according to the protocol, all patients were to have been treated with both bortezomib and lenalidomide prior to study entry...Based on the positive results GSK said it is planning to make regulatory submissions in Europe, the U.S., as well as other regions during the next few

In addition to RA and Crohn's, the pharma may develop GLPG0634 in psoriasis, irritable bowel syndrome and lupus, mirroring the path by which the label on its blockbuster Humira (adalimumab) was expanded beyond RA...Helsinn Healthcare SA, of Lugano, Switzerland, and Vifor Pharma, of Villars-sur-Glane, Switzerland, signed an exclusive license and distribution agreement for netupitant-palonosetron fixed-dose combination, an investigational Helsinn product for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting

plc, of Dublin, Ireland, published a response to an offer made by Echo Pharma Acquisition Ltd. (Royalty Pharma) on May 2...Helsinn Healthcare SA, of Lugano, Switzerland, and Vifor Pharma, of Villars-sur-Glane, Switzerland, signed an exclusive license and distribution agreement for netupitant-palonosetron fixed-dose combination, an investigational Helsinn product for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, giving rights to Vifor to distribute the product in Switzerland, France, Spain, Portugal

The big pharma said no agreement has been reached and it does not intend to issue further comments...We note that an acquisition of Warner could potentially offer a tax strategy as Warner has a lower tax rate...In 2009, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Tarrytown, N.Y., updated its license agreement with Novartis related to canakinumab and a second antibody program using Regeneron's interleukin-1 Trap technology

In other news, Addex said dipraglurant demonstrated dose-dependent mGlu5 receptor occupancy in a nonhuman primate positron emission tomography study, showing the correlation between the plasma concentration of dipraglurant and occupancy of dipraglurant on mGlu5 receptors in the brain...Moberg Derma AB, of Stockholm, Sweden, said the Swedish Companies Registration Office granted the firm's application for a name change to Moberg Pharma AB

In separate news, Hyperion said it exercised its option to acquire Buphenyl (sodium phenylbutyrate) tablets and powder, an FDA-approved therapy for the chronic management of the most prevalent UCDs, and Ammonul (sodium phenylacetate and sodium benzoate) injection, a hospital-based product used to treat UCD patients in hyperammonemic crisis, from Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc., of Montreal...The big pharma firm stated that it has opted to prioritize the fixed-ratio combination of Lantus

Addex Therapeutics SA, of Geneva, said regulatory authorities in the Netherlands gave approval to start in the first half of this year a Phase I study of ADX71441, a GABA-B receptor positive allosteric modulator, for Charcot-Marie-Tooth1A (CMT1A) neuropathy and other disease indications...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

Ltd., of Osaka, Japan, said they entered a license agreement providing Maruishi exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize Cara's lead analgesic drug candidate, CR845, for acute pain and uremic pruritus in Japan...Emisphere Technologies Inc., of Roseland, N.J., said it has agreed with Novo Nordisk A/S, of Bagsvaerd, Denmark, to amend their development and license agreement to develop and commercialize oral formulations of Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 receptor agonists, which have the

Bial SA, of S. Mamede do Coronado, Portugal, signed an exclusive license agreement with Ono Pharmaceutical Co...The drug is in Phase III trials as an adjunctive therapy to levodopa...The two companies will collaborate on additional hit-to-lead and lead optimization for two new molecules, with the work taking place at AMRI's laboratories

In separate news, another Galapagos unit, Argenta, inked a deal with Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, of Ingelheim, Germany, to apply its respiratory drug discovery services to an undisclosed target within Boehringer's respiratory disease portfolio...In other news, BioInvent said the first patient has been treated in a Phase II study of BI-505 for smoldering multiple myeloma, or asymptomatic myeloma

Net proceeds will be used to complete a Phase II Squalamine eye drop clinical trial for the wet form of age-related macular degeneration, to further the clinical development of the eye drops for the treatment of other neovascular ophthalmic disorders, to fund development of other pipeline molecules, and for general corporate purposes

The companies previously inked a license agreement for the development and commercialization of the oral kinase inhibitor and, after generating positive preclinical data, Debiopharm decided to support Ascepion for further development in China, as the drug is designed to treat certain types of cancers that are highly prevalent in that country...Santaris Pharma A/S, of Hoersholm, Denmark, said the European Patent Office issued minutes of the oral proceedings specifying the board of appeal's decision

Armgo Pharma Inc., of Tarrytown, N.Y., and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) said $1 million was awarded for preclinical work in support of an investigational new drug application for AMR201, an oral, small-molecule Rycal drug that has the potential to treat Duchenne's muscular dystrophy...In separate news, another Galapagos unit, Argenta, inked a deal with Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, of Ingelheim, Germany, to apply its respiratory drug discovery services to an undisclosed target within

Ltd., of Osaka, Japan, entered a fourth amendment to their Feb. 13, 2006, and June 27, 2006, collaboration and license agreement for Omontys (peginesatide...As a result of the amendment, Takeda assumes full responsibility for Omontys and, should the big pharma opt to re-introduce the drug to the market, Affymax would be eligible to receive royalties and potential commercial milestone payments totaling up to $180 million

The company expects to see results from by late summer...The firms will aim to offer pharma and biotech companies a set of fully integrated nuclear receptor drug discovery capabilities by combining expertise in structural biology, medicinal chemistry, biology, DMPK, pharmacology and safety...Quest PharmaTech Inc., of Edmonton, Alberta, signed an exclusive license agreement with University of California at Los Angeles to develop and market anti-PSA IgE technology for the treatment of cancer

The application requests approval to expand the indication beyond the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in adults with chronic kidney disease to also include adults with iron deficiency anemia who have failed or could not take oral iron treatment...Cylene Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, said it entered an exclusive, worldwide option and license agreement allowing TetraGene LLC, of Tucson, Ariz., to advance the development of Quarfloxin and Cylene's associated cancer quadruplex-targeting

Lallemand Pharma, of Lugano Switzerland, partnered with Cipla Ltd., of Mumbai, India, to market and distribute PMBL tablets in India, under the name Pulmigen, for prevention of chronic bronchopulmonary infections...Orexo AB, of Uppsala, Sweden, said that Novartis AG, of Basel, Switzerland, notified Orexo that it is terminating the license agreement, signed Aug. 27, 2009, relating to the OX17 program for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, which is still in early clinical phase

Akela Pharma Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, said its wholly owned subsidiary, Formulation Technologies LLC, received a notice of default and that on Feb. 13 the subsidiary also received a notice of disposition of collateral on default from a secured creditor...In connection, it entered into a loan and security agreement with Biotech Investment Group LLC, relating to the funding of certain tenant improvements, relocation costs, security deposit, portions of rents related to the leased San

ProBioGen AG, of Berlin, said another undisclosed global pharma company licensed rights to its GlymaxX ADCC-enhancement technology...Proteologics Ltd., of Rehovot, Israel, and Newcastle Innovation Ltd., the technology transfer company of the University of Newcastle, Australia, entered an exclusive license agreement to develop and commercialize therapeutics for respiratory and other diseases based on the target Midline-1, an E3 ubiquitin ligase