Galena Biopharma Inc., of Lake Oswego, Ore., partnered with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., of Petach Tikva, Israel, to commercialize an investigational breast cancer vaccine, NeuVax (nelipepimut-S), in Israel

In the breast cancer study, GRABM-B, Geron was evaluating safety, efficacy and tolerability of GRN1005 as a single agent in 100 patients with HER2-positive or HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer

That drug is undergoing Phase II trials in essential thrombocythemia, multiple myeloma and advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), although a trial in metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer was stopped in September. (See BioWorld Today, Sept. 11, 2012.) The timing of the transaction with Mediolanum is linked to Eporgen's size and mode of operation

The team also looked at matched samples from the primary tumors and lymph node metastases of a group of breast cancer patients, and found that while primary tumor cells had high levels of Twist1 expression, Twist1 expression was once again low in most of the metastases

Researchers have dubbed "TNBC" those breast cancer tumors that do not express the estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2...This basaloid type of breast cancer, which is hypoxia-dependent, hypoxia-driven" may succumb particularly to tivozanib, Berkenblit said

The team also looked at matched samples from the primary tumors and lymph node metastases of a group of breast cancer patients, and found that while primary tumor cells had high levels of Twist1 expression, Twist1 expression was once again low in most of the metastases

was granted regulatory clearance from authorities in Thailand to advance lead AlloStim immunotherapy to the Phase II/III stage in advanced metastatic breast cancer...The study is scheduled to launch in April 2013 and will enroll a total of 208 breast cancer patients with HER2-positive disease who have failed a Herceptin (trastuzumab, Roche AG)-containing regimen

Although the claims represent only a portion of the intellectual property covering its BRACAnalysis breast cancer gene test, Myriad has vowed to "vigorously defend" the patents because of the issues at stake

in February for development in breast cancer...Almost half of breast cancers show a biomarker that may predict activity of onapristone

That is the dreaded "triple-negative" breast cancer (TNBC), which brings reduced survival – disease-free and overall – at every stage of diagnosis, compared to other breast cancer subtypes

commercial rights to Fareston (toremifene citrate) to treat metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women ProStrakan paid GTx a lump sum of $21.7M 10/2/12 NOVEMBER Pharmalink AB (Stockholm, Sweden) Patheon Inc. (Research Triangle Park, N.C.) ND Agreement for the manufacture of Nefecton The product is in development for progressive IgA nephropathy 11/1/12 Notes: The date indicated refers to the BioWorld Today issue in which the news item can be found. ** Denotes the date the item ran in

Total Value in 2012: $6,312.15M* Number of Deals in 2012: 216 Company (Location) Company (Location) Value (M) Type/Product Area Terms/Details Date SEPTEMBER Astex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Dublin, Calif.) Cancer Research Technology Ltd. (Cambridge, UK) and the Institute of Cancer Research (London) ND Initiated a collaboration to discover and develop drug candidates targeting an undisclosed epigenetic target in blood cancer with high unmet medical need The collaboration will combine Astex's fragment

tumor targeting doxorubicin conjugate aldoxorubicin Metastatic solid tumors Started a Phase Ib trial 10/16/12 Galena Biopharma Inc. (Lake Oswego, Ore.) NeuVax Nelipepimut-S or E75 Breast cancer Phase I/II data showed it decreased circulating tumor cells in 16 of 26 breast cancer patients during vaccine treatment 10/29/12 Immunovaccine Inc. (Halifax, Nova Scotia) DPX-Survivac An ovarian cancer vaccine Ovarian cancer Phase I data showed all nine patients receiving the vaccine in combination with

a once daily oral beta3-adrenoceptor agonist Overactive bladder CHMP adopted a positive opinion recommending approval 10/22/12 AstraZeneca plc (London) Fulvestrant Breast cancer therapy Hormone therapy-naive postmenopausal breast cancer patients Started a Phase III study to compare fulvestrant to Arimidex 10/30/12 Bayer Healthcare (unit of Bayer AG; Leverkusen, Germany) Riociguat First of a new class of soluble guanylate cyclase stimulators Pulmonary arterial hypertension Demonstrated a

vemurafenib Locally advanced/unresectable or metastatic melanoma In a Phase Ib trial, two cohorts receiving 60 mg of MEK inhibitor GDC-0973 on a 21/7 day schedule with vemurafenib at 720 mg and 960 mg were selected for expansion 10/2/12 Genentech Inc. (South San Francisco) and ImmunoGen Inc. (Waltham, Mass.) T-DM1 Antibody-drug conjugate Breast cancer Phase III data showed it yielded a reduced death risk of 32% for women with HER2-positive breast cancer who had previously been treated with

Several years later, after the breast cancer drug atamestane – an oral steroidal aromatase inhibitor licensed from Berlin-based Schering AG – had blown up in Phase III trials, Intarcia came out of a regrouping period with $50 million in fresh funding and a plan to reinvent itself. (See BioWorld Today, March 20, 2007.) The capital came as a result of enthusiasm for an internal discovery at Intarcia: how to stabilize proteins, peptides and antibody fragments at human body-like temperatures and

Caliber will provide funding to enable Valor to reach undisclosed development milestones for the compounds in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma and breast cancer

rights to Soltamox (oral liquid tamoxifen citrate) in breast cancer

Albireo AB, of Gothenburg, Sweden, said A4250, an inhibitor of the ileal bile acid transporter, was granted orphan drug designation by the FDA in progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). The candidate previously received orphan drug designation in the same indications from the European Commission, based on a preclinical data package showing A4250 has high potency, minimal systemic exposure and benefits in an animal model of cholestasis, the