Split verdict for Harkonen

A jury in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California found W. Scott Harkonen, former president and CEO of InterMune Inc. (NASDAQ:ITMN), guilty of wire fraud. The jury found him not guilty on a second charge of felony misbranding related to the promotion of Actimmune interferon gamma-1b (See BioCentury Extra, Wednesday, March 19, 2008).

Harkonen's attorneys said they plan to file a motion for a judgment of acquittal notwithstanding the jury verdict and a motion for dismissal based on due process violations. Motions will be heard on Dec. 16. Harkonen faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, according to his attorneys. ...