That's the sweet spot for a number of pharma companies...ERYtech Pharma SA, of Lyon, France, has had its prospectus accepted for a proposed initial public offering on the NYSE Euronext exchange in Paris...In its earnings release, MediciNova said proceeding with a Phase IIb trial in progressive multiple sclerosis would be dependent on receipt of funding

Array BioPharma Inc., of Boulder, Colo., reported clinical data at the International Myeloma Workshop in Kyoto, Japan, showing that ARRY-520, a selective KSP inhibitor, demonstrated single-agent activity in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, with 19 months median overall survival and a 16 percent overall response rate...Cerulean Pharma Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., will present Phase II data for investigational nanopharmaceutical product CRLX101 at the American

Pharma doesn't want more questions than answers, so you can't do development on a shoestring or cut corners...A dose-ranging Phase IIb trial is planned to begin in the second quarter

Cerulean Pharma Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., said the first patient was dosed in a Phase II study of CRLX101, a nanopharmaceutical designed to inhibit both topoisomerase 1 and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha, in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer sensitive to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy...CytRx Corp., of Los Angeles, said a data safety monitoring committee recommended continuing a Phase IIb trial of tamibarotene with chemotherapy in non-small-cell lung cancer

EyeGate Pharma Inc., of Waltham, Mass., said it enrolled the last patient in a 200-subject pivotal Phase III study of EGP-437 (dexamethasone phosphate ophthalmic solution) in patients with anterior uveitis...Pharmalink AB, of Stockholm, Sweden, began a Phase IIb trial of Nefecon (Nefigan) for IgA nephropathy

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

The net proceeds will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes, including the continued conduct of the Abili-T clinical study, Opexa's recently initiated Phase IIb trial of personalized T-cell therapy Tcelna in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

About a year earlier, Dutch firm AM-Pharma BV banked €29.2 million (then US$39.8 million) in a Series D round, apparently the largest venture capital financing in Dutch biotechnology thus far...The company planned to switch from a bovine to a recombinant form of its AKI treatment, alkaline phosphatase. (See BioWorld Today, Sept. 14, 2011.) Bunnik, the Netherlands-based AM-Pharma had then gained only preliminary data from two small-scale clinical trials suggesting that bovine alkaline phosphatase

Neurocrine Biosciences Inc., of San Diego, said it started a Phase IIb trial (the Kinect Study) testing NBI-98854, its vesicular monoamine transporter 2 compound...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 in combination with basal insulin in Type II diabetes

Celladon Corp., of San Diego, said it dosed the first patient in a Phase IIb trial testing Mydicar, a genetically targeted enzyme replacement therapy intended to restore levels of SERCA2a, a regulator of calcium cycling in the heart and cardiac contractility...The first clinical study, to be conducted in the U.S

Agenus Inc., of Lexington, Mass., said clinical data from a Phase I trial of a Prophage Series vaccine (HSPPC-96, vitespen) to treat patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) were published online by Clinical Cancer Research...Clavis Pharma ASA, of Oslo, Norway, said its partner Clovis Oncology Inc., of Boulder, Colo., initiated a Phase I study of CP-4126 (CO-101) in combination with cisplatin in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC

BHR Pharma LLC, of Phoenix, said it reached its SyNAPSe clinical trial enrollment midpoint of 590 patients...The original Phase IIb trial was designed to determine the potential effectiveness of two cell concentrations and two dosing frequencies of HP802-247, when combined with standard care, compared to control plus standard care, in healing venous leg ulcers over a 12-week treatment period

Cerulean Pharma Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., completed enrollment in a Phase II trial of CRLX101, in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and dosed its first patient in a Phase Ib/IIa trial of the same product in combination with Avastin (bevacizumab, Roche AG) in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC...Protalix BioTherapeutics Inc., of Carmiel, Israel, reported clinical data for taliglucerase alfa showing that at 36 months, patients with Gaucher disease had significant improvement in bone marrow fat

The randomized Phase IIb trial will enroll approximately 220 patients at 15 sites in the U.S...ImmunoCellular Therapeutics Ltd., of Woodland Hills, Calif., will present new data from its previously completed Phase I trial of ICT-107 in glioblastomoa multiforme at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago

Syndax Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Waltham, Mass., said Phase II data published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology confirmed preclinical findings and demonstrated an improved overall survival in a subset of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with tumors expressing elevated levels of E-cadherin treated with the company's HDAC inhibitor entinostat in combination with EGFR inhibitor Tarceva (erlotinib, Astellas Pharma Inc. and Roche AG...Zalicus Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., said it completed

In Phase I/II studies, both candidates demonstrated clinical activity, including durable complete responses and an overall survival (OS) benefit...Bergstein previously was medical director of Access Oncology Inc., a privately held clinical-stage biotech that had three oncology compounds in Stage II development when it was acquired in 2004 by Keryx Biopharmaceuticals Inc. (See BioWorld Today, Jan. 9, 2004.) In 2005, Stemline licensed high-throughput drug discovery technology from the University of

With data from at least seven clinical trials due this year, along with a Phase III go/no-go decision on its most advanced partnered program, Array Biopharma Inc...The London big pharma firm said earlier this month that it "has a Phase III decision to make, so data from two Phase II trials in second-line lung cancer and melanoma are critical," noted analysts from Edison Investment Research, who called 2012 a "pivotal year that could boost Array's relatively modest valuation...Funds from the latest

Arhalofenate is a uricosuric agent currently in Phase IIb trials...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...Zealand Pharma A/S, of Copenhagen, Denmark, said its partner Paris-based Sanofi SA reported that in a

Cardiome Pharma Corp., of Vancouver, British Columbia, said partner Merck & Co...Rexahn Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Rockville, Md., reported results from a Phase IIb trial showing that Serdaxin in major depressive disorder did not demonstrate efficacy compared to placebo over an eight-week treatment period, as measured by the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale...Rexahn said the firm plans to evaluate the Serdaxin clinical programs and possible paths forward