• Adherex Technologies Inc., of Research Triangle Park, N.C, said it received feedback from the FDA at an end-of-Phase II meeting, during which the company proposed a small pivotal single-arm study to testing eniluracil/5-FU/leucovorin in metastatic breast cancer patients, based on data from patients who had rapid disease progression on Xeloda (capecitabine, Roche AG). The agency, however, strongly recommended that Adherex consider other larger clinical trial design alternatives. Adherex said, in light of its current resources, it would take the FDA's recommendations into consideration as it reviews its clinical options. The company ended the first quarter with about C$1.9 million (US$1.8 million) in cash. Shares of Adherex (TSX:AHX) dropped C68 cents, or 64.2 percent, to close Friday at C38 cents.

• Bellus Health Inc., of Laval, Quebec, said the data safety monitoring board for its Phase III confirmatory study of AA amyloidosis drug Kiacta (eprodisate) recently recommended that the trial continue as planned. The study, which has enrolled 66 percent of patients to date, is an event-driven trial designed to end when 120 events linked to deterioration of kidney function have occurred, expected in 2017. Bellus' partner, Auven Therapeutics, of New York, (previously Celtic Therapeutics) is funding 100 percent of the development costs of Kiacta.