LONDON (ShareCast) - Vernalis rose again after a group of its directors, including its deputy chairman and chief financial officer, raised their holdings in the drug firm.

On Monday, the firm lost more than half of its value after receiving a "not approvable" letter from the US Food and Drug Administration over the use of anti-migraine treatment Frova in short-term prevention of menstrual migraine.

The FDA questioned whether the trials were "clinically meaningful", despite acknowledging that the drug improved the number of headache-free periods.

Chief financial officer Tony Weir led the buying today, following the lead of chairman Peter Fellner yesterday. Weir bought 100,000 shares at 19.75p taking his total holding to 186,000 shares.

Top Director Buys

Coms (COMS)
Director name: Mr Justin Drummond
Amount purchased: 500,000 @ 65.00p
Value: £325,000

Mediasurface (MSR)
Director name: Mr Michael E W Jackson
Amount purchased: 1,675,000 @ 8.00p
Value: £134,000

Brammer (BRAM)
Director name: Mr Ian Fraser
Amount purchased: 35,000 @ 286.10p
Value: £100,135

Norish (NSH)
Director name: Mr Aidan Hughes
Amount purchased: 75,000 @ 55.00p
Value: £41,250

Fidessa (FDSA)
Director name: Mr Andy Malpass
Amount purchased: 3,672 @ 1,000.00p
Value: £36,720

UniVision Engineering (UVEL)
Director name: Mr Stephen Sin Mo Koo
Amount purchased: 1,241,000 @ 2.50p
Value: £31,025

ROK (ROK)
Director name: Mr Ashley G Martin
Amount purchased: 13,423 @ 186.25p
Value: £25,000

Vernalis (VER)
Director name: Mr Tony Weir
Amount purchased: 100,000 @ 19.75p
Value: £19,750

UniVision Engineering (UVEL)
Director name: Mr Stephen Sin Mo Koo
Amount purchased: 725,000 @ 2.30p
Value: £16,675

MS International (MSI)
Director name: Mr Michael J Bell
Amount purchased: 7,500 @ 206.00p
Value: £15,450

Top Director Sells
ROK (ROK)
Director name: Mr Garvis Snook
Amount sold: 600,000 @ 186.25p
Value: £1,117,500

Tesco (TSCO)
Director name: Mr Andrew Higginson
Amount sold: 231,887 @ 464.00p
Value: £1,075,956

ROK (ROK)
Director name: Mr Julian Turnbull
Amount sold: 110,000 @ 186.25p
Value: £204,875

ROK (ROK)
Director name: Mr Julian Turnbull
Amount sold: 102,973 @ 186.25p
Value: £191,787

Bodycote International (BOY)
Director name: Mr D F Landless
Amount sold: 18,173 @ 275.64p
Value: £50,092

Fidessa (FDSA)
Director name: Mr Andy Malpass
Amount sold: 3,740 @ 1,000.00p
Value: £37,400

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