UMN Pharma Inc., of Akita, Japan, and Catalent Pharma Solutions, of Somerset, N.J., signed a deal in which Catalent will provide UMN a broad range of biosimilar cells lines using its GPEx technology

Astellas Pharma Inc., of Tokyo, said the FDA accepted for review its new drug application for tacrolimus extended-release capsules for the prophylaxis of organ rejection in adult kidney transplant recipients and adult male liver transplant recipients...Galderma Pharma SA, of Lausanne, Switzerland, and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc., of Montreal, reached agreement on terms of a revised North American aesthetics arrangement, resolving Galderma's pending litigation related to Valeant's

Akela Pharma Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, said its voluntary delisting from the Toronto Stock Exchange occurred at the close of trading Dec. 7...Payments to Isis could total $200 million, including license fees and regulatory milestones per program, plus additional double-digit royalties

Isotechnika Pharma Inc., of Edmonton, Alberta, reported positive anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) results from the second round of in vitro testing of its cyclophilin antagonist molecules (NICAMs...Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc., of Montreal, and Galderma Pharma SA, of Lausanne, Switzerland, reached agreement on terms of a revised North American aesthetics arrangement, resolving Galderma's pending litigation related to Valeant's acquisition of Medicis Pharmaceuticals International Inc., of

Astellas Pharma Inc., of Tokyo, said the FDA accepted for review its new drug application for tacrolimus extended-release capsules for the prophylaxis of organ rejection in adult kidney transplant recipients and adult male liver transplant recipients

Akela Pharma Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, said it applied for voluntary delisting from the Toronto Stock Exchange, citing an inability to maintain the continuous listing requirements

Isotechnika Pharma Inc., of Edmonton, Alberta, said a partial award has been issued in the company's ICC arbitration regarding its right to terminate the development, distribution and license agreement with Iljin Life Sciences Co

Details Date Advaxis Inc. (Princeton, N.J.) Private placement N/A $10 Advaxis secured $10M in equity financing from Magna Group LLC 11/1/12 Amarantus BioSciences Inc. (Sunnyvale, Calif.) Private placement N/A $1.1 Amarantus secured $1.1M in funding through two separate transactions, by issuing a convertible promissory note to an undisclosed investor in the principal amount of $600,000 and, with an institutional fund, settled more than $500,000 in accounts payable 11/15/12 Ambit Biosciences Inc

Ildong gained exclusive rights to commercialize temanogrel in South Korea for myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, stroke, peripheral artery disease and other cardiovascular diseases...Arena also is eligible to receive a royalty on net sales of temanogrel in South Korea, while Ildong is eligible to receive a share of future payments to Arena for licensing transactions and sales of temanogrel in other countries...AVEO Oncology Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., and Astellas Pharma Inc., of Tokyo

Astellas Pharma Inc., of Tokyo, said it submitted a supplemental new drug application seeking approval of Tarceva (erlotinib) in first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer whose tumors have EGFR-activating mutations as detected by an approved test...LEO Pharma A/S, of Ballerup, Denmark, said the European Commission granted marketing authorization for Picato (ingenol mebutate) gel as a treatment for actinic keratosis, a skin condition that can

The contract, issued under the Russian Federation's "Pharma 2020" development initiative, provides matching funding over a period of about three years, which will be used to support preclinical and clinical studies...Early this year, Theravance's partner for Vibativ, Astellas Pharma Inc., of Tokyo, handed back full rights to the program. (See BioWorld Today, Dec. 1, 2009

Astellas Pharma Inc., of Tokyo, said it submitted a supplemental new drug application seeking approval of Tarceva (erlotinib) in first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer whose tumors have EGFR-activating mutations as detected by an approved test...LEO Pharma A/S, of Ballerup, Denmark, said the European Commission granted marketing authorization for Picato (ingenol mebutate) gel as a treatment for actinic keratosis, a skin condition that can

Neptune's subsidiary Acasti Pharma Inc...The company currently estimates that it will establish a reserve of between $7 million and $12 million, which will be used to pay all expenses (including operating expenses up until the dissolution) and other known, noncontingent liabilities, and includes reasonable provision for expenses of liquidation and contingent and unknown liabilities as required by Delaware law

Those data explained a phenomenon concerning the role of aggregated oligomeric tau as an inhibitor of fast axonal transport, the mechanism by which newly synthesized membrane and other proteins made in the nerve cell body essential for neuronal membrane function and maintenance are provided to the synapse...Isotechnika Pharma Inc., of Edmonton, Alberta, reported that screening of its cyclophilin antagonist molecules turned up several compounds that were highly active against important viruses

At least a year shy of the next milestone payment from partner Astellas Pharma Inc., Ambit Biosciences Inc...In the U.S., Ambit holds an option to co-promote under a 50/50 profit-and-loss-sharing arrangement. (See BioWorld Today, Dec. 21, 2009.) Existing investor OrbiMed Advisors led the latest financing, with participation from other existing Ambit investors including Aisling Capital, Apposite Healthcare, Roche Ventures, GrowthWorks, MedImmune Ventures, Forward Ventures, GIMV and Radius Ventures

Shares of MEI Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ:MEIP) popped on Monday morning and climbed throughout the day after the company disclosed a $27.5 million private placement...The company also received $25.0 million from the sale of common stock in a private placement to strategic partner AstraZeneca plc, of London, that closed concurrently with the IPO, and $5.0 million from the sale of a convertible note to research collaborator Biogen Idec Inc., of Weston, Mass., which was converted into shares of common stock

AlphaCore Pharma Inc., of Ann Arbor, Mich., said it received orphan designation from the European Medicines Agency for ACP-501 for familial LCAT deficiency (FLD), a rare, inherited condition that causes lipid accumulation in the eyes, red blood cells and kidneys

Acceleron Pharma Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., reported preclinical data demonstrating positive effects of ACE-536, a modified Type II activin receptor fusion protein, to treat both the severe anemia and serious organ damage due to iron overload in a model of beta-thalassemia

Astellas Pharma Inc., of Tokyo, said the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use adopted a positive opinion recommending approval of Betmiga (mirabegron) for the symptomatic treatment of urgency, increased micturition frequency and/or urgency incontinence as may occur in adults with overactive bladder syndrome...BioAlliance Pharma SA, of Paris, said it signed a deal with Shafayab Gostar to distribute Loramyc (miconazole Lauriad mucoadhesive buccal tablet) in Iran for the treatment