Stocks Buzz: Arena Pharmaceuticals, (ARNA), Amgen, (AMGN) , Biogen Idec (BIIB), Cubist Pharmaceuticals (CBST)

U.S stock: After a robust snap-back rally last week, U.S. stocks struggled to keep momentum on Monday in a holiday-shortened week.

Stock-market volumes are expected to be thin ahead of the Christmas Day holiday on Thursday. Christmas Eve typically sees the lowest trading volumes of the year as investors check out early or take the day off. U.S. stock markets close 1 p.m. Eastern Time on Dec. 24 and are closed on Dec. 25. But it’s business as usual on New Year’s Eve.

The S&P 500 SPX, +0.01%  hovered near the flatline. Gains in technology, industrials and customer discretionary stocks were slightly outweighing sharp losses in energy and health-care companies. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.44%  was outperforming the main benchmark, with 26 of its 30 components trading higher. The Nasdaq Composite COMP, +0.07%  was also edging up.

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARNA) declared that the US Patent and Trademark Office granted Arena U.S. Patent No. 8,895,776, entitled "Modulators of the Prostacyclin (PGI2) Receptor Useful for the Treatment of Disorders Related Thereto," covering ralinepag (formerly APD811), an orally available agonist of the prostacyclin (IP) receptor. Ralinepag is an investigational drug candidate being developed by Arena for the treatment of vasospastic diseases such as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN) and LabCentral, an innovative, shared laboratory space designed as a launchpad for life-sciences and biotech startups, declared a contract in which Amgen has become a LabCentral platinum sponsor. As part of the sponsorship contract, Amgen can nominate up to two promising life-sciences and biotech startup companies per year to take up residence in LabCentral's Kendall Square facilities.

Biogen Idec Inc (NASDAQ:BIIB) presented data supported its accepted hemophilia therapies at the 56th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) take place in San Francisco, December 6-9. The company has presented seven abstracts, including two oral presentations, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to advance innovative science in hematology, with the goal of addressing significant clinical needs and improved patient care.

Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:CBST) declared the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted ZERBAXA™ (ceftolozane/tazobactam) for the treatment of adults with complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI) and complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAI) caused by designated susceptible Gram-negative bacteria.

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Arena Pharmaceuticals, NASDAQ:ARNA, Amgen, NASDAQ:AMGN , Biogen Idec, NASDAQ:BIIB, Cubist Pharmaceuticals, NASDAQ:CBST ,  ARNA, AMGN, BIIB, CBST