In other news, law firm Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman LLC, of New York, said it is investigating claims on behalf of purchasers of Spectrum securities, after shares (NASDAQ:SPPI) fell as much as 38 percent on March 13 on news that the company slashed its revenue projections for colon cancer drug Fusilev (levoleucovorin

Astellas Pharma Inc., of Tokyo, said the European Commission approved expanded options for pre-treatment prior to use of Qutenza (8 percent capsaicin patch

Inc., of Whitehouse Station, N.J., and Luminex Corp., of Austin, Texas, signed a collaboration and license deal to develop a companion diagnostic device that will be evaluated to help screen patients for recruitment into Merck's clinical development program for MK-8931, an oral, beta amyloid precursor protein site cleaving enzyme inhibitor and Merck's lead candidate for Alzheimer's disease...Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., of Tokyo, and the Scripps Research Institute announced plans to expand their

That news "shocked the Street," according to Roth Capital Partners analyst Joseph Pantginis...Investors took the news hard, sending shares of Spectrum (NASDAQ:SPPI) falling $4.64, or 37.3 percent, to close Wednesday at $7.79

In the same study, ANAVEX 2-73 also blocked apoptosis and oxidative stress, which is believed to prevent the onset of Alzheimer's...CMX001 is a broad-spectrum, oral nucleotide analogue lipid-conjugate designed to block the replication of double-stranded DNA viruses...That cross-border supply approval is in addition to the manufacturing capacity in the UK already developed with partner Kings College London

and other affiliates he controls, proposing to acquire outstanding shares not currently owned by the group for $9.56 per American Depositary Share (ADS) or $4.78 per ordinary shares in cash...Simcere's board formed a special committee of independent directors to evaluate the offer

Eisai Inc., of Woodcliff Lake, N.J., reported that the German Federal Joint Committee said it considers the additional benefit of Fycompa (perampanel) unproven when compared to two other treatments...Eisai said it believes the committee "failed to adequately interpret" benefits to patients with the drug, which is indicated as an adjunctive treatment of partial-onset seizures with or without secondarily generalized seizures in patients with epilepsy, age 12 and older

Tecafarin recently completed a Phase III study showing it was safe and effective in patients with prosthetic heart valves in addition to patients with other conditions such as atrial fibrillation or venous thromboembolism, independent of CYP status...In addition to strengthening its balance sheet, Biovest said the move will support ongoing strategies to commercialize its BiovaxID personalized cancer vaccine, including facilitating ongoing partnering/licensing initiatives, as well as enhancing the

The company has also submitted new drug applications to the FDA for canagliflozin and for the fixed-dose combination therapy...The companies will expand their existing collaboration to include joint promotion of Abilify in Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the U.K. Lundbeck will promote Abilify in Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Romania...Under the agreement, Lundbeck will have the right to promote all formulations of Abilify currently marketed, sold or

to develop, manufacture and supply commercial quantities of Ofirmev (acetaminophen) injection in flexible plastic bags...According to the terms of an asset purchase agreement jointly executed by the parties, RXi will acquire substantially all of OPKO's RNAi-related assets, including an extensive intellectual property portfolio...Sorrento Therapeutics Inc., of San Diego, signed an exclusive option to acquire Igdrasol Inc., of Fountain Valley, Calif., a private company focused on the development of

As part of the agreement, the company pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, entered a five-year corporate integrity agreement and agreed to dismiss its lawsuit challenging FDA regulations that criminalize truthful speech about approved drug uses. (See BioWorld Today, Oct. 24, 2011...Roche will provide R&D funding and scientific expertise to BioLamina

The application requests approval to expand the indication beyond the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in adults with chronic kidney disease to also include adults with iron deficiency anemia who have failed or could not take oral iron treatment...The three-year alliance, aiming to develop a drug pipeline targeting cancer metabolism, has been expanded to run to early 2015, adding the possibility of at least two new projects being selected by CRT

Funds will be used to advance development programs across Bionomics' pipeline, including BNC375, Bionomics' drug candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other conditions where memory is significantly compromised and Bionomics' cancer stem cell directed drug candidate BNC101...In other news, Biotie and partner H. Lundbeck A/S, of Copenhagen, Denmark, said they received marketing authorization from the European Commission for Selincro (nalmefene), an opioid system modulator, for the

Janssen said it is evaluating the letter and will respond to the agency's questions

materials to support ongoing commercialization of Brinavess, and oral API is expected to be sufficient for clinical trials...The initial percentage to be paid out directly to shareholders is 20 percent of those royalties. (See BioWorld Today, Feb. 25, 2013

Iroko Pharmaceuticals LLC, of Philadelphia, said the FDA accepted for review the new drug application (NDA) for lower-dose submicron diclofenac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, with a proposed indication of treatment of mild to moderate acute pain in adults...Relmada Therapeutics Inc., of Blue Bell, Pa., said an application for a clinical trial authorization (CTA) that was submitted with the UK's Medicine and Health Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to conduct a Phase I pharmacokinetic study with the

The lawsuit was filed under the provisions of the Hatch-Waxman Act, resulting in a stay of final FDA approval of Actavis' ANDA for up to 30 months from the date the plaintiffs received notice of Actavis' ANDA filing or until final resolution of the matter before the court, whichever occurs sooner, subject to any other exclusivities...Actavis said it may be a first applicant to file an ANDA for the generic version of Fortesta and, should its ANDA be approved, may be entitled to 180 days of generic

Separately, Adventrx said it plans to develop ANX-188 in complications of arterial disease, initially as an adjunct to thrombolytics in acute limb ischemia, a complication of peripheral arterial disease...Allergan intends to effect a short-form merger of Groundhog into MAP under Delaware law, with MAP becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Allergan...The all-stock transaction plans to combine BioSante's cash, assets and licensing revenues with ANI's product portfolio, with the new company named ANI

The marketing authorization applies to all 27 European Union member states...A Phase I trial is expected to start this year in primary amyloidosis patients...TikoMed's product is designed to enhance the outcome of the treatment by improving the survival of transplanted cells by inhibiting a destructive immunological reaction and through stimulation of growth factors