GOTHENBURG, Sweden, February 21 /PRNewswire/ -- With two successful international product launches, Swedish biotech firm Cellectricon is entering a new expansion phase. The share issue will strengthen Cellectricon's financial capacity prior to a number of significant product launches in 2008-2009. These products have been developed in close collaboration with leading global pharmaceutical companies to meet the industry's increasing demand for fully automated, highly efficient systems for pre-clinical pharmaceutical development.

CHARENTON-LE-PONT, France, February 21 /PRNewswire/ --

- New Acquisitions in Canada and Puerto Rico

Essilor is pursuing its external growth strategy with three new acquisitions.

The Company is stepping up its development in Eastern Europe by setting up operations in Bulgaria. Its new subsidiary Essilor Bulgaria Eood has acquired Optymal Ood, which currently distributes Essilor lenses and instruments in Bulgaria and has sales of nearly EUR1 million. The acquisition will enable the Company to enhance its competitive position in the fast growing corrective lens market, especially the progressive lens segment.

PHILADELPHIA and LONDON, February 21 /PRNewswire/ --

- Report Examines Recent Developments at Major Patenting Authorities Worldwide

Thomson Scientific, part of The Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC) and leading provider of information solutions to the worldwide research and business communities, has published its 2008 Patent Focus Report. Authored by Joff Wild, editor of Intellectual Asset Management magazine, and published in Thomson Scientific's KnowledgeLink(SM) eNewsletter, this report explores recent activities at each of the world's major patenting authorities (USA, Europe, Japan, China and India). The report is available free at scientific.thomson.com/newsletter.

PHILADELPHIA and LONDON, February 21 /PRNewswire/ --

- New content expands English-language coverage of Asian patent data via Derwent World Patents Index and provides essential resources for prior art research

ROCKVILLE, Maryland, February 20 /PRNewswire/ --

- CJ Acquires Cur Stock for Rights to Spinal Cells in Future

LONDON, February 20 /PRNewswire/ --

- Breakthroughs in Secure Information Sharing on the Agenda

At this year's Defence IT 08 conference, members of the Transglobal Secure Collaboration Program (TSCP) will discuss issue and opportunities in secure information sharing in mission-critical environments, with an emphasis on how the obstacles are being overcome.

The session, moderated by John Taylor, Director General Information at the Ministry of Defence, will offer attendees a first-hand look at how organizations like BAE SYSTEMS, Rolls-Royce, the U.K. Ministry of Defence and the U.S. Department of Defense are working together on initiatives such as secure e-mail, identity federation, online collaboration and digital rights management.