Progenics Pharmaceuticals Inc., an Eastview company that is about to start marketing a drug for the treatment of constipation in patients who are on certain pain relievers, lost $15.5 million, or 52 cents a share, during the first quarter of this year.

The loss widened from the $10.4 million, or 40 cents a share, reported for last year’s first quarter, the company said this morning.
Revenues dropped to $14.8 million from $17.6 million.

Most of the revenue came from reimbursements Progenics got from drug giant Wyeth for work Progenics did developing a drug under an agreement the company’s have.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month approved the company’s application to market Relistor for patients on pain medications for advanced illnesses. Some of those pain medications cause constipation that cannot be relieved with laxatives.
Progenics is also testing a drug for the treatment of the AIDS virus.

The chief executive of Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc., which has research operations in Rockland County, said this morning the company’s first-quarter earnings were disappointing but will improve later in the year.

The company, the parent of Barr Laboratories Inc., earned $23 million, or 21 cents a share, in the quarter that ended in March. A year earlier, the company earned $12 million, or 11 cents a share.

On an adjusted basis that does not comply with generally accepted accounting principles, the company earned 57 cents a share, down from 73 cents last year.

Revenues were $608 million, up from $597 million.

Bruce L. Downey, the company’s chairman and chief executive, said: “While our results for the first quarter did not meet our expectations, we believe that these results will improve in the second half of the year and demonstrate the value of expanding our operations and markets outside the U.S.”

He said the company had strong sales in Germany, Russia and Poland.

Jarden Corp., the consumer products company based in Rye, said this morning its first-quarter profit more than tripled to $4.7 million or 6 cents a share.

A year earlier, the company earned $1.4 million, or 2 cents a share.

The company, which markets Rawlings sporting goods, Mr. Coffee machines and Coleman camping equipment, also reported its results on a basis that does not comply with general accepted accounting principles. On that basis, Jarden’s adjusted net income was $16.5 million, or 22 cents a share, compared with $17.1 million, or 24 cents a share, last year.

“While the first quarter is traditionally Jarden’s seasonally smallest quarter, our performance was in line with our expectations and a good start to achieving our full-year outlook,” Martin E. Franklin, the company’s chairman and chief executive, said in a statement.

He said the poor economy is hurting consumer confidence and retail sales, but the company’s Outdoor Solutions segment still grew its sales by 3.6 percent on a comparable basis.

Nutrition 21 Inc., the Purchase-based company that markets nutritional supplements, lost $8.2 million during the quarter that ended in March, compared with a loss of $2.2 million a year earlier.

On a per-share basis, the company lost 13 cents during this year’s quarter, the third quarter of its fiscal 2008. A year earlier, the loss was 4 cents a share.

This year’s results included $3.2 million in one-time expenses, including a provision for obsolete inventory, a provision for possible legal settlements and costs associated with the resignation of former chief executive Paul Intlekofer, the company said this morning.

Revenues dropped to $10.8 million, from $15.8 million. Revenues in last year’s quarter included a large one-time sale of Selenomax High Selenium Yeast. Without that sale, revenues would have been $13.2 million.

Hudson Technologies Inc., the Pearl River company that decontaminates large refrigeration equipment, said Kevin Zugibe, the chairman and chief executive, has adopted a plan to sell some of his Hudson shares.

The plan allows Zugibe to sell up to $1 million shares over a one-year period.

Zugibe said he plans to use some of the money he gets from the sales to pay off personal debt he ran up last year when he and other executives bought more than 9 million shares. Those purchases allowed the company to buy back and retire 6.9 million shares, resulting in a 26 percent reduction in shares outstanding, he said.

Hudson shares were trading at $2.41, up 48 cents, in early trading this morning.

Emisphere Technologies Inc., the biopharmaceutical company with research and development operations in Eastview, lost $3.9 million during the first quarter, matching its loss from the first quarter of last year.

On a per-share basis, this year’s loss was 13 cents, compared with 26 cents last year.

The company’s operating loss narrowed to $6.5 million from $7.1 million.

Emisphere, which has its headquarters in Cedar Knolls, N.J. does not have a marketable product yet but is seeking to introduce an oral form of vitamin B-12 that delivers high dosages of the nutrient during the second half of this year.

Universal American Corp., the health and life insurer in Rye Brook reported last night it lost $46 million, or 50 cents a share, during the first quarter, largely because of impairments on its portfolio due to the subprime mortgage crisis.

