• Ariel Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Broomfield, Colo., said it in-licensed Tamiasyn (AP-1100), a hypertonic formulation comprising various therapeutic agents that can cross the blood-brain barrier, for the treatment of hemorrhagic shock from the University of Minnesota. In trauma animal models, the drug has shown an ability to stabilize organs, including the brain, and to reduce oxidative stress or damage to tissues. Ariel said it intends to file an investigational new drug application to start clinical trials in the second half of 2012.

• Blaze Bioscience Inc., of Seattle, exclusively licensed worldwide rights to tumor paint technology from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Lead tumor paint candidate CyTP 007 combines a targeting peptide and a fluorescent beacon to better distinguish brain tumors from surrounding tissues during surgery.

• Encore Therapeutics Inc., of Carlsbad, Calif., said it completed a preclinical proof-of-concept study on ETI-511, its extended-release phospholipid gel depot formulation of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug Mobec (meloxicam) in development as a long-acting local therapy for pain and inflammation. Key findings from the study showed that ETI-511 provided about 100-fold higher local tissue levels of meloxicam for at least 48 hours around the injection site compared to orally dosed meloxicam, and ETI-511 exhibited lower plasma meloxicam levels at all times compared to oral dosing.

• HUYA Bioscience International LLC, of San Diego, inked a deal with the Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biotechnology and Medicine (TJAB), a government-run incubator. HUYA will have the first option to evaluate research and development projects originating at TJAB and will use its co-development model to globalize select products.

• Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Palo Alto, Calif., received a warning letter from the FDA citing violations at a manufacturing plant and stating that the firm failed to report incidents of serious drug side effects or injuries related to narcolepsy drug Xyrem (sodium oxybate).

• NeurOp Inc., of Atlanta, was selected to participate in the 2011-2012 Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP) funded by the National Institutes of Health. The company is looking to CAP to help it refine a commercialization plan for its ischemia drug program. Last year, NeurOp snagged a collaboration with New York-based Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. to develop small molecules for depression and other central nervous system disorders. (See BioWorld Today, March 31, 2010.)

• Norgine BV, of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Jubilant Biosys Ltd., of Bangaluru, India, signed a three-year discovery collaboration under which Jubilant will use its platform to discover gastrointestinal disease drugs and will deliver preclinical candidates to Norgine. Terms were not disclosed.

• Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc., of Mississauga, Ontario, reported that nearly 81 million shares of Edmonton, Alberta-based Afexa Life Sciences Inc. have been tendered at a cash price of C85 cents (US83 cents), giving Valeant 73.8 percent of Afexa's outstanding common shares. Valeant is extending its offer to purchase all the outstanding shares of Afexa, which totaled about C$88 million, until Oct. 27. If Valeant acquires at least 90 percent of Afexa shares, it will obtain the remaining shares by compulsory acquisition. If it fails to acquire 90 percent, Valeant intends to privatize Afexa through a subsequent acquisition transaction. Following the acquisition, Afexa will be delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange. Since it now has more than 50 percent of the shares, Valeant will appoint six of Afexa's eight directors. Shares of Afexa (TSX:FXA) closed at C84 cents Tuesday, unchanged.