Monday's Health Winners & Losers

Health indices were glum Monday after regulatory and clinical updates and earnings results did little to help.

The Food and Drug Administration extended the goal date to complete its review for Sciele Pharma's(SCRX) new lower-dose, blood sugar-controlling Sular formulation to Jan. 2. Shares fell $1.75, or 7.5%, to $21.63.

Novacea(NOVC) dove Monday after terminating a late-stage study on its lead investigational prostate cancer therapy due to the imbalance of deaths between treatment arms. The company also put a phase II study on Asentar in pancreatic cancer on hold. Shares fell $4.39, or 61%, to $2.80.

Eli Lilly(LLY) said Sunday that in a head-to-head study its blood thinner Plasigrul showed a 19% reduction in risk for the composite endpoint of cardiovascular death, non-fatal heart attack or non-fatal stroke compared with Plavix, but also showed an increase in bleeding. Lilly said that overall, for every 1,000 people treated with prasugrel compared to Plavix in the study, there were 23 fewer heart attacks and an additional six major bleeding complications.

HSBC cut its rating for Lilly to underweight from neutral and changed its price target to $47 from $59.

Shares were down 67 cents, or 1.3%, to $52. Lilly is a component of the Amex pharmaceutical index, which was down 0.74, or 0.2%, to 343.89.