The study's primary objective was to demonstrate that the immune response to Prevenar 13 in the 18- to 49-year-old age group is noninferior to the compound's immune response in the 60- to 64-year-old age group as measured by serotype-specific opsonophagocytic assay titers one month after vaccination...The company said the data also will be used to support planned submissions in other countries

Prior to the merger, BioSante will distribute contingent value rights to its stockholders providing rights related to LibiGel (female testosterone gel

Effective Jan. 1, 2013, BMS will relinquish rights in all markets except for rights to Plavix in the U.S...In exchange, Sanofi will make royalty payments to BMS on global sales of branded and unbranded Plavix outside the U.S...Sanofi also will make a terminal payment of $200 million to BMS in December 2018

LEO Pharma A/S, of Ballerup, Denmark, disclosed plans to establish five long-term, strategic research collaborations in Australia, France, Germany and the U.S...If the results of the studies are sufficiently favorable, Wassermann will have the right to exercise an exclusive option for the development and commercialization of velusetrag in the European Union, Russia, China, Mexico and certain other countries...Theravance retains full rights to velusetrag in the U.S., Canada, Japan and certain other

Janssen Biotech Inc., of Horsham, Pa., said it inked a deal with Astellas Pharma Inc., of Tokyo, for the worldwide development and commercialization, except in Japan, of ASP015K, an oral, small-molecule Janus kinase inhibitor currently in Phase IIb development as a once-daily treatment for moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis...Under the terms, Janssen, a unit of Johnson & Johnson, gains exclusive rights to ASP015K in exchange for an undisclosed up-front payment, future milestone payments and

In other news, BioLineRx said results from the Phase II EAGLE trial of BL-1020, an oral GABA-enhanced antipsychotic, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, showed that the drug was safe and effective in improving schizophrenia, in addition to improving cognitive impairment associated with the disease...In other news, Evotec and Aspireo Pharmaceuticals Ltd., of Tel Aviv, Israel, said they inked an advisory agreement for support in the development and partnering of Aspireo's Somatoprim

Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Parsippany, N.J., said the District Court for the Northern District of Georgia granted summary judgment in favor of Watson, and all other defendants, on all remaining claims in the pending antitrust lawsuit related to settlements of patent litigation concerning Androgel 1 percent testosterone gel

Horizon Pharma Inc., of Deerfield, Ill., said it expanded its sales force from 80 to 150 representatives to facilitate increased reach and frequency of calls on physicians for its lead product, Duexis (ibuprofen and famotidine), which is indicated for the relief of symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis and to decrease the risk of developing upper gastrointestinal ulcers

The Phase IIb is designed to identify the patient population, defined by biomarker or other disease characteristic, for advancement into the Phase III portion of the trial...Biomarker findings and other patient selection and treatment experience from the Phase IIb stage will be incorporated into the design of Phase III, which the company plans to discuss with the FDA before launching the study this year, Farmer said...The two have nothing to do with each other

Abbott Park, Ill.-based Abbott's blockbuster drug Humira (adalimumab) was approved by the FDA Friday to include treatment of moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis in adults when immunosuppressant medicines like corticosteroids, azathioprine and 6-mercaptopurine have not worked...The FDA previously approved Humira to treat rheumatoid arthritis (2002), psoriatic arthritis (2005), ankylosing spondylitis (2006), Crohn's disease (2007), plaque psoriasis (2008) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (2008...The

A.P. Pharma Inc., of Redwood City, Calif., said it resubmitted its new drug application to the FDA for its lead product candidate, APF530, for the prevention of acute- and delayed-onset chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting...AVEO Oncology Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., and Astellas Pharma Inc., of Tokyo, said AVEO submitted a new drug application (NDA) seeking approval of tivozanib, a drug designed to target vascular endothelial growth factor, in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma...The

Allergan Inc., of Irvine, Calif., said its botulinum toxin Type A product, Botox, was licensed by the UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency for the management of urinary incontinence in adult patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity due to subcervical spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis, who are not adequately managed with anticholinergics...Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., of New York, and Pfizer Inc., also of New York, said the FDA accepted the new drug application

Curadev Pharma Private Ltd., of New Delhi, India, triggered a milestone payment from Endo Health Solutions, of Newark, Del., by advancing its oncology program to the next stage of development...oncology-focused company and a Top 20 pharma firm, in which MAB will deliver a number of monoclonal antibodies to partner-selected targets

Teijin Pharma Ltd., of Tokyo, and Pulmagen Therapeutics (Asthma) Ltd., of Slough, UK, inked an exclusive licensing deal granting Teijin Japanese rights to ADC3680, Pulmagen's bronchial asthma therapeutic...Alnylam added to the infringement action Tuesday by suing Tekmira in Canada for patent infringement

BioAlliance Pharma SA, of Paris, said it executed a licensing agreement with Vestiq Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Research Triangle Park, N.C., to commercialize Oravig in the U.S...Other partners in the consortium include IBIS Technologies BV, Infors Benelux BV and Wageningen University

In other news, Ablynx said it and partner Merck Serono, a division of Darmstadt, Germany-based Merck KGgA, advanced Nanobody candidate ALX-0751 into preclinical development in cancer...In other news, Boehringer and Eli Lilly and Co., of Indianapolis, said they received a positive opinion from the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use for DPP-4 inhibitor Trajenta (linagliptin) in combination with insulin in adults with Type II diabetes...are soliciting consents from note holders for

are soliciting consents from note holders for proposed amendments to eliminate or modify substantially all restrictive covenants, certain events of default and other provisions governing the notes...to prevent acute and delayed nausea and vomiting following highly and moderately emetogenic chemotherapy

subsidiary of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc., has submitted a new drug application (NDA) to the FDA seeking approval for tacrolimus extended-release capsules for the prophylaxis of organ rejection in adult kidney transplant recipients and adult male liver transplant recipients...It was not possible to determine if the heart failure was directly a result of Mirapex or other factors...Santaris Pharma A/S, of Hoersholm, Denmark, said the federal court in the Southern District of California granted

Under the deal, the Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery will identify drug candidates from its existing program, which obtained significant support from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, while BMS will have the right to develop and commercialize products resulting from the collaboration...In other news, BMS and partner Pfizer Inc., of New York, said the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use adopted a positive opinion on Eliquis (apixaban) for