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| | Vanda looks pretty but may be left on the shelf | Health | Reuters |
 | | The company recently hired JP Morgan to negotiate a deal, and a spokesman for Vanda says there is "a significant amount" of interest from pharmaceuticals companies, many of whom are in dire need of products that are in late-stage development. |
 | | But industry skeptics say the bankers will have their work cut out, as Vanda's main product, an experimental schizophrenia drug, has no proven advantages over existing treatments, and roughly a quarter of its sales will be siphoned off by Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG (NOVN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research under the terms of a licensing agreement. |
 | | Investors are betting that Vanda's experimental schizophrenia drug, iloperidone, will be approved and will be a success, and that the company, which currently has a market value of about $713 million, will command a price of more than $1 billion in an acquisition. |
| www.reuters.com /article/health-SP/idUSN2050080520070220 (523 words) |
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