Ltd., of Tokyo, to develop drug candidates against protein-protein interaction targets...Telintra is designed to inhibit enzyme glutathione S-transferase P1-1...Shares will continue to trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange

Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, of Ingelheim, Germany, inked a research service collaboration with Horizon Discovery Ltd., of Cambridge, UK, to use Horizon's Discovery Toolbox for research projects and profiling of compounds at the hit-to-lead, lead optimization and preclinical stages to elucidate their anticancer properties and help guide drug discovery programs

was nominated to enter preclinical development, leading to the payment of an undisclosed milestone...The 2008 collaboration calls for Evotec to combine its high-throughput screening and fragment-based drug discovery platform to identify compounds active against a protease target

In separate news, Janssen reported that the FDA's Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 10-5 late Thursday to recommend approval of canaglifozin, a selective sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor, to treat Type II diabetes in adults

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Wayne, N.J., said the FDA approved Skyla (levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system) 13.5 mg for the prevention of pregnancy for up to three years

Data showed that treatment with up to three intramuscular injections of NurOwn in animals was well tolerated, with no adverse clinical effects observed...Elafin is designed to work by blocking the activity of enzymes that are involved in PAH, and it has produced pronounced and significant improvement of the vascular pathology, parameters of pulmonary hemodynamics and right ventricular function in an animal model...Tripheptanoin is intended as a substrate replacement therapy to restore deficient

In other news, Evotec said it expanded its collaboration with MedImmune, part of London-based AstraZeneca plc, after hitting a key milestone...Under the agreement, Pepscan will use its CLIPS platform and other protein mimicry technologies to help discover new antibodies

Pfizer Inc., of New York, said the European Commission approved expanding the use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine Prevener 13 (pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine [13-valent, adsorbed]) to older children and adolescents, ages 6 to 17, for active immunization for the prevention of invasive disease, pneumonia and acute otitis media caused by vaccine-type Streptococcus pneumoniae

The companies expect to start a Phase I trial in the first half of this year...to-BBB Technologies BV, of Leiden, the Netherlands, entered a collaboration with the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) in Cambridge, Mass., to investigate potential treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Under the agreement, Pepscan will use its CLIPS platform and other protein mimicry technologies to help discover new antibodies...to purchase up to 1 million shares, or about 1.06 percent of the company's outstanding stock, at a price of $161.25 per share, marking a 4.46 percent discount to the Dec. 27 closing price

The companies will continue to jointly develop and commercialize the other assets stemming from the January 2011 deal...In separate news, Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Chadds Ford, Pa., also agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit alleging similar price-inflating behavior

The change is expected to allow the firm to explore various strategic options as it moves forward with its programs in oncology and immune-modulatory diseases...Terlipressin is designed to reduce portal vein pressure and increase mean arterial pressure in cirrhotic patients with splanchnic vasodilation

Under the terms, Forest agreed to provide a license permitting Glenmark to launch its generic versions of Bystolic as of the date of either the later of three calendar months prior to the expiration of U.S. Patent No

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., of New York, and Pfizer Inc., of New York, said the FDA approved Eliquis (apixaban) to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with nanvalvular atrial fibrillation...It's expected to be widely available by the end of this month

Under the terms, Pernix agreed to pay up to $102 million, including an up-front payment of $52 million in cash and $34 million in equity...Salix said it plans to make Fulzaq accessible to patients early this year

As seen in that study, the gold nanoparticles trafficked to tumors, not to healthy tissue, resulting in an improvement in the safety of systemically administered TNF formulated as CYT-6091...OJSC RVC, of Moscow, started a program to acquire new investments and support new projects in medical science and biotechnology, energy efficiency, information technology and telecommunications...The companies disclosed in August 2011 their decision to discontinue the development of pramlintide plus metreleptin

VaxInnate will continue to develop the vaccine under its existing BARDA contract, and Emergent will manufacture the pandemic influenza vaccine candidate using flexible manufacturing technology. (See BioWorld Today, March 2, 2011...K-V Pharmaceutical Co., of St. Louis, said the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York approved its settlement agreement with Hologic Inc., of Bedford, Mass., and authorized the company to enter into an $85 million debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing

Perrigo Co., of Allegan, Mich., signed a merger agreement for the acquisition of Cobrek Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Chicago, for $45 million. Perrigo acquired an 18.5 percent minority stake in Cobrek in 2008, in connection with a product development partnership agreement around foam dosage form generic products. As part of the merger agreement, Cobrek will forgo profit share payments from Perrigo in the second quarter of 2013.

Pursuant to the transaction, Coronado leased a manufacturing facility in Woburn, Mass...Ovamed agreed to assist in establishing the facility and to provide clinical supplies of the product until it's up and running...The company said it is now free to commercialize or enter into commercialization agreements for its oral BDP suite of products with other parties without limitation