A balmy morning today in the nation’s medicine chest. Meanwhile, the leaves are turning colors. After gazing out the window, here are a few items to capture your attention…

After four weeks of testimony and a full day of closing arguments, jurors will begin deliberating this morning to decide whether Wyeth is responsible for the breast cancer suffered by three Northern Nevada women who took Prempro, the drugmaker’s hormone replacement drugs, The Reno Gazette-Journal reports.

Novartis has received a consolation prize in its battle over Gleevec in India. A court granted a Novartis appeal and will consider removing a member of the Intellectual Property Appellate Board who was responsible for the original rejection of the Gleevec patent in India, according to Sify.com. Novartis believes the panel member can’t be impartial.

The biotechnology industry is maturing rapidly but faces increasing scrutiny over the price and safety of its medicines, The Star-Ledger of New Jersey reports from Philadelphia, where a conference was held yesterday to promote the region’s biotech businesses.

Finally, antidepressants are increasingly prescribed to menopausal women to treat hot flashes, according to a column in The New York Times, which cites Paxil, Zoloft and Effexor. Wyeth, by the way, is struggling to win FDA approval for a new version of Effexor to treat such symptoms.