Despite losing a potentially lucrative FLT3 inhibitor partnership with Astellas Pharma Inc...for $1.3 billion in 2004, began its second life when the big pharma spun out the firm and lead asset ETC-1002 in 2008. (See BioWorld Today, May 2, 2008.) It raised $22.8 million in a Series A round and recently added $33 million in a preferred stock deal...Proceeds would be used to fund clinical trials, R&D for additional alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) indications, expanding distribution capabilities for

Kite Pharma Inc., of Los Angeles, said it closed a $20 million private placement of shares of its Series A preferred stock...Vivus Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., said it intends to offer $200 million aggregate principal amount of convertible senior unsecured notes due May 1, 2020, through one or more initial purchasers in a private placement

A big pharma partner could ease some of the pressure on Vivus...The funds will be used to advance Theraclone's clinical programs and support its I-STAR technology platform.

Secondary objectives of the trial include clinical activity by serum TTR levels...TheraVida Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., presented positive results from a Phase II trial of lead candidate, Tolenix (THVD-201), a combination of tolterodine to treat overactive bladder (OAB) and urge urinary incontinence (UUI) and pilocarpine to reduce dry mouth caused by muscarinic antagonist medications

Cerulean Pharma Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., said CRLX101 achieved the predefined gating criterion for advancement into the second stage of a Phase II trial in advanced ovarian cancer...ChemoCentryx Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., said it started a Phase I trial of CCX507, a CCR9 inhibitor, to test safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics in healthy adults...The complete clinical study report for the interim analysis would be supplied to the FDA during the review within 60 days of the resubmission

Cerulean Pharma Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., said it dosed the first patient in a Phase II study of lead candidate CRLX101 in advanced gastric cancer...TheraVida Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., reported Phase II results showing that lead candidate Tolenix (THVD-201) produced statistically significant improvements in overactive bladder and urge urinary incontinence symptoms over placebo, and patients experienced efficacy similar in magnitude to the maximum dose of active control Detrol (2 mg

Edison Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., said it started a Phase IIb study testing EPI-743 in children with Leigh syndrome, an inherited lethal and progressive neuromuscular disease...Tiltan Pharma Ltd., of Jerusalem, said it enrolled the first U.S

The primary endpoint of the study is clinical benefit of AEZS-108...CellAct Pharma GmbH, of Dortmund, Germany, said its topoisomerase inhibitor CAP7...The study, conducted in 20 Asian patients at seven clinical trial sites, compared the outcome of a single intravenous dose of Zybrestat (15, 25, 35 or 45 mg/kg) with placebo

Diartis Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., reported Phase I data showing that Type II diabetes candidate VRS-859 (exenatide-XTEN), a long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 analogue, was well tolerated in repeated dosings of 200 mg per month...Zealand Pharma A/S, of Copenhagen, Denmark, said partner Sanofi SA, of Paris, reported data at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting in Berlin supporting the use of once-daily glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist lixisenatide

Edison Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., reported positive results from a completed Phase IIa study on EPI-743 in children with Leigh syndrome, an inherited lethal, progressive, predominately pediatric neuromuscular disorder for which there are no approved treatments...Zealand Pharma A/S, of Copenhagen, Denmark, said it dosed the first patient in a Phase I study of ZP2929, a dual-acting glucagon/GLP-1 peptide agonist, in development for treating patients with Type II diabetes and/or

The Mountain View, Calif.-based company granted underwriters a 30-day option to purchase an additional 582,088 shares, potentially raising another $7.8 million...Horizon Pharma Inc., of Deerfield, Ill., filed an S3 shelf registration with the SEC for a public offering not to exceed $175 million

Acacia Pharma Ltd., of Cambridge, UK, reported Phase II data showing that APD421 significantly reduced the incidence of nausea and vomiting compared to placebo in adult surgical patients at moderate to high risk of suffering postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV...ChemoCentryx Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., presented Phase I data at the European Renal Association – European Dialysis and Transplant Association meeting in Paris establishing a targeted dosing level for the firm's ongoing Phase II

The Mountain View, Calif.-based firm has not yet priced the 8.5 million shares it plans to sell, but at Monday's closing price of $23.78, the offering would bring in $191.6 million – or $220.4 million if underwriter J.P. Morgan Securities exercises the full overallotment option...Horizon Pharma Inc., of Deerfield, Ill., is bringing in $50.8 million in a private placement of about 14 million units – each comprising one share of common stock and a warrant to purchase 0.25 shares – priced at $3.62125

and NewLink Genetics Corp., if not boasting approved products like Horizon Pharma Inc...ChemoCentryx's president and CEO, Thomas Schall, founded the Mountain View, Calif.-based company to advance his research in cell migration, specifically using the chemokine system to regulate the trafficking of immune cells

Niiki Pharma Inc., of Hoboken, N.J., said it completed the dose-escalation portion of its Phase I trial of NKP-1339, a small molecule designed to down-regulate GRP78, a tumor survival and anti-apoptosis factor...Vivus Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., said results from the Phase III REVIVE study, published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine, found that patients who attempted intercourse within 15 minutes of dosing with phosphodiesterase Type 5 inhibitor avanafil were successful 64 percent, 67 percent

Vivus, of Mountain View, Calif., has since resubmitted its application, now seeking a more restricted label for Qnexa. (See BioWorld Today, Sept. 16, 2011.) San Diego-based Arena and partner Eisai Inc...Cerulean Pharma Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., closed a $15 million Series D financing with participation from new investor CVF LLC, an affiliate of Henry Crown and Co., of Chicago, and full participation from existing investors Polaris Venture Partners, Venrock, Lilly Ventures, Lux Capital and Bessemer

Tranzyme Pharma Inc., of Research Triangle Park, N.C., and Norgine BV, of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, completed patient enrollment in ULISES 007, the first of two pivotal Phase III studies of ulimorelin, an intravenous ghrelin agonist, for the acceleration of gastrointestinal recovery in patients undergoing partial bowel resection...Vivus Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., published data from its SEQUEL extension trial of obesity drug Qnexa (phentermine/topiramate) in The American Journal of Clinical

Vivus Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., said avanafil met all its endpoints by demonstrating sustained improvement from baseline in erectile dysfunction as measured by the Sexual Encounter Profile and improvements in the International Index of Erectile Dysfunction in an open-label, long-term study...Zealand Pharma A/S, of Copenhagen, Denmark, said partner Sanofi SA, of Paris, presented new results from a four-week Phase II study showing that GLP-1 agonist Lyxumia (lixisenatide) produced significantly

Cardiome Pharma Corp., of Vancouver, British Columbia, said partner Merck & Co...Vivus Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., announced that results from the 56-week EQUIP study of investigational drug Qnexa in 1,267 severely obese patients in 91 U.S