• Biodel Inc., of Danbury, Conn., and Aegis Therapeutics LLC, of San Diego, have partnered to provide Biodel with an exclusive worldwide license to Aegis' ProTek and Intravail technologies to develop and commercialize a wide variety of pharmaceutical formulations of glucagon. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

• Chelsea Therapeutics, of Charlotte, N.C., is cutting back on its cash burn in order to adequately fund its clinical program until the third quarter of 2013. The move comes swiftly after its Phase II trial of CH-4051, a product in development for rheumatoid arthritis, failed to meet its primary endpoint of superiority over methotrexate. All corporate officers and members of its board volunteered to receive a 25 percent reduction in compensation until the data from its ongoing Phase III study of Northera (droxidopa), for the treatment of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension, is available. In addition, approximately 35 percent of the staff that do not support the Northera program are expected to temporarily transition to part-time status. Those and other corporate initiatives are expected to realize savings of $6 million. (See BioWorld Today, June 1, 2012.)

• CSL Behring, of King of Prussia, Pa., has received FDA orphan drug designation for rIX-FP, a recombinant fusion protein linking coagulation factor IX with recombinant albumin. The designation covers the treatment and prophylaxis of bleeding episodes in patients with congenital factor IX deficiency (hemophilia B).

• Fibrocell Science Inc., of Exton, Pa., entered a definitive agreement to sell its majority ownership stake in Agera Laboratories Inc., of Exton, Pa., a skin care company offering anti-aging, pigmentation and acne treatment products, to Rohto Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., of Osaka, Japan, for $850,000. Fibrocell expects to receive $400,000 within 10 days, with the balance paid at the transaction's closing, expected by Aug. 31. Fibrocell, known as Isolagen Inc. before emerging from bankruptcy proceedings in 2009, acquired a 57 percent ownership stake in Agera in August 2006. Fibrocell said it is focused on commercializing and pursuing additional indications for lead product LaViv (azficel-T), approved by the FDA in June 2011 to reduce the appearance of moderate to severe nasolabial fold wrinkles, commonly known as smile lines. (See BioWorld Today, June 23, 2011.)

• GlaxoSmithKline plc (GSK), of London, extended its tender offer to acquire the outstanding shares of Human Genome Sciences Inc. (HGSI), of Rockville, Md., to 5 p.m. EST on June 29. The tender offer, for $13 per share in cash, was previously scheduled to expire at midnight EST on June 7. HGSI's board continued to reject the unsolicited offer and said the tendered shares represented less than 1 percent of the company's outstanding shares. HGSI said it was continuing to explore strategic alternatives, including a potential sale of the company, and urged its stockholders to refrain from tendering their shares to GSK. Shares of HGSI (NASDAQ:HGSI) gained 9 cents Friday, closing at $13.32, on light trading. (See BioWorld Today, April 20, 2012, and April 26, 2012.)

• HUYA Bioscience International, of San Diego, has struck a strategic partnership with Zhuhai Sanzao Science and Technology Industrial Park in China covering new drug development. HUYA receives an opportunity to evaluate research and development projects conducted by pharmaceutical enterprises residing in the Sanzao Park and select programs for co-development.

• Sorrento Therapeutics Inc., of San Diego, has received an Advanced Technology Small Business Technology