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Lilly CEO Lechleiter's Prasugrel Bet Appears to Pay Off

A few months ago, BNET suggested that Eli Lilly's acquisition of ImClone was a hedge to give the company new revenue sources in the event that its application for blood thinner prasugrel was turned down by the FDA.

An FDA panel today voted 9-0 to approve the drug, just not in patients with a history of stroke and those who are undergoing open-heart surgery. The FDA typically follows such recommendations. It's not as good a label as BMS's Plavix, but ...

... it still means that CEO John Lechleiter's bet appears to be paying off big-time. The company has gone from not having a new drug approved in three years to having a potential blockbuster on the way and a whole new cancer pipeline to enjoy.

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