modbee.com

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MORE CHANGEQUAKES TO WATCH

TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGEQUAKES

Study Finds Fuel Cells Being 'Neglected' By Industry And Government

A new study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council outlines that the development of hydrogen fuel cells has been ignored through insufficient support from both industry and the government.

www.scenta.co.uk

Related Story: Connecticut Company Touts Progress In Hydrogen Power
www.fuelcellsworks.com

U.S. Government Begins Testing Roof-Top Solar Modules

With roof-top solar photovoltaic (PV) systems rapidly growing in popularity, the U.S. government is stepping into the PV module testing arena, beginning with a new testing facility at the federal government's Building and Fire Research Laboratory

renewableenergyaccess.com


CORPORATE CHANGEQUAKES

Microsoft Confirms Rumored iPod Rival

Microsoft has confirmed that it will sell a music and entertainment product later this year under the brand name "Zune," the first of a family of devices designed to compete head-to-head with the dominant Apple iPod.

seattletimes.nwsource.com

Related Stories: Microsoft Exec: Vista Delay Could Mean $200 Million To $400 Million Hit
informationweek.com

Microsoft To Buy Back $40 Billion Of Shares
www.usatoday.com

Microsoft, Nortel Partner To Build Phone Software
today.reuters.com

Source: Apple To Announce iTunes Movie Rentals

Apple Computer is poised to launch a new iPod nano music player and a movie rental service in August at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference, according to Apple sources.

www.earthtimes.org


REGULATORY CHANGEQUAKES

Wiretapping Suit Against AT&T May Go Forward

A judge denied requests by the federal government and AT&T to dismiss a lawsuit claiming AT&T broke the law by assisting the National Security Agency's efforts in eavesdropping on millions of Americans' communications.

www.informationweek.com


FDA APPROVAL CHANGEQUAKES

FDA To Regulate Advisors' Financial Ties To Drug Makers

The FDA plans to write new guidelines specifying when outside scientists and doctors serving on agency advisory panels should be disqualified because of conflicts of interest, and the agency is also considering whether to make more information available to the public from advisory committee members' financial disclosures.

www.fda.gov

FDA Names Director For Pandemic Preparedness

The FDA has created a new position for directing the evaluation of products for emerging and pandemic disease threats and has named veteran staff member Mark Goldberger, M.D., to fill it. Goldberger has been appointed "medical director for emerging and pandemic disease threats" in the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

www.cidrap.umn.edu

FDA Issues Warning On Mixing Antidepressants And Migraine Drugs

Mixing common migraine drugs with antidepressants can trigger a life-threatening condition called serotonin-syndrome, the FDA has warned.

www.medpagetoday.com


DISCOVERY CHANGEQUAKES

New Hope For Alzheimer's Cure

Australian scientists have developed a once-a-day pill that they claim may cure Alzheimer's disease. Human trials of the drug start next month.

www.news.com.au