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Byline: Staff and Wire Services

Breast cancer therapy in review

CHATSWORTH - North American Scientific, Inc. plans to shift its focus to include breast cancer, the radiation therapy products developer announced Tuesday. By year's end, it expects to have products ready to enter the estimated $500 million annual market.

The company has submitted an application to the Food and Drug Administration seeking approval for its low-dose radiation brachytherapy seeds, delivered by an implantable catheter. In the next three months, it hopes to submit a request for the high-dose version.

Vista will miss holiday window

SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. will delay the consumer release of its new Windows operating system until January 2007, missing the holiday sales season and throwing some PC makers and retailers into turmoil.

The delay in Windows Vista - caused by Microsoft needing more time to enhance security and other functions - will come as a blow to Microsoft partners who were looking forward to a new operating system.

Fruit of the Loom settles lawsuits

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A federal judge has approved two class-action settlements totaling $42 million against Fruit of the Loom Inc.

The settlements stem from lawsuits accusing the company's former top officeholders of lying to analysts to boost the Bowling Green, Ky.-based Fruit of the Loom's stock. The suits were filed by people and pension plan agencies that bought stock in the company in the mid-1990s.

One settlement, for $23.2 million, covers stock purchased between July 24, 1996, and Sept. 5, 1997. The other settlement, for $19.1 million, covers stock purchased from Sept. 28, 1998, through Nov. 4, 1999.

It was unknown how many stockholders could collect cash from the settlement, but notices were mailed to more than 28,000 people in the two lawsuits.

Low energy costs may not last long

WASHINGTON - A huge drop in energy costs helped push prices at the wholesale level down last month by the largest amount in nearly three years. But with the cost of gasoline rising again, the reprieve could be short-lived.

The Labor Department reported Tuesday that wholesale prices fell by 1.4 percent in February as food and energy both recorded big declines.

But analysts cautioned against reading too much into the February decrease, saying it was heavily influenced by a warmer-than-normal winter, which cut demand for home heating fuel and helped energy producers rebuild inventories that had been depleted after last fall's hurricanes.

Jones Apparel considering sale

MC>NEW YORK- Jones Apparel Group Inc. said Tuesday its board is considering a possible sale of the entire clothing and accessories maker whose brands include Jones New York, Evan-Picone and Gloria Vanderbilt.

Its shares soared more than 12 percent. The company appears to be taking advantage of a cash-rich environment for private equity players, which have snapped up a string of retailers including Neiman Marcus Group Inc. and Toys R Us Inc. in deals that made them private companies.