A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Alzheimer's work priority for Wyeth

Wyeth, which is already conducting human trials of three treatments for Alzheimer's Disease, two of them with Irish biotech group Elan, yesterday said it hopes to begin testing at least three more promising treatments this year for the degenerative brain disease.

"We're making Alzheimer's Disease one of our highest priorities at Wyeth, and I'd say at least three more drugs will go into human trials this year," Menelas Pangalos, the company's head of neuroscience discovery, said in an interview.

Mr Pangalos said Wyeth expected one of the two drugs currently in human trials as part of a 50/50 joint venture with Elan - AAB-001 - to win US approval as soon as 2009.

Wyeth and Elan will also co-develop one the drugs about to enter clinical trials, Mr Pangalos said. - (Reuters)

Lucent revenues decline sharply

Lucent Technologies, the US's largest telecoms equipment maker, blamed slowing demand in China and the US for a sharp decline in first-quarter revenues and cut its full-year revenue forecast.

Lucent said it now expected revenues for the year ending in September 2006 to be "essentially flat or increase in the low-single digits". It had previously forecast full-year revenue growth in the low to middle single digits.

The revised figures sent Lucent shares tumbling. The stock, which has fallen 22 per cent over the past year, dropped another 19 cents to $2.52 in early trading. - (Financial Times Service)

€1m enterprise plan launched

Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment Micheál Martin yesterday launched a €1 million Enterprise Development Programme aimed at stimulating the development of new technology businesses in the midlands, west and northwest regions.

Mr Martin welcomed the programme, which is a joint initiative between Enterprise Ireland and FÁS, saying it will greatly support the development of new knowledge-intensive companies.

Oil markets on edge over Iran

Oil prices held near $64 a barrel yesterday as the protracted row over Iran's nuclear program kept markets on edge.

US crude futures settled two cents lower at $63.92 a barrel after trading as low as $63.25 on profit-taking. US oil hit a session peak of $65.05 a barrel on Thursday, the highest level since early October. - (Reuters)

Magners increases UK market share

C&C's brand Magners is growing strongly and increasing its market share in the on-trade cider market in Britain, according to new data from AC Nielsen.

Magners' share of the London cider market in November 2005 was 27.6 per cent, up from 10.4 per cent in the same period in 2004. Its share of the Scottish cider market was 46.1 per cent in November, up from 27.5 per cent in November 2004. Magners' share of the overall British cider market was 12 per cent, compared to 4.4 per cent in November 2004.

Whatmore to be Tyndall chief

Tyndall National Institute in Cork, which specialises in information and communications technology research, yesterday named Prof Roger Whatmore as its first chief executive officer.

Prof Whatmore was previously professor of engineering nanotechnology and head of advanced materials at Cranfield University in the UK.