States sue Amgen, alleging drug kickback scheme
Thousand Oaks-based Amgen faces a lawsuit from New York, California and 13 other states alleging that the company took illegal kickbacks for Aranesp, one of the biotech firm’s top-selling kidney drugs. The case, filed Oct. 29 in federal court and being led by New York, accuses Amgen, a purchasing group and a wholesale provider of Read More →
Dole shares fall after IPO
Produce giant Dole Food Co.’s initial public offering has borne less fruit than the company hoped. The Westlake Village firm’s shares fell Oct. 23 after hitting the market at a lower-than-expected price, a possible sign that investors feel billionaire majority owner David Murdock overreached in tapping the public markets to pay off some of his Read More →
Navy Secretary unveils plans for Green Fleet
[Editor’s note: Correction appended below.] Calling for a “Green Fleet,” U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus outlined an ambitious goal to use non-fossil fuels to produce half of the energy for the U.S. Navy’s sea and shore vehicles at an Oct. 22 event in Santa Barbara. In a speech hosted by the Santa Barbara Read More →
UCSB skilled trade union agrees to furlough days
A union representing skilled-trade workers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, has agreed to share the pain of state budget cuts at the school. Over the next year, about 85 electricians, mechanics, plumbers, locksmiths and other trade workers at UCSB will take the same furlough days as non-union university employees, the school said in Read More →
Breaking news: Amgen drug approval withheld
Amgen suffered a setback Oct. 19 as federal regulators withheld approval of a new drug that investors hope will be the Thousand Oaks company’s next blockbuster. The Food and Drug Administration held up approval for denosumab, a treatment for bone loss in older women. Federal regulators want more information on how Amgen will monitor the Read More →
Feds order Los Padres Bank to raise capital
The parent company of Solvang-based Los Padres Bank has been hit with a cease and desist order and faces a series of deadlines to raise capital. Harrington West Financial Group, which owns Los Padres and other banking operations, reported on Oct. 16 that it consented to the entry of a cease and desist order from Read More →
Dole expected to raise up to $575M in IPO
Westlake Village-based Dole Food Co. said Oct. 13 its initial public offering is expected to raise up to $575 million by selling nearly 36 million shares for between $13 and $15 each. With $7.6 billion in 2008 revenue, Dole is the largest private company in the Tri-Counties. The company was public until 2003, when owner Read More →
