Pherecydes Pharma SA, of Paris, said it received €900,000 (US$1.2 million) from France's General Directorate for Armaments to partly finance the PACOBURNS project, which is set up to explore the possibility of using bacteriophages to combat bacterial infections that are resistant to antibiotics, especially skin infections...XenoPort Inc., of Santa Clara, Calif., and partner Astellas Pharma Inc., of Tokyo, said Japanese regulators approved Regnite (gabapentin enacarbil) for moderate to severe

DFH Pharma Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., is collaborating with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to develop the next generation of HIV maturation inhibitor drugs

Astellas Pharma Inc., of Tokyo, and Theravance Inc., of South San Francisco, reported that Astellas is terminating the global licensing agreement for Vibativ (telavancin) for injection, a bactericidal, once-daily lipoglycopeptide antibiotic discovered by Theravance...Vibativ was approved in Europe last year for the treatment of adults with nosocomial pneumonia, including ventilator-associated pneumonia, known or suspected to be caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) when other

Astellas Pharma Inc., of Tokyo, and Theravance Inc., of South San Francisco, reported that Astellas is terminating the global licensing agreement for Vibativ (telavancin) for injection, a bactericidal, once-daily lipoglycopeptide antibiotic discovered by Theravance...LEO Pharma A/S, of Ballerup, Denmark, entered a multimillion dollar collaboration with Virobay Inc., of Menlo Park, Calif., to develop a first-in-class oral compound for psoriasis

Vical also has completed a Phase I trial of a DNA vaccine for H1N1 pandemic influenza, and its partner, Astellas Pharma Inc., of Tokyo, is preparing to move TransVax into a multinational Phase III trial to control cytomegalovirus reactivation in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients, plus a Phase II trial in solid organ transplant recipients...Funds will be used to support the firm's droxidopa programs, including regulatory, commercialization and marketing activity for Northera, to fund the

DFH Pharma Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., is collaborating with CiVentiChem LLC, of Research Triangle Park, N.C., to develop the next generation of HIV maturation inhibitor drugs

ViroPharma Inc., of Exton, Pa., said it entered an exclusive option to acquire Meritage Pharma Inc., a privately held San Diego company that develops oral budesonide suspension (OBS) for eosinophilic esophagitis

In other news, AstraZeneca and Hutchison MediPharma Ltd. (HMP), of London, entered a global licensing, co-development and commercialization agreement for Volitinib (HMPL-504), a highly selective inhibitor of the c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase to treat of cancer, currently in preclinical studies...In another development, AstraZeneca and Prosidion Ltd., of Tokyo, a subsidiary of Astellas Pharma Inc., signed an option agreement, under which Prosidion grants to AstraZeneca an exclusive option to

AstraZeneca plc, of London, and Prosidion Ltd., of Tokyo, a subsidiary of Astellas Pharma Inc., entered into an option agreement, under which Prosidion grants to AstraZeneca an exclusive option to acquire the Phase II clinical and preclinical assets, PSN821 and PSN842 respectively, for the treatment of Type II diabetes...subsidiary of Astellas Pharma Inc., of Tokyo, said they will end co-promotion of Sumavel DosePro (sumatriptan injection) needle-free delivery system on March 31, 2012

Antares Pharma Inc., of Ewing, N.J., has licensed to Pfizer Inc.'s Consumer Healthcare Business Unit one of its drug delivery technologies to develop an undisclosed product on an exclusive basis for North America

Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc., and Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, said the European Commission granted marketing authorization for Dificlir (fidaxomicin) tablets for the treatment of adults with Clostridium difficile infections (CDI), also known as Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea...In other news, Boehringer said it randomized the final patient to treatment in its Phase III program of BI 201335, an oral protease inhibitor for

The biotech will evaluate the peptides to treat beta thalassemia and other diseases associated with iron overload...Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, and Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma Inc., said the European Commission granted marketing authorization for Dificlir (fidaxomicin) tablets for the treatment of adults with Clostridium difficile infections (CDI), also known as Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea

The FDA approved Antares Pharma Inc.'s topical oxybutynin gel to treat overactive bladder with symptoms of urge urinary incontinence, urgency and frequency

Horizon Pharma Inc., of Deerfield, Ill., said the FDA accepted the filing and will review its new drug application for Lodotra, a modified delayed-release formulation of low-dose prednisone, to treat rheumatoid arthritis in adults

In other news, Affitech said it received a €2 million (US$2.7 million) license fee because Russian collaborator IBC Generium exercised its option to license Affitech's AT008 anti-CCR4 antibody program...Bionor Pharma ASA, of Oslo, Norway, presented data relating to its universal influenza candidate, Vacc-Flu, at the Influenza Congress USA in Arlington, Va

Asahi Kasei Pharma Corp., of Tokyo, acquired Artisan Pharma Inc., of Waltham, Mass., as a wholly owned subsidiary...Bionor Pharma ASA, of Oslo, Norway, presented data relating to its universal influenza candidate, Vacc-Flu, at the Influenza Congress USA in Arlington, Va

The company's shares soared on the news, opening 85 percent higher on Monday and maintaining that threshold throughout the day to close up $61.47 at $134.14...The company will likely seek to commercialize PSI-7977 with ribavirin before exploring other combinations that would ensure market leadership that company officials predicted would last well into the 2020s...One study, dubbed FISSION, is comparing the all-oral regimen to 24 weeks of standard-of-care pegylated interferon/ribavirin in treatment

Luliconazole was co-developed by NNC and Pola Pharma Inc., also of Tokyo...Vontz said he could not discuss details of the company's Series A, other than to say that it happened in 2008 and was led by Prospect Venture Partners

Asahi Kasei Pharma Corp. (AKP), of Tokyo, and Zosano Pharma Inc., of Fremont, Calif., entered a long-term collaboration to develop, commercialize and supply a weekly transdermal patch formulation of Teribone (teriparatide acetate), AKP's formulation of human parathyroid hormone for the treatment of osteoporosis patients with a high risk of fracture...In other news, Boehringer granted Gilead Sciences Inc., of Foster City, Calif., exclusive worldwide rights for the research, development and