Agreements, Orphan Drug Designations, and Management Changes - Analyst Notes on Medtronic, DARA BioSciences, Sequenom, AcelRx and Pernix

NEW YORK, June 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Today, Analysts Review released its analysts' notes regarding Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT), DARA BioSciences, Inc (NASDAQ: DARA), Sequenom Inc. (NASDAQ: SQNM), AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACRX) and Pernix Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTX). Private wealth members receive these notes ahead of publication. To reserve complementary membership, limited openings are available at: http://www.analystsreview.com/3874-100free.

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Medtronic, Inc. Analyst Notes
On June 15, 2014, Medtronic, Inc. (Medtronic) announced that the Company, along with Covidien plc, has entered into a definitive agreement under which the Company will acquire Covidien in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at $93.22 per Covidien share, or a total of approximately $42.9 billion, based on Medtronic's closing stock price of $60.70 per share as of June 13, 2014. Additionally, the Board of Directors of both companies have unanimously approved of the transaction. Commenting on the acquisition, Medtronic Chairman and CEO, Omar Ishrak, stated, "We are excited to reach this agreement with Covidien, which further advances our mission to alleviate pain, restore health and extend life for patients around the world. This acquisition will allow Medtronic to reach more patients, in more ways and in more places." The Company stated that the transaction is expected to close in Q4 2014 or early 2015. The full analyst notes on Medtronic are available to download free of charge at:

http://www.analystsreview.com/Jun-19-2014/MDT/report.pdf

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DARA BioSciences, Inc Analyst Notes
On June 16, 2014, DARA BioSciences, Inc. (DARA BioSciences) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation to the experimental compound KRN5500 for the treatment of multiple myeloma. According to the Company, KRN5500, a novel, intravenous, non-opioid, non-narcotic compound, is currently in Phase 2 clinical development. Additionally, the Company stated that Orphan Drug Designation provides it seven years market exclusivity from the time of approval, tax credits, and the waiver of PDUFA filing fees, as well as access to federal grants. DARA BioSciences CEO and Chief Medical Officer, David J. Drutz, M.D., stated, "This second orphan drug designation for our key development asset KRN5500 allows us to approach the actual treatment of multiple myeloma, whereas the CCIPN designation is specific to neuropathy. We believe this myeloma-specific orphan designation enhances both the viability and the future market opportunity for this valuable pipeline product." The full analyst notes on DARA BioSciences are available to download free of charge at:

http://www.analystsreview.com/Jun-19-2014/DARA/report.pdf

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Sequenom Inc. Analyst Notes
On June 9, 2014, Sequenom Inc. (Sequenom) announced that Sequenom Laboratories, the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, has signed a national agreement with a leading health insurance company covering 13 million people throughout the U.S. for providing MaterniT21™ PLUS laboratory-developed test (LDT) to the additional 13 million people, bringing the total number of covered lives under agreement by Sequenom Laboratories' diagnostic services to more than 140 million. Sequenom President and Chief Operating Officer, William Welch, stated, "This new payor agreement is a testament to the continued acceptance and adoption of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT), and we are proud to maintain our position as a market leader in this innovative and rapidly growing area." The full analyst notes on Sequenom are available to download free of charge at:

http://www.analystsreview.com/Jun-19-2014/SQNM/report.pdf

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AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Analyst Notes
On June 2, 2014, AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AcelRx) announced that Company Chief Commercial Officer, David Chung, has resigned in order to assume the role of CEO for a medical device company. The Company stated that until a suitable replacement is found, AcelRx President and CEO, Richard King, will assume the duties and responsibilities of Chief Commercial Officer along with leading the continued build-out of the commercial organization and launch preparation for Zalviso. Commenting on the resignation, King said, "David has laid a solid foundation and began the build of a commercial team that will continue the pre-commercial activities for Zalviso. We anticipate no delay in our commercial launch plans pending a positive PDUFA. We also wish David success in his new endeavor." The full analyst notes on AcelRx are available to download free of charge at:

http://www.analystsreview.com/Jun-19-2014/ACRX/report.pdf

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Pernix Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. Analyst Notes
On June 16, 2014, Pernix Therapeutics Holdings, Inc.'s (Pernix) stock increased by 11.29%, ending the day at $8.08. Over the past five-day trading session, Pernix's stock went up by 14.94%, compared to the Nasdaq Composite which dipped by 0.35% during the same trading period. The full analyst notes on Pernix are available to download free of charge at:

http://www.analystsreview.com/Jun-19-2014/PTX/report.pdf

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