Trius Therapeutics Inc., of San Diego, completed enrollment in the first of two Phase III trials of tedizolid phosphate (formerly torezolid) in acute bacterial skin infection

Cempra acquired exclusive worldwide rights, outside the Association of Southeast Asian Nation countries, from San Diego-based Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc

Neurocrine Biosciences Inc., of San Diego, said partner Abbott, of Abbot Park, Ill., started a Phase II trial of elagolix, a next-generation gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor antagonist, in uterine fibroids, triggering a $10 million milestone payment to Neurocrine under the companies' 2010 deal...ViroPharma Inc., of Exton, Pa., and Halozyme Therapeutics Inc., of San Diego, said ViroPharma started a Phase II study of a subcutaneous administration of Cinryze (C1 esterase inhibitor), in

Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, Eli Lilly and Co., of Indianapolis, and Alkermes Inc., of Waltham, Mass., presented new analyses from the DURATION-3 and -4 trials demonstrating patients treated with the investigational compound Bydureon (exenatide extended-release for injectable suspension) saw improvements in select cardiovascular risk factors compared to patients who received commonly prescribed diabetes treatments...HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego completed enrollment in

Marshall Edwards Inc., of San Diego, initiated a Phase I dose-escalation trial of its lead drug candidate, ME-143, in patients with refractory solid tumors

Ardea Biosciences Inc., of San Diego, said it completed its formal end-of-Phase II meetings with the FDA and reached agreement on key aspects of a proposed Phase III development plan for lesinurad, an oral, once-daily inhibitor of URAT1, designed for chronic treatment of gout

Zonisamide, which is used as adjunctive therapy to treat partial seizures in adult epilepsy patients, also is part of the fixed-dose combination of obesity candidate Empatic (zonisamide/bupropion) from San Diego-based Orexigen Therapeutics Inc., which has completed Phase II testing...NexBio Inc., of San Diego, said an article in Clinical Infectious Diseases showed that a bone marrow transplant patient who had progressive and worsening parainfluenza virus Type 3 infection, given DAS181, experienced

Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corp., of San Diego, enrolled the first patient in its Phase I/IIa study of APC-100 in men with castrate-resistant prostate cancer

Medistem Inc., of San Diego, filed a response to the FDA's clinical hold for its Phase I trial application seeking to treat 10 patients with critical limb ischemia who have no options but amputation with the company's universal donor endometrial regenerative cells (ERCs

Zogenix Inc., of San Diego, reported top-line results from its pivotal Phase III trial (Study 801) of Zohydro (hydrocodone bitartrate) for chronic pain

Marshall Edwards Inc., of San Diego, said the FDA cleared its investigational new drug application for ME-143 (formerly NV-143), an NADH oxidase inhibitor for cancer...NexBio Inc., of San Diego, reported top-line Phase II data showing DAS181 (Fludase) significantly reduced influenza viral loads

MediciNova Inc., of San Diego, said it will collaborate with headache and pain specialist Paul Rolan of the University of Adelaide, Australia on an investigator-initiated and investigator-funded Phase II trial of ibudilast (MN-166/AV411) for medication overuse headache

Trius Therapeutics Inc., of San Diego, reached an agreement with the FDA, under the special protocol assessment (SPA) process, on the design of its second planned Phase III study for the intravenous and oral dosage forms of torezolid phosphate to treat acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections

Polaris Group, of San Diego, dosed the first patient in a pivotal Phase III trial evaluating ADI-PEG 20 (pegylated arginine deiminase) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, or primary liver cancer

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, said partner GlaxoSmithKline plc, of London, reported positive data from ENABLE-1, the first of two Phase III studies of Promacta (eltrombopag) in patients with hepatitis C-related thrombocytopenia

Vical Inc., of San Diego, published results of a nonclinical study of its Vaxfectin-formulated plasmid DNA vaccines against influenza

The results were presented at DNA Vaccines 2011 in San Diego

Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, said results from a Phase I trial of its candidate for pulmonary arterial hypertension, APD811, showed its half-life was about 20 hours with dose-limiting adverse events of nausea and vomiting at 0.2 mg

Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, Eli Lilly and Co., of Indianapolis, and Alkermes Inc., of Waltham, Mass, said a thorough QT (tQT) study required by the FDA to satisfy safety issues for Bydureon (exenatide extended-release) in Type II diabetes met its primary endpoint by demonstrating that at and above therapeutic levels the drug did not prolong the corrected QTc interval in healthy individuals...Halozyme Therapeutics Inc., of San Diego, and Baxter International Inc., of Deerfield, Ill