• The European Union awarded $7.6 million to a research consortium comprised of 4SC AG, of Planegg-Martinsried, Germany, Anaxomics Biotech, of Spain, and a number of European Universities for the purpose of investigating the link between periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The ultimate goal will be to identify new drugs for RA.
• Apricus Biosciences Inc., of San Diego, entered a licensing agreement granting Bracco SpA, of Milan, Italy, exclusive rights to market Vitaros, a topical treatment for erectile dysfunction, in Italy. Under the terms, Apricus will get up to €5.5 million (US$7.2 million) in up-front, regulatory and sales milestones, plus tiered, double-digit royalties based on Bracco's sales of the product. The firm plans to file for European approval of Vitaros in April 2011.
• Biogen Idec Inc., of Weston, Mass., and Elan Corp. plc, of Dublin, Ireland, submitted supplements to U.S. and European regulators requesting an update to the label of multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri (natalizumab). The companies are seeking to add language specifying anti-JC virus antibody status as a potential factor to help stratify the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Tysabri's link to PML has limited its treatment duration, and Biogen and Elan are working to identify patients with lower or higher risk. (See BioWorld Today, July 21, 2010.)
• BioTime Inc., of Alameda, Calif., will provide five research-grade human embryonic stem cell lines to University of California system researchers. Within one year, if requested, BioTime will also provide GMP-grade cell lines. The cells may be used to develop therapies, in which case BioTime will collect royalties on net sales.
• Clinical Data Inc., of Newton, Mass., said it will receive a $2 million milestone payment from partner Santen Pharmaceutical Co., of Osaka, Japan, triggered by the latter's filing of an investigational new drug application for ATL313, an adenosine A2A agonist for primary open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension. Clinical trials are slated to begin early next year.
• Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, will receive a $1 million payment from Pfizer Inc., of New York, due to Pfizer's sublicensing of Tanaproget (NSP-989), a nonsteroidal progesterone receptor agonist contraceptive. Ligand will receive milestone payments and royalties as the product advances. Tanaproget was part of a collaboration between Ligand and Wyeth, which Pfizer acquired.
• Marshall Edwards Inc., of San Diego, will acquire isoflavone-based intellectual property from Novogen Ltd., of Sydney, Australia, for $4 million in convertible preferred stock. Each of 1,000 shares of Class A preferred stock is convertible to a minimum of 4,827 shares of common stock. The value of $4 million is based on the volume weighted average price over the prior 20 trading days.
• Merrion Pharmaceuticals plc, of Dublin, Ireland, signed a collaboration and option agreement with Novo Nordisk AS, of Bagsvaerd, Denmark, for Merrion's GIPET technology for boosting oral bioavailability with an undisclosed compound. Novo Nordisk will have an option to enter further licensing agreements once the feasibility of the technology has been evaluated. Merrion issued warrants to Novo Nordisk for up to $1.96 million in Merrion shares at $3.92 per share.
• MorphoSys AG, of Martinsried, Germany, received a milestone payment from partner Centocor Ortho Biotech LP, part of Johnson & Johnson, of New Brunswick, N.J., triggered by the filing of an application for a Phase I trial of a HuCAL-derived antibody for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The amount of the milestone was not disclosed. Morphosys and Centocor teamed up in 2001.
• Novavax Inc., of Rockville, Md., and scientists from the University of Massachusetts Medical School published preclinical data showing that the company's virus-like particle vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus completely protected mice from a live virus challenge. The data were published in The Journal of Virology. Novavax recently got FDA clearance to start a Phase I trial of the vaccine.