And so another busy day winds down. We hope yours was as productive as ours. After all, something is always happening. We even had time to catch lunch with a couple of industry types (and, yes, we paid for ourselves). And now, on to the evening and some bedtime reading with one of the short people. Catch you in the morning…

Hundreds of Florida residents who claim Vioxx caused their strokes or heart attacks were squeezed out the $4.85 billion settlement and have filed a motion to be included, the Associated Press reports. If the motion is successful, people in a half-dozen other states - which, like Florida, give residents more than three years to file personal injury lawsuits - might also be added to the deal. But a Merck lawyer and a plaintiffs’ lawyers say Florida residents waited too long to file suit or to get Merck to extend the deadline. “That train has left the station,” says Russ Herman, the plaintifff’s lawyer.

The FDA warned Novartis that a plant in Marburg, Germany made contaminated vaccines, and the drugmaker failed to find the source of the problems. The agency found significant deviations from good manufacturing practices at the plant, which makes a rabies vaccine, and diphtheria and tetanus concentrates, according to a Jan. 24 letter posted on the FDA web site. The FDA letter cited multiple cases of contamination and non-sterility, and failure to test and determine the origins of the problems.

Lilly reported fourth-quarter profit rose more than sixfold on sales of the Cymbalta antidepressant and the Cialis erectile dysfunction med. Net income rose was $854.4 million, or 78 cents a share, up from $132.3 million, or 12 cents, after adjustments. Revenue rose 22 percent to $5.19 billion, fueled by a 48 percent increase in sales of Cymbalta, Lilly’s fastest-growing medicine. Sid Taurel, the ceo, expects sales of Cymbalta to surpass those of the top-selling Zyprexa antipsychotic this year, Bloomberg News writes.