NGM Biopharmaceuticals Inc., of South San Francisco, and Medimmune, the global biologics research and development arm of Astrazeneca plc, of London, entered into an exclusive agreement to discover, develop and commercialize novel therapeutics from NGM's enteroendocrine cell (EEC) program for the treatment of Type II diabetes and obesity

At the start of this year, the firm cleared up its part in a dispute over anti-androgen compounds with Medivation Inc., of San Francisco, which had claimed breach of contract against the Regents of the University of California...San Francisco County Superior Court granted summary adjudication in Aragon's favor, regarding an intervention complaint, and decreed that Aragon owns exclusive rights to the drug candidates, including ARN-509

According to Royalty, a "sufficient number of these ADSs" voted against Elan's proposed $1 billion cash acquisition of a royalty stream from South San Francisco-based Theravance Inc

San Francisco) Stivarga Regorafenib Metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor FDA approved it 5/16/13 Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH (Ingelheim, Germany) Tiotropium Delivered by the Respimat Softmist inhaler Asthma Phase III data showed it increased time to first severe exacerbation and first episode of asthma worsening 5/22/13 Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (New York) Nivolumab An anti-PD-1 Inoperable Stage III and Stage IV melanoma In combination with the anti-CTLA-4 ipilimumab suggested it led to an

San Francisco; unit of Roche Group; Basel, Switzerland) MPDL3280A A human monoclonal antibody Locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors The overall response rate was 21%, and there were no dose-limiting toxicities or treatment-related deaths, with most adverse events considered transient in a Phase I expansion study 5/16/13 Helix Biopharma Corp. (Aurora, Ont.) L-DOS47 Immunoconjugate-based drug candidate Non-small-cell lung cancer Initiated enrollment of the fourth dose level cohort of 0.46

Building on the incubator it established in San Diego, J&J has established a second incubator in the San Francisco Bay Area through an agreement with California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3) to rent space in the University of California sponsored incubator...David Kirn, founder of San Francisco-based Jennerex Biotherapeutics Inc., is the first entrepreneur funded under the program

chlorambucil alone showed it met the primary endpoint of progression-free survival 5/30/13 Jennerex Biotherapeutics Inc. (San Francisco) Pexa-Vec Oncolytic cancer vaccine

San Francisco) and Astellas Pharma Inc. (Tokyo) Enzalutamide Oral, androgen receptor signaling inhibitor Prostate cancer Submitted an application for marketing approval in Japan 5/28/13 Symbio Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (Tokyo) Treakisym Bendamustine hydrochloride, SyB L-0501 Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma Completed patient enrollment in its Phase II study in Japan 5/9/13 CARDIOVASCULAR Arbor Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Atlanta) Nymalize Nimodipine oral solution Subarachnoid hemorrhage FDA

was acquired from Swedish biotech Albireo AB Chronic idiopathic constipation Initiated enrollment in two Phase III trials 5/3/13 INFLAMMATORY Genentech Inc. (South San Francisco; unit of the Roche Group) Actemra Tocilizumab...an enzyme replacement therapy Mucopoly-saccharidosis Type IVA FDA accepted for review the BLA 5/31/13 Hyperion Therapeutics Inc. (South San Francisco) Ravicti Glycerol phenylbutyrate Urea cycle disorders FDA granted orphan drug designation 5/3/13 Raptor Pharmaceutical Corp

San Francisco) and Transgene SA (Strasbourg, France) Pexavec JX-594/TG6006, pexastimogene devacirepvec Advanced primary liver cancer Enrollment in the 120-patient Phase IIb study is complete 5/23/13 Lpath Inc. (San Diego) Asonep A humanized antibody designed to neutralize sphingosine-1-phosphate Renal cell carcinoma Began dosing in a Phase IIa trial 5/24/13 Macrogenics Inc. (Rockville, Md.) Margetuximab Next-generation anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody Metastatic breast cancer First patient was

Sunesis Pharmaceuticals Inc., of South San Francisco, said the independent data and safety monitoring board for the pivotal VALOR trial completed its latest period safety review and recommended that the study continue as planned without changes

Amgen Buys Rights to a Heart Drug in Japan In other news from Amgen, the company is expanding its 2006 deal with Cytokinetics Inc., of South San Francisco, for omecamtiv mecarbil for heart failure to include Japan, which was not included in the original deal. (See BioWorld Today, Jan. 4, 2007.) Cytokinetics will get $25 million, including a nonrefundable license fee of $15 million and $10 million from purchase of common stock by Amgen – 8.4 million shares at about $1.18 each

through various stages of preclinical evaluation," said Sean McCarthy, CEO of South San Francisco-based CytomX

They include Elan's $1 billion cash acquisition of a 21 percent stake in South San Francisco-based Theravance Inc.'s royalties from the respiratory franchise it shares with London-based Glaxosmithkline plc

An example of the process: PEP02, a nano-liposomal formulation of cancer drug irinotecan, licensed in 2003 from Hermes BioSciences, of San Francisco

Sedgwick noted that other early stage ubiquitin programs are attracting investment, pointing to Cleave Biosciences Inc., of San Francisco, which in April raised $10 million in an extension of its Series A financing from new investor New Enterprise Associates, bringing its Series A total to $54 million

They include Elan's $1 billion cash acquisition of a 21 percent stake in South San Francisco-based Theravance Inc.'s royalties from the respiratory franchise it shares with London-based Glaxosmithkline plc

PDL Biopharma Inc., of Incline Village, Nev., filed a notice of arbitration against Genentech Inc. (part of Roche AG), of South San Francisco, with the American Arbitration Association in Voorhees, N.J., alleging, inter alia, that Genentech underpaid royalties going back to at least 2007 and impeded PDL's attempts to have Genentech's books and records inspected to determine whether Genentech's past payments to PDL were accurately calculated

Oxigene Inc., of South San Francisco, said final results of FACT study (Fosbretabulin in Anaplastic Cancer of the Thyroid) a randomized controlled global trial in anaplastic thyroid cancer published in Thyroid, which suggested a survival benefit in patients who received Zybrestat and chemotherapy vs