EUSA Pharma Inc., of Oxford, UK, submitted a biologics license application for Erwinase (L-asparaginase derived from Erwinia chyrsanthem) for use in acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients with hypersensitivity to E...About 5 percent to 10 percent of lung cancers are caused by ALK mutations

In other financing news...Oxygen Biotherapeutics Inc., of Durham, N.C., entered a note purchase agreement with JP SPC 1 Vatea Segregated Portfolio in which the company agreed to issue and sell to the Vatea Fund an aggregate of $5 million of senior unsecured promissory notes in a series of closings between Oct. 31 and Dec. 31

And, as last year's mega mergers continue to shake out and other big pharma firms focus efforts on building up near-term pipelines ahead of the patent cliff, there's little doubt the industry will see more projects handed back to biotechs...And with pharma continuing to reprioritize, other promising programs could be up for grabs

In other news, AstraZeneca reported that a study evaluating zibotentan for the treatment of men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) did not show a significant improvement in the primary endpoint of overall survival...Its other lead compound, SB939, an HDAC inhibitor, is set to enter Phase II studies in the third quarter...In other news, S*BIO has begun a Phase II trial of its oral histone deacetylase inhibitor, SB939, in patients with recurrent or metastatic prostate cancer

Acacia Pharma Ltd., of Cambridge, UK, started two development programs: APD421, an intravenous formulation of a currently marketed dopamine D2 antagonist, for the prevention and treatment of nausea and vomiting, and APD515, an optimized oromucosal formulation of another marketed drug, in xerostemia...Argenta Discovery Ltd., of Harlow, UK, a service division of Galapagos NV, signed a contract extension with South San Francisco-based Genentech Inc., a unit of the Roche Group, to expand the portfolio

Cancer diagnostics firm Biomoda Inc., of Albuquerque, N.M., is working with the Saccomanno Research Institute to advance Biomoda's system for measuring the photon emission rate of CyPath-stained cells to detect early stage lung cancer...Mylan Inc., of Pittsburgh, completed its acquisition of Bioniche Pharma Holdings Ltd., of Galway, Ireland, a deal expected to provide Mylan with entry into the North American injectables market and a platform for the commercialization of future biosimilar products

The collaboration could potentially secure an independent supply of vaccines for Singapore and other countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to protect against seasonal influenza and future pandemics and extends Cytos' R&D pipeline...MediGene AG, of Martinsried, Germany, sold the full European marketing and distribution rights to Eligard (leuprolide acetate) for the treatment of hormone-dependent prostate cancer for €25 million (US$32.6 million) in cash and undisclosed

Noxxon Pharma AG, of Berlin, said CEO Frank Morich will leave the company effective Aug. 15 to take the position of vice president at Takeda Pharmaceutical Co...Santaris Pharma A/S, of Hoersholm, Denmark, and miRagen Therapeutics Inc., of Boulder, Colo., formed an alliance to develop microRNA-targeted medicines to treat cardiovascular disease

In other news Benitec said data published in Cancer Research showed that the BIII-tubulin protein has a key role in the pathobiology and aggressiveness of human lung cancer by influencing drug sensitivity, tumor incidence and progression

The researchers demonstrated in an animal model of human lung cancer that suppressing BIII-tubulin, a multifunctional protein involved in drug sensitivity and tumorigenesis in non-small-cell lung cancer, using Benitec's technology of DNA-directed RNAi significantly increased the sensitivity of the cancer to standard chemotherapy drugs, including DNA-damaging agents...GenVec Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., said it has engaged Wells Fargo Securities LLC to conduct a comprehensive review of strategic

Action Pharma AS, of Holte, Denmark ,has completed an internal financing round of...Transgene is developing cancer vaccine TG4010, which is set to start Phase IIb/III testing in non-small-cell lung cancer patients by the end of this year

Action Pharma AS, of Holte, Denmark ,has completed an internal financing round of €5 million (US $6.25 million), which will be used to advance the company's ongoing Phase IIa studies, and the initiation of a Phase IIb study, for AP214...Transgene is developing cancer vaccine TG4010, which is set to start Phase IIb/III testing in non-small-cell lung cancer patients by the end of this year

Clavis Pharma ASA, of Oslo, Norway, entered a license agreement to provide Ventana Medical Systems Inc., of Tucson, Ariz., exclusive access to its monoclonal antibody targeting human nucleoside transporter 1 and to the hybridoma cell line that produces the antibody

The combined company, which will be named Pacific Orient BioPharma Group, intends to be an innovative high-tech enterprise engaging in branded generic drug development, market promotion and distribution in China and other emerging markets...EyeGate Pharma Inc., of Waltham, Mass., said that it has established a research collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline plc, of London, to evaluate the delivery of several GSK therapies to the anterior and posterior tissues of the eye using the EyeGate II delivery

7TM Pharma, of Horsholm, Denmark, reported promising preclinical data in models of cancer therapy-induced gastrointestinal disease supporting the potential of TM30339, an analogue of a natural human hormone, in cancer supportive care and treating other gastrointestinal diseases...Clavis Pharma ASA, of Oslo, Norway, said Clovis Oncology Inc., of Boulder, Colo., its partner in the development and commercialization of Clavis Pharma drug candidate CP-4126, and Ventana Medical Systems Inc., of Tucson

The biotech is working to address an FDA refuse-to-file letter it received for lung cancer drug ANX-530 (vinorelbine injectable emulsion...CDEX Inc., of Tucson, Ariz., entered into a financial restructuring plan that immediately restructured certain existing debt into two-year notes, with a provision for extending those notes to other creditors

Ambrilia Biopharma Inc., of Montreal, received court approval of its previously announced proposal to dispose of a limited partnership interest with subsidiary Cellpep Pharma Inc...Life Technologies Corp., of Carlsbad, Calif., said it has teamed with researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine and other institutions to discover a genomic component that plays a key role in promoting breast cancer progression...A key to that finding was the ability of TaqMan noncoding RNA assays, from

NRP-1, was originally discovered as a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) co-receptor, but has since been shown to have other activity independent of VEGF, via a range of growth factors...BioAlliance Pharma SA, of Paris, said it has granted the European commercialization rights of Loramyc and Setofilm to Therabel Group, also of Paris, for €48.5 million (US$68.9 million), including €6.5 million up front, of which €4.5 million will be paid at signature...PregLem, of Geneva, and HRA Pharma, of

A.P. Pharma Inc, of Redwood City, Calif., said it received a complete response letter from the FDA for the firm's new drug application for APF530, a long-acting formulation of granisetron to prevent acute and delayed onset chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting...Tripep AB, of Stockholm, Sweden, resolved at its annual meeting to change its name to ChronTech Pharma AB to better reflect the company's work