SAN DIEGO and INDIANAPOLIS, August 27 /PRNewswire/ --

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMLN) and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) in a conference call today provided context and additional information regarding the August 18, 2008 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) update to a prior alert for BYETTA(R) (exenatide) injection referencing pancreatitis. The companies were aware of the pancreatitis cases referenced in the alert, as well as others, and previously reported these cases to the FDA. The complete conference call replay will be available through Amylin's and Lilly's corporate websites after the call.

FRIMLEY, England, August 27 /PRNewswire/ --

- Guidance Secures Access to Ranibizumab for all Suitable Patients on the NHS

- NICE Confirms Final Details of Innovative Ranibizumab Reimbursement Scheme

- Novartis Prepares for Nationwide Roll-out of Scheme Across England and Wales

Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd (Novartis) today welcomed the Final National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Technology Appraisal Guidance for age-related macular degeneration.

WASHINGTON, August 26 /PRNewswire/ --

Crude oil prices "could" fall below US$100 per barrel over the next 18 months on slowing worldwide demand and an increase in oil production, Energy Information Administration (EIA) chief Guy Caruso said Tuesday.

Caruso made the comment to reporters at the Platts Energy Podium in Washington.

"I think [prices] could fall below US$100 a barrel on slowing global demand and rising production in the US, Brazil and Canada, and from OPEC states such as Saudi Arabia and Angola," Caruso said.

Scientific happenings, big and small, on this day in history…

But first, today’s quiz:
What event, which took place on this day in 1883, produced the most violent explosion known in human history? You probably know the answer; it’s just a matter of thinking about it for a moment. But just to be sure, you can check the answer at the end of the article.

And on to other historic happenings…

PEMBROKE, Bermuda, August 26 /PRNewswire/ --

Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, Ltd (NYSE: AWH) today announced the appointment of Patrick de Saint-Aignan to its Board of Directors. Mr. de Saint-Aignan has over 30 years experience in investment banking.

Allied World President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Carmilani commented, "We welcome Patrick to our Board of Directors. He has tremendous experience in financial services and will bring a wealth of knowledge to both our Board and our company."

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, August 26 /PRNewswire/ --

Elekta recently announced that it has received CE Mark clearance to distribute Elekta Compact(TM), the latest addition to its line of treatment systems, offering clinicians an easy to implement, more affordable solution for radiation therapy. CE Mark clearance from the European Union certifies Elekta Compact has met health, safety and environmental requirements for consumer safety.

Elekta Compact was developed to address the demanding clinical requirements in emerging markets, which require a low energy system that can be dedicated to specialized cases. Its ultra-compact design also makes it more accessible to clinicians who want to provide their patients with optimal radiation therapy care.

DALLAS, Texas, August 26 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) today announced that leading industry analyst firm Gartner, Inc. has positioned AT&T in the Leaders Quadrant of its Managed and Professional Network Service Providers, Worldwide (1) report.

I usually limit my book reviews to Goodreads or Shelfari but this one deserves much more attention. In Happy Accidents: Serendipity in Modern Medical Breakthroughs; When Scientists Find What They're NOT Looking for, Morton Meyers reviews examples of the unpredictability of scientific progress. This could just be a collection of interesting anecdotes - and some of the stories are truly fascinating. My favorite is probably the discovery of platinum compounds for the treatment of cancer.

LONDON, August 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Falcon Copiers Plc is a leading national supplier of photocopiers, printers and document management systems and this year celebrate 15 years in business.

The company was set up in 1993 by Richard Guttfield and Robert Kedgley and are now one of the 'top ten' Canon authorised dealerships in the UK.

The past 3 years have seen remarkable growth from GBP1.7 million to GBP5.7 million with profitability increased 4 fold. What exactly has been the reason for the success in recent years?

Robert Kedgley puts the success down to 4 factors:

"We have a great team of people here at Falcon, all of whom are dedicated to making sure that our customers get the very best experience in dealing with us.

ELMSHORN, Germany, August 26 /PRNewswire/ --

- Home Automation, Video Surveillance and Energy Efficiency in Focus

Shuttle Inc., market leader in the Mini PC segment and maker of multi form factor solutions grants a first-look at the innovations to be showcased at IFA in Berlin, Germany. Complete Mini PC solutions ranging from Home-Computing, Home-Media and Home-Terminal will be on display awaiting the visitors.