Important news from Selina

BRIEF-Check Point Software Q4, 2011 outlook

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:37:04 -0400

* Q4 revenue view $354 mln, non-GAAP EPS view $0.81 -Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S* Sees 2011 revenue $1.238-$1.25 bln, non-GAAP EPS $2.83-$2.86* 2011 revenue view $1.24 bln, non-GAAP EPS $2.82 -Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S

Sequenom launches safer test for Down Syndrome

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:46:36 -0400

These tests, which can be done when a woman is 10 to 12 weeks pregnant, increase the risk of miscarriage.Sequenom’s MaterniT21 test only needs the mother’s blood to detect a chromosomal abnormality that causes Down Syndrome and the test can also be used as early as the tenth week of pregnancy.The company claimed the test was 99.1 percent accurate.This compares with an 85-90 percent accuracy rate for other blood tests, used in conjunction with ultrasounds, after 11 weeks of pregnancy and the near-certain detection rates of the invasive procedures.Sequenom’s MaterniT21 test detects a genetic chromosomal anomaly known as Trisomy 21, the most common cause of Down Syndrome, the company said.Privately held Verinata Health Inc poses the most competitive threat for Sequenom’s test and is expected to launch a similar product in the first quarter 2012, analyst Zarak Khurshid of Wedbush Securities told Reuters.Privately-held Gene Security Network is also currently testing its prenatal diagnostic test to detect chromosomal anomalies by analyzing fragments of fetal DNA.Down Syndrome is a chromosomal disorder that affects infants, resulting in impaired cognitive ability and abnormal facial features.In 2009, Sequenom faced a scandal related to mishandling of key clinical data with another Down Syndrome test that led to the removal of its top management, including the then CEO and research chief, followed by legal and regulatory probes.

UPDATE 1- St. Joe names new CEO

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:17:39 -0400

* Brady to not receive additional compensationOct 13 (Reuters) - Real estate developer St. Joe Co appointed current Chief Operation Officer Park Brady as its chief executive.On Feb. 28. the company had said CEO Britt Greene was stepping down “in light of the feedback the board of directors has received”.Brady, 64, had earlier served as the CEO of ResortQuest, a unit of Wyndham Vacation Rentals .St. Joe, which owns about 574,000 acres, mostly in Northwest Florida said the new CEO will not receive additional compensation.Shares of Watersound, Florida-based St. Joe closed at $15.30 on Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange.