Saw safety

Jack Tracy and Jim Larkin, founders of SJ2 Industries LLC in Camarillo, invented the "Original 3rd Hand." The device is a retractor for the lower guard on a circular saw so hands aren't placed in harm's way.

Washington, D.C.

Supreme Court turns down Amgen's appeal in patent case

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider a patent dispute between biotech drug maker Amgen Inc. and two other companies involving Amgen's blockbuster anemia drug Epogen.

Amgen initiated the dispute in 1997 when it accused Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc., a unit of Paris-based Sanofi-Aventis SA, and Shire Human Genetic Therapies Inc., a division of British drug developer Shire PLC, of infringing its patents on Epogen.

Last week, a Food and Drug Administration panel of outside experts recommended that the FDA require additional warnings on Epogen and two other anemia drugs, as well as additional tests on their safety. The news sent Amgen's stock tumbling 9 percent Thursday and it remains more than 10 percent below its price before that announcement.

Amgen shares fell 23 cents to close at $56.07 Monday.

Georgia

Bankrupt airlines are ranked last in customer satisfaction

ATLANTA Bankruptcy can be a wake-up call for airlines about the need to run their operations more efficiently, but it also can shine a light on a more basic challenge like making customers happy.

UAL Corp.'s United Airlines and Delta Air Lines Inc., both of which restructured under Chapter 11 in recent years, ranked last and next-to-last, respectively, among airlines in terms of customer satisfaction in a survey to be released today by the University of Michigan.

Marks were only slightly better for AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, which teetered on the verge of bankruptcy before winning employee concessions in 2003, and Northwest Airlines Corp., which is currently in bankruptcy.

There were some bright spots for a few airlines. Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. ranked first, and was one of only two airlines mentioned by name in the survey that improved in terms of customer satisfaction this year. Houston-based Continental Airlines Inc. was the other.

Ohio

Cardinal to buy medical technology company Viasys

DUBLIN Medical products and services company Cardinal Health Inc. said on Monday it will buy medical technology company Viasys Healthcare Inc. for $1.42 billion, an acquisition that will help Cardinal expand in international markets.

Cardinal will pay $42.75 per share for Viasys' outstanding shares, a 35 percent premium over its closing stock price of $31.55 on Friday. Viasys stock jumped almost 37 percent to close at a record high of $43.18 Monday. Cardinal also will assume debt of $50 million.

From wire reports