The markets opened mixed with the Dow rising 12 points to 12,227 while Nasdaq lost 9 points to 2756 as crude oil prices edged up.
On the upside
Aeterna Zentaris (Nasdaq: AEZS) entered a development, commercialization and marketing agreement with Yakult Honsha for Aeterna Zentaris' anti-cancer compound perifosine in Japan.
The Food and Drug Administration approved Hospira's (NYSE: HSP) docetaxel, a generic version of Sanofi Aventis' (NYSE: SNY) cancer treatment Taxotere.
Hercules Offshore (Nasdaq: HERO) reported a loss for the fourth quarter that was narrower than expected.
On the downside
