Alnylam says gene-blocker cut infection rate 38%

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. showed for the first time that its gene-blocking molecules, based on Nobel Prize-winning technology, can cut infections in humans. The drug, ALN-RSV01, given to 88 people before and after intentional exposure to a common lung virus, lowered infections by about 38 percent, the Cambridge company said. It was safe and well-tolerated, the company said. Alnylam holds rights to make drugs using RNA interference, or RNAi, that can stop harmful genes from making proteins. (Bloomberg)

Shares of Sepracor Inc. fell to a four-year low after the Marlborough company said it swung to a fourth-quarter loss, due to a hefty drug licensing payment, and cut its full-year 2008 earnings outlook. Sepracor, a research-based pharmaceutical company, fell $1.37, or 6 percent, to $21.47, after hitting a 52-week low of $21.36 earlier. The quarterly loss was $5 million, or 5 cents per share, compared with profit of $95.2 million, or 82 cents per share, a year ago. Revenue fell 4 percent to $340 million from $353.3 million. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial, on average, expected profit of 53 cents per share, on revenue of $341.3 million. The company also said it plans to restate financial results back to 2005 to reduce the amount of product revenue earned, due to government drug pricing. (AP)

Notices are going out to millions of customers who may have had credit card information compromised in a data breach at stores such as T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. The notices contain information about eligibility for compensation such as vouchers and credit monitoring to be provided under a proposed settlement with Framingham-based TJX Cos. Mailings and newspaper and magazine notices began yesterday in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico under an order by the federal court in Boston handling a consumer lawsuit. The court hopes to reach people who made purchases or returned items during a breach that is believed to have begun in mid-2005 but wasn't detected until December 2006. (AP)

Northrop Grumman and the maker of Airbus planes beat out Boeing Co. to win a $35 billion government contract to build as many as 179 military refueling planes, the Air Force said. The selection of Northrop Grumman and its European-based partner, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., came as a surprise to industry and government officials. The Air Force said the larger size of the Northrop-EADS aircraft tipped the balance in its favor. It is a big blow to Boeing, which has been supplying the refueling tankers for nearly 50 years and had been expected to win the deal. (AP)

Regulators and aircraft manufacturers are not keeping adequate tabs on the quality of plane parts made domestically and abroad, potentially raising risks, government investigators said in a report. The Transportation Department's inspector general's office said the Federal Aviation Administration has failed to conduct enough audits to determine whether manufacturers' quality assurance systems are working. Investigators found "widespread discrepancies" at 20 of 21 suppliers they reviewed, including the age of equipment used to make parts and the frequency of product testing prior to shipping parts to plane manufacturers. There are 15 countries - including Turkey, Pakistan, and India - that produce parts for US aircraft manufacturers without bilateral trade agreements. The inspector general said FAA officials in December agreed with most of the findings and recommendations after seeing a draft of the report. (AP)

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. said fourth-quarter profit fell almost 18 percent as its companies linked to construction were hurt by nationwide housing woes, and the company generated smaller insurance underwriting profits and investment gains. Earnings were $2.95 billion, or $1,904 per share, down from $3.58 billion, or $2,323 per share, in the year-ago period. (AP)