Thursday's Health Winners & Losers

The Food and Drug Administration dealt out approvals and delays Thursday setting some health stocks awry.

The FDA requested more safety data before it would approve migraine treatment Trexima, sending Pozen Pharmaceuticals(POZN) plummeting. Pozen lost $7.53, or 43%, to $9.92.

But positive phase III data launched Pharmion(PHRM) 58.5% on Thursday. The company's Vidaza for treatment of high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) performed well against conventional care regimens (CCR) in the late-stage trial. Pharmion gained $14.42, to $39.06.

Also, CryCor(CRYO) rose after the FDA granted it premarket approval for its Cardiac Cryoablation System for the treatment of right atrial flutter. The company, which specializes in medical devices to treat cardiac arrhythmias, said it wills ell the system in the U.S. in the next several months. CryCor said more than 200,000 patients per year in the U.S. are diagnosed with this condition. The stock rose 44 cents, or 10.5%, to $4.64.

Watson Pharmaceuticals(WPI) said Thursday that CEO Allen Chao is retiring. Barr Pharmaceuticals'(BRL) Chief Operating Officer Paul Bisaro will replace him.

The company also gave quarterly results Thursday, reporting adjusted earnings of $37.9 million, or 34 cents a share, compared to a net loss of $25.9 million, or 24 cents a share, in the year-ago quarter. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expected the company to earn 27 cents a share.

Watson's shares were up $1.34, or 4.4%, at $31.69, and Barr edged 66 cents, or 1.3%, higher to $52.43.