REGION

REGION
Construction begins for physical therapy clinic
COLUMBIANA -- Silverio Physical Therapy broke ground Monday on a 5,700-square-foot clinic at 100 Royal Birkdale Drive, the first commercial building to be constructed at The Links at Firestone Farms, a new residential community. The clinic is scheduled for completion in early spring.
Owners Ed and Debi Silverio have been operating a physical therapy clinic at 2308 Southeast Blvd. in Salem for 13 years and added an occupational therapy clinic there two years ago. The new clinic will be their second, specializing in the treatment of orthopedic, neurologic, geriatric, pediatric, sports and industrial medicine. The Silverios also plan to develop a wellness, fitness and prevention clinic at the site.
Clergy Association plans prayer service for RMI
NILES -- The Niles Clergy Association will hold a prayer service tonight for a peaceful resolution to the lockout at RMI Titanium. The event will be at 7:30 at St. Stephen Church, 129 W. Park Ave. Union workers have been locked out for nearly a year in a labor contract dispute.
NATION
Company agrees to sell U.S. rights to Vancocin
INDIANAPOLIS -- Eli Lilly and Co. has agreed to sell U.S. rights to its antibiotic Vancocin for $116 million and a percentage of future sales through 2011.
The buyer is the small, Exton-Pa.-based drug development firm ViroPharma Inc., which aims to increase sales of Vancocin by promoting it for the first time in years to hospitals. The drug in capsule form is used to control gastrointestinal infections. Vancocin generated U.S. sales of $40 million last year.
The drug's U.S. patent expired in 1988, but the antibiotic is so difficult to make that generic companies have not taken over the market from the brand drug.
ViroPharma will pay Lilly up to $10.5 million in royalties in 2006 and lesser payments through 2011.
Vindicator staff/wire reports