for the Brisbane, Australia-based company's Diversity Scanning Array (DSA) and Versatile Assembly on Stable Templates (VAST) technologies in a deal worth up to $240 million in milestones, plus other payments...to conduct a review of merger and acquisition opportunities. (See BioWorld Today, Feb. 1, 2013...It expects to launch the product in Canada, and a number of Central American, South American and Asian countries in 2014 and 2015

The funding will be used to formulate antigens using Immunovaccine's DepoVax adjuvant technology...The company is expected to roll out the drug to pharmacies within 90 days. (See BioWorld Today, Oct. 23, 2012, and March 27, 2013

Advancements from the project are expected to enable rapid and efficient delivery of Inovio's SynCon vaccines for universal flu, HIV and other infectious diseases

The refund was received to support research and clinical development of PBT2 for Huntington's and Alzheimer's diseases, as well as for other Prana research activities into Parkinson's disease and other neurological indications...VaxInnate Corp., of Cranbury, N.J., said it received a grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to fund the development of a recombinant vaccine for the prevention of dengue

NeoStem Inc., of New York, said it was awarded the second year of a two-year grant totaling $595,252 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for the development of human, autologous, pluripotent very small embryonic-like (VSEL) stem cells as a countermeasure to radiation threats...In other news, SCT closed its previously announced private placement for gross proceeds of C$3.2 million (US$3.1 million

Clinigen Group plc, of Burton-on-Trent, UK, and Theravance Inc., of South San Francisco, entered an exclusive commercialization agreement in the European Union and certain other countries located in Europe for Vibativ (telavancin) in nosocomial pneumonia, including ventilator-associated pneumonia, known or suspected to be caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, when other alternatives are not suitable...In other news, Elan said its Tysabri (natalizumab) restructuring transaction is

The agreement gives miRagen rights to a discovery made in the course of the collaboration...AstraZeneca gained the right to develop and commercialize alpha4beta2 NNR modulators licensed from Targacept, including AZD1446, in any therapeutic area...The company is planning to begin clinical trials in ischemic stroke and peripheral vascular diseases this year

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

Milo is developing therapies to treat muscular dystrophy by increasing muscle strength or decreasing the rate of muscle atrophy...The company expects to submit an investigational new drug application for Adva-27a, an irreversible stoichiometric inhibitor of topoisomerase II...The firm said it aims to enter clinical trials with its first biosimilar product within the next year and launch onto the marketplace by 2017

Beyond Pfizer, other big pharma firms also could be interested...The Gyrase B program has been funded largely under a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases contract, though a portion of proceeds from the public offering are expected to advance the compounds in investigational new drug application-enabling efforts this year...In other financings news

In addition to Kim, we were joined by a long-time friend and medical consultant who's helping to vet oncology assets...In contrast to most partnering discussions in small suites, that meeting was held in a large board room with a long conference table

Altravax Inc., of Fargo, N.D., said it received two Advanced Technology Small Business Innovation Research grants from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for research on vaccines to prevent infection by dengue virus and to treat chronic hepatitis B. In recent months, the firm has received more than $4.5 million in nondilutive funding...to-BBB Technologies BV, of Leiden, the Netherlands, entered a collaboration with the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) in Cambridge

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 study, conducted under the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' Preclinical Services Program, was designed to test multiple DepoVax-formulated vaccines, specifically examining immunogenicity and safety after either one or two doses...Paratek Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Boston, said the FDA designated the firm's lead antibiotic candidate, omadacycline (formerly PTK 0796) as a Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) for both intravenous and oral formulations to treat acute

Sarepta Therapeutics Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., signed a clinical trial agreement with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to carry out a Phase I study of its influenza candidate, AVI-7100...It is the second of three infectious disease indications the company intends to pursue as part of its August 2012 collaboration with Intrexon...In relation to the development of this potential therapy for pertussis, Synthetic Biologics has entered into an agreement with the University of

to Firdapse, a drug in development for Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome BioMarin agreed to invest $5M in Catalyst under a promissory note and note purchase agreement 11/1/12 Colby Pharmaceutical Co. (San Jose, Calif.) MannKind Corp. (Valencia, Calif.) $140 Deal for disease-specific antigen compounds and intra-lymph node injection (INLI) technologies from its MKC1106 cancer vaccine program Colby is paying up to $140M in up-front and milestone payments to MannKind, which also will receive tiered

The technology has the potential to enhance antibody therapeutics for a broad range of applications in cancer and infectious diseases, according to the company

The amount is in addition to approximately $500 million remaining under the previously announced $10 billion share repurchase program...Genzyme plans to request a re-examination of the CHMP Opinion...Raxibacumab also is approved to prevent inhalational anthrax when alternative therapies are not available or not appropriate

The company plans to direct its cash and other resources primarily to enable the achievement of important near-term milestones for its BCX4161 HAE, BCX4430 broad-spectrum antiviral and BCX5191 hepatitis C programs