La Jolla Pharmaceutical Co., of San Diego, released data detailing the ability of lead product candidate GCS-100 to improve renal function...Lpath Inc., of San Diego, began dosing in a Phase IIa trial of Asonep for renal cell carcinoma in patients that have failed standard VEGF- or mTOR-targeted treatments

Ceregene Inc., of San Diego, reported additional efficacy data from a secondary analysis of its Phase IIb study of CERE-120 (AAV-neurturin), a gene therapy product designed to deliver the neurotrophic factor neurturin to treat Parkinson's disease

Halozyme Therapeutics Inc., of San Diego, said the European Commission granted partner Baxter International Inc., of Deerfield, Ill., marketing authorization in all European Union (EU) member states for the use of HyQvia (solution for subcutaneous use) as replacement therapy for adults with primary and secondary immunodeficiencies

Although any ADC failure in the clinic – especially in Phase III – is a major disappointment for the sponsor and patients, the result should not handicap ADC development, said Lawson Macartney, CEO of San Diego-based Ambrx Inc., which has inked a stunning strand of ADC deals with pharma partners. (See BioWorld Today, June 19, 2012, April 8, 2013, and May 6, 2013.) While acknowledging that he had no detailed knowledge about the trial design and could only speculate on the suboptimal efficacy

Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, completed its public offering of 9.2 million shares, including 1.2 million shares sold to cover overallotments, priced at $12.50 per share, for gross proceeds of $115 million

Elcelyx Therapeutics Inc., of San Diego, said it is enrolling patients with Type II diabetes in a Phase IIb trial of NewMet, a delayed-release formulation of generic metformin...Tracon Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, said it initiated two randomized Phase IIb studies to evaluate TRC105 in combination with bevacizumab (Avastin) in metastatic kidney cancer and recurrent glioblastoma multiforme

has acquired Actagene Oncology Inc., both of San Diego...Sorrento Therapeutics Inc. (STI), of San Diego, said the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases renewed the second year of a two-year Phase I fast-track advanced technology small business technology transfer research (STTR) grant to support the development of human antibody therapeutics to combat Staphylococcus aureus infections, including methicillin-resistant S

X-BODY will receive an up-front payment, clinical, regulatory and commercial milestones and royalties 4/5/13 MAY Abide Therapeutics Inc. (San Diego) Merck & Co...Senju will pay an eight-digit up-front license fee, additional milestone fees and a percentage royalty on net sales 5/3/13 Ambrx Inc. (San Diego) Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (New York) $112 Deal for Ambrx's site-specific, antibody drug conjugate technology Bristol-Myers provided $15M up front, plus funding for discovery and research and

In addition to the trio of filings, one biotech IPO closed last week, as San Diego-based Ambit Biosciences Corp...A week earlier, Receptos Inc., also of San Diego, priced its IPO, raising $72.8 million by selling 5.2 million shares at $14 apiece

Phase I/II data reported by San Diego-based TargeGen prior to the Sanofi buyout also showed the potential of SAR302503 to reduce white blood cell count in patients with leukocytosis and reduce mutant cells responsible for causing the disease in about two-thirds of the patients treated

AnaptysBio Inc., of San Diego, disclosed a contract award from the U.S

The San Diego-based biotech priced about 8.1 million shares at $8 apiece for gross proceeds of about $65 million

Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, priced a $100 million public offering of 8 million shares of common stock at $12.50 apiece, a 3.5 percent discount to Tuesday's closing price...Receptos Inc., of San Diego, said it completed its initial public offering of 5.2 million shares priced at $14 apiece for proceeds of $72.8 million and granted underwriters Credit Suisse Securities LLC, Leerink Swann LLC, BMO Capital Markets and Wedbush PacGrow Life Sciences a 30-day option to purchase up to an

and Cytori Therapeutics Inc., of San Diego.

On completion of the transaction, which is due to happen Wednesday, Cosmo will retain almost 3 million Santarus shares, representing 4.63 percent of the San Diego-based firm's stock

Sorrento Therapeutics Inc., of San Diego, and Igdrasol Inc., of Irvine, Calif., said they acquired exclusive distribution rights from Samyang Biopharmaceuticals, a South Korean firm, to Cynviloq (marketed as Genexol-PM in South Korea) in the 27 countries of the European Union

On completion of the transaction, which is due to happen Wednesday, Cosmo will retain almost 3 million Santarus shares, representing 4.63 percent of the San Diego-based firm's stock

Prometheus Laboratories Inc., of San Diego, said PROCLIVITY 01, a multicenter study of Proleukin (High Dose Interleukin-2 [HD IL-2])1 plus vemurafenib therapy in patients with BRAF V600 mutation-positive metastatic melanoma (mM) is enrolling patients