Cell Therapeutics executives will do a whirlwind tour of Milan this Friday -- not precisely to attend the widely acclaimed mise-en-scene of Leonard Bernstein's opera "Candide" at La Scala, but to meet with their Italian constituency.

The executives will brief some 30 shareholders on the company's activities, the company said Tuesday. Executives will also meet with media during their visit.

Despite being based in Seattle, Cell Therapeutics' has a strong Lombard connection: The company's research is based in the Milanese suburb of Bresso since it acquired local biotech Novuspharma in 2003.

Most of Cell Therapeutics' stockholders are based in Italy -- which makes the outreach important, as the company has had trouble in the past to meet quorum requirements for shareholder events.

Italian-speaking shareholders can check the company's Web site in Dante's language.