The company said the loss includes $29.8 million from the subprime impairments.

During the first quarter of last year, the company had a profit of $4.4 million, or 7 cents a share.

The operating loss for the quarter was $16.7 million, or 18 cents a share, compared with an operating profit of $3.1 million, or 5 cents a share, during the first quarter of last year.

Revenues rose 98.1 percent to $1.2 billion. Not counting revenues from the MemberHealth business that Universal bought last September, revenues were up 24 percent.

“The results of the first quarter were mixed but contained encouraging indicators for the balance of 2008 and beyond, Richard Barasch, the company’s chairman and chief executive, said in a statement.

The company said in March that it would reduce the value of some of its subprime holdings to account for the reduced value of the assets. Universal said it took the action after consulting with its auditors.

Tal International Group Inc., which leases freight containers, lost $3.8 million, or 12 cents a share, during the first quarter, compared with a profit of $11.1 million, or 33 cents a share, a year earlier. Adjusted pre-tax income was $25.9 million, an improvement over the $20.4 million reported last year. Revenues were up to $101.1 million from $79.6 million.

Just as much drink with less plastic.

That’s what customers who buy 500-milliliter bottles of Lipton Iced Tea, Tropican juice, Aquafina FlavorSplash and Aquafina Alive will get.

PepsiCo, the Purchase-based company that markets the drinks, said it has reduced the amount of plastic in the bottles by 20 percent, enough to prevent 20 million pounds of waste from hitting the environment. The lighter bottles will be on store shelves this month, the company said.

The company said it is also reducing the size of the labels by 10 percent and the size of the shrink wrap that’s used to wrap multi-packs by 5 percent.

For consumers who pay for prescription drugs out their own pockets, a new price study by Yonkers-based Consumer Reports finds it pays to shop around.

The consumer publication’s research showed that not only that prices vary from store to store for the same, but the differences can be dramatic — even within the same chain, depending on location.

Consumer Reports placed calls to 163 pharmacies nationwide to gauge price differences among four prescription drugs, three name brand medicines and one generic. For a three-month supply of pills for the urinary incontinence drug Detrol, for example, the price ranged from $365 to $551.

The magazine also found significant price disparities for the two other name-brand drugs it studied: for Plavix (which prevents blood clots), the spread was $382-$541, and for Levoxyl (for treating hypothyroidism), prices ran from $29 to $85. And for the generic alendronate (for osteoporosis), the price range was $124 to $306.

The magazine’s small scale market-basket study showed Costco was the cheapest for the four drugs CR sought quotes for, followed by AARP.com and Wal-Mart. Walgreens and Rite-Aid were among the priciest for the four drugs.

Besides calling different stores and comparison shopping, other cost-saving tips include:

• Don’t rule out independents: Though they’re not the cheapest overall, many mom-and-pop pharmacies are highly competitive and offer top notch service.

• Talk to your employer: Benefits administrators can provide details about pharmacy benefit managers, also known as PBMs.

• Buy generics: They can cost 20 to 50 percent less than their brand name equivalents.

• See if there’s a discount program: Some stores have programs for those 50 and older; other programs are open to anyone without insurance.

The full report is available for free now at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org, or in the June issue of Consumer Reports magazine available on newsstands tomorrow.

AT&T Inc. has expanded its broadband wireless network in Westchester County. The expansion of the third-generation network means users in the county will have better access to the Internet, e-mail and entertainment services.
With the addition of new technology to 65 cell towers, the network is now available in Yonkers, Mamaroneck, Rye, Mount Vernon, Eastchester, Bronxville, Pelham, Harrison, Larchmont, Scarsdale, New Rochelle, Dobbs Ferry and Hartsdale.. The network has also been enhanced along the Sprain Brook, Saw Mill River and Hutchinson parkways, as well as routes 9 and 9A, the company said.

Acorda Therapeutics Inc., the pharmaceutical company in Hawthorne, reported this morning that it lost $16.43 million, or 54 cents a share, during the first quarter, compared with a loss of $7.5 million, or 32 cents, a year earlier.

Net sales of the company’s product, Zanaflex, grew to $11.49 million from $8.31 million.

Zanaflex is a treatment for involuntary muscle movements caused by multiple sclerosis and spinal injuries. The company is also seeking to develop Fampridine-SR, which would also be for people with multiple sclerosis.

Research and development expenses rose to $9.59 million from $3.24 million. Sales and marketing expenses rose to $10.2 million from $6.97 million.

Acorda shares were trading at $21.79 this morning, up 3 cents.

A decline in the production of recreational vehicles helped drive down first-quarter sales and profits at White Plains-based Drew Industries Inc.

The company earned $9.1 million, or 41 cents a share, during the quarter that ended in March, a 5 percent drop from the profit of $9.59 million, or 44 cents a share, during the first quarter of last year.

Sales dropped 8 percent to $159.15 million.

The company said that industry-wide wholesale shipments of travel trailers and fifth-wheel RVs were down 8 percent. Industry production of manufactured homes dropped 3 percent.

The company supplies parts for RVs and manufactured homes.

Leigh J. Abrams, the company’s president and chief executive, said steps the company took last year to cut costs helped in the just-completed quarter. But he said the company continues to face “profit pressure” as raw material costs have increased sharply this year.

“Assuming the cost of raw materials remains at these high levels, these cost increases will have an annualized effect on our cost of sales of $60 million to $70 million,” he said. “However, we are currently implementing price increases with customers to help offset these price increases.”

The company’s shares were trading at $23.53 at 9:50 a.m., up 78 cents.

Three Yonkers businesses are facing $43,000 in fines for not carrying workers compensation insurance. The New York State Workers’ Compensation Board said yesterday that Yonkers Auto Mall, Inc. at 1716 Central Park Ave., Yonkers Service Station at 1230 Nepperhan Ave. and Golden Yonkers Properties, Inc. at 365 S. Broadway violated state law by not carrying workers’ compensation insurance. Workers’ Compensation Board spokesman Brian M. Keegan said that his agency is working with Yonkers Auto Mall and it may rescind its $33,000 judgment. The board is also in discussion with Golden Yonkers Properties over its $6,000 judgment, as the company now has coverage. The board has not received a response from Yonkers Service Station, whose $4,000 judgment was filed March 31 in the state Supreme Court in White Plains.

Bedford resident Daniel C. Petri has announced his plans to retire from Verizon Communications Inc., where he serves as group president — International. Petri, who has been with the giant Manhattan-based phone company for 37 years, will retire Aug. 1, the company said. Since 2002, Petri has been responsible for Verizon’s businesses outside the United States, including telephone operations in more than 20 countries on five continents.

Two businesses in the Lower Hudson Valley have placed the low bids on construction work at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, the state Office of General Services said. Southeast Plumbing Corp. of Brewster was the apparent low bidder, out of seven companies, with a bid of $262,000 to replace a domestic water system in Building No. 6. S & O Construction Services Inc. of Pleasant Valley was the apparent low bidder, out of four companies, with a bid of $410,830 for a heating and ventilation contract to rehabilitate a condensate return system.

SmartWatt Energy Services, a Clifton Park, N.Y.-based company that helps businesses reduce their energy consumption and expenses, has opened its third office on Mamaroneck Avenue in Harrison. Pete DeMartis of Somers is the general manager. The company has a third office in Rochester, N.Y. For more information on the company, visit www.smartwattinc.com.

White Plains-based ConEdison Solutions has acquired Custom Energy Services LLC of Overland Park, Kan. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal is part of a ongoing corporate expansion strategy as ConEdison Solutions seeks to become a nationwide leader in energy services and energy commodity marketplaces. Custom Energy Services will give the firm a Kansas office to help reach customers in the Midwest. The company also has offices in Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina and Texas.

BioScrip Inc. of Elmsford, a specialty pharmaceutical health care business, lost $500,000, or a penny a share, during the first quarter, compared with a loss of $1.3 million, or 4 cents a share, during the first three months of last year. The company said Friday its operating profit was $185,000, an improvement over the $136,000 from last year. Revenues rose to $327.5 million from $296.2 million.

IntegraMed America Inc., a Purchase-based company that runs fertility centers and vein clinics, earned $655,000, or 8 cents a share, during the first three months of this year, an improvement over the $615,000, or 7 cents a share, in profit during the first quarter of 2007. The gain came despite a $495,000 negative swing related to higher debt levels from an acquisition. The company said the results also include an increase in its tax rate, which was 41 percent, up from 33 percent. The company’s shares were trading at $9.80, down 3 cents, shortly after markets opened this morning.