BUZZ-Hikma Pharmaceuticals: life-high after appeal against co's drug fails

** Drugmaker's shares up 4.4 pct to life-high after Hikma says Takeda Pharmaceutical unsuccessful in appealing U.S. court decision to deny preliminary injunction of the Jordanian company's drug for gout flares.

** Hikma is the top gainer on the FTSE-350 Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology index

** Co says now preparing to distribute colchicine 0.6 mg capsules, which were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Sept. 30.

** According to IMS Health (NYSE: IMS - news) , sales of colchicine in the U.S. market were about $688 mln for 12 months ending August 2014, Hikma said in a statement on Sept 30.

** "This should ensure the positive momentum of the past couple of years is maintained as growth provided by this $500 mln opportunity should compensate any declines to doxycycline in the company's generics business," Panmure Gordon analyst says (rm://richa.naidu.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)