As of the end of April, 943 employees, or about 77 percent, have had their future employment status clarified, including 300 employees who accepted the offer of transfers to other Merck Serono sites, 43 people who were redeployed through the creation of seven start-up companies and 80 employees that accepted early retirement...Merck Serono decided last year to shutter its Geneva headquarters. (See BioWorld Today, June 20, 2012
IBC Generium is granted an exclusive license for other territories, and also has the right to an exclusive license for Russia and CIS states...The company plans to reconstruct an operational plant by overhauling the expansion facility that was under construction...Scynexis said it plans to progress the clinical development while evaluating new partnership opportunities
In separate news, Valeant said it received a received a complete response letter from the FDA for its new drug application for efinaconazole to treat onychomycosis...Questions raised by the FDA pertain to chemistry, manufacturing and controls related to areas of the container closure apparatus
Meanwhile, it will continue to seek partners to monetize its pipeline and technology platform assets...To that end, it will use the AMP-Rx protein design technology from Eleven Biotherapeutics Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., to create a therapeutic of its selection, optimized for improved pharmaceutical characteristics and therapeutic benefits
GlaxoSmithKline plc, of London, and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) agreed to a collaboration that will support the development of several antibiotics to fight antibiotic resistance and bioterrorism...The public-private agreement calls for the Department of Health and Human Services to provide $40 million for the initial 18-month agreement and up to $200 million if the agreement is renewed over five years
It was developed to block the action of orexins, neurotransmitters in a specific part of the brain that help to keep a person awake...The company expects to begin trading on the NYSE on June 6 under its current stock symbol "PRGO," and will continue to trade on Nasdaq until the transfer takes place
Under terms of the ASR, Merck agreed to an initial delivery of about 99.5 million shares based on current market prices...Pfizer Inc., of New York, said it intends to split off its remaining interest in Zoetis Inc., of Madison, N.J., the former animal health unit that recently completed its initial public offering...The completion of the full separation of Zoetis is expected to be accretive to Pfizer's earnings per share beginning in 2014
The batch was only distributed to and sold in Switzerland, and the recall is limited to the specific batch and to Switzerland...The companies will collaborate to advance the potential companion diagnostic, originally developed by Lilly
The Cell Therapy Catapult, which focuses on the development of the UK cell therapy industry, said it will work with London-based GlaxoSmithKline plc to explore potential collaborations in a range of areas relevant to the development of cell therapies, from research projects to technical and regulatory strategy
In addition to the stock investment, Aradigm may receive up to $25 million in development milestones, along with tiered royalties...Baxter said it will introduce HyQvia in select countries during 2013 and plans to expand the launch to other EU countries in 2014...Other data demonstrated that pharmacological inhibition of Usp14 by the company's small-molecule inhibitors stimulated degradation of the proteins in cell, neuron and brain slice models, suggesting the compounds' potential in a number of
The company plans to move ASM-024 into a Phase II trial in COPD later this year...His contributions to the field of oncology include more than 20 compounds brought into development, including the recently approved anticancer drugs Xalkori (crizotinib) and Inlyta (axitinib), discovered at Pfizer where O'Connor served as the global research therapeutic area head for oncology...Relmada is seeking to move LevoCap through approval using the 505(b)(2) pathway. (See BioWorld Today, Aug. 24, 2012
Fenofibrate Tablets are indicated as adjunctive therapy to diet to reduce elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides and apolipoprotein B, and to increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in adult patients with primary hypercholesterolemia or mixed dyslipidemia
Evotec will work to specifically target peptidoglycan biosynthesis, and will be responsible for commercialization of assets resulting from the collaboration...to produce and supply 123I-labeled NAV5001 for Navidea's late-phase clinical trials...Compared to the placebo group, animals treated with WF10 showed a reduction of the degree of symptoms
Common stock in Fibrocell Science Inc., of Exton, Pa., has been approved for listing on the NYSE Market, to commence trading on May 17, under the ticker symbol FCSC...Genfit SA, of Lille, France, said GFT505 reduced a new component of cardiovascular risk, remnant cholesterol, contained in lipid particles other than LDL and HDL...In the GFT505-209-4 study, the effect of GFT505 on measured remnant cholesterol was -24 percent (p = 0.0046) compared to the placebo group after 28 days of treatment
GW Pharmaceuticals plc, of Porton Down, UK, received commercial approval for lead cannabinoid product Sativex in Italy for moderate to severe spasticity in multiple sclerosis patients who have not responded adequately to other anti-spasticity medications...In other news, closed its initial public offering (IPO) of 3.5 million American depository shares (ADSs) at $8.90 per share...PM01183 is designed to bind covalently to the minor groove of DNA to induce a specific degradation in tumor cells of RNA
Prior to the approval of Nymalize, nimodipine was available only in gel capsule form...The company expects to complete the trial in the first half of 2014. (See BioWorld Today, Dec. 20, 2012...distribution rights to the drug, a next-generation micellar diblock co-polymeric paclitaxel formulation, from Samyang
Janssen Research & Development LLC, of Raritan, N.J., a unit of Johnson & Johnson, said the FDA granted priority review to its new drug application for simeprevir (TMC435), an NS3/4A protease inhibitor for once-daily administration with pegylated interferon and ribavirin for the treatment of genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C in adults with compensated liver disease...Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc., of Laval, Quebec, has provided additional information related to the proposal to continue
Kinnovata plans to develop, manufacture and commercialize respiratory products for China and other regional Asian markets, initially exploiting Vectura's Clickhaler and Duohaler dry powder inhaler (DPI) technology platforms in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease...KingYork is expected to hold a 50 percent equity share, with Vectura holding 35 percent and Zendex and partners holding 15 percent
We note that an acquisition of Warner could potentially offer a tax strategy as Warner has a lower tax rate...Regeneron waived its right to opt in on canakinumab and, instead, is entitled to sales royalties
As of the end of April, 943 employees, or about 77 percent, have had their future employment status clarified, including 300 employees who accepted the offer of transfers to other Merck Serono sites, 43 people who were redeployed through the creation of seven start-up companies and 80 employees that accepted early retirement...Merck Serono decided last year to shutter its Geneva headquarters. (See BioWorld Today, June 20, 2012