SYDNEY, Dec. 29--AsiaNet/InfoQuest DRUG APPROVAL... BASEL, Switzerland - Novartis announced today the USregulatory approval of Femara (letrozole) in a new indicationas a treatment for use after surgery in postmenopausal womenwith hormone-sensitive early breast cancer (adjuvantsetting). http://www.novartis.com http://www.femarainfo.com http://www.novartisoncology.com DRUG FINDINGS... BERNE - According to newly published data, postmenopausalwomen with hormone-sensitive early breast cancer receivingletrozole following surgery (adjuvant use) have a significantlygreater chance of avoiding a recurrence than do women receivingtamoxifen. http://www.ibcsg.org BIO SUMMIT... WASHINGTON - The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO),the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, and the state of Hawaii will host aJapanese Bio Mission at the Pacific Rim Summit on IndustrialBiotechnology and Bioenergy in Honolulu Jan. 11-13, 2006. http://www.bio.org FANNIE MAE... WASHINGTON, D.C. - Fannie Mae will redeem the principalamount of 1 securities issue amounting to a total of US$25million on January 9, 2006, at a redemption price equal to 100per cent of the principal amount redeemed plus accruedinterest. http://www.fanniemae.com FDA APPROVAL... SUMMIT, N.J. - Celgene Corporation announced that the U.S.Food and Drug Administration granted approval of REVLIMID(lenalidomide) which is indicated for the treatment of patientswith transfusion-dependent anemia due to low- orintermediate-1-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) associatedwith a deletion 5q cytogenetic abnormality with or withoutadditional cytogenetic abnormalities. http://www.celgene.com http://www.REVLIMID.com (AsiaNet is a consortium of leading news agenciesdistributing unedited, translated news releases for worldwideclients. Visit www.asianetnews.net for full-text versions.)