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Much of the biotech's future rests on the experimental bone drug denosumab, to be sold commercially as Prolia. The drug has had its ups and downs, but Amgen says a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial pitting denosumab against Novartis's Zometa showed that denosumab worked better.

The following is a round-up of news likely to affect stock prices today:

Coca-Cola (KO) reported its fourth quarter earnings climbed 55% to $1.54 billion, or 66 cents a share, on 5% higher revenue of $7.51 billion as strong volume in Latin America and other parts of the world offset a decline in North America. Results were inline with estimates. Shares rose 1.8% in premarket trading.

A new study finds that Singaporeans who drink two or more soft drinks per week had nearly double the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, a rare but very deadly form of cancer that has a 5% survival rate beyond five years.

British medical journal The Lancet formally retracted a flawed study linking vaccines to autism last week, after Britain's General Medical Council ruled that disgraced researcher Andrew Wakefield had acted unethically, dishonestly and irresponsibly in his conduct of the study.

The following is a round-up of news likely to affect stock prices today:

CIT Group Inc. (CIT), one of the nation's largest lenders to small and mid-sized businesses, appointed former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain as chairman and CEO. According to The Wall Street Journal, Thain will make a $500,000 base salary and receive $5.5 million in restricted stock. Thain brokered Merrill Lynch's controversial sale to Bank of America (BAC). The appointment could anger many, while others might just say it's a fitting match -- a disgraced banker who oversaw Merrill's decline and a struggling financial firm.

It's a case when science is stranger than fiction: Some viruses only kill cancer cells. Oncolytics Biotech is starting late-stage trials for a treatment that uses one such reovirus, and if all continues to go well, their new cancer fighter could be on the market in two years.

The following is a round-up of news likely to affect stock prices today:

Aetna (AET) said Friday its fourth-quarter profit fell 15% to $165.9 million, or 38 cents per share, as it continued to struggle with pricing problems and rising medical costs that plagued it in previous quarters. Excluding one-time items, it earned 40 cents per share. Revenue rose 13% to $8.76 billion. Earnings were 2 pennies short of estimates, but revenue topped expectations.

Most Americans looking for health information seek it out online. But while consumers don't have a problem with looking up health information online, they're apparently concerned about security and confidentiality on medical or personal health issues.

The following is a round-up of news likely to affect stock prices today:

Toyota (TM) returned to profit -- of $1.7 billion -- in the latest quarter and raised its annual earnings forecast. For the first time the company gave an estimate for the cost of the global recall -- as much as $2 billion. It also acknowledged design problems with the brakes in the Prius. Analysts warn of a grim outlook as the automaker's reputation suffers. Shares declined over 1% in premarket trade.

Pfizer, the world's biggest pharmaceutical company, posted big jumps in fourth-quarter sales and profit. But it also took a $2.3 billion charge to settle legal claims regarding Bextra and other drugs -- so on an adjusted basis, Pfizer's fourth-quarter earnings actually fell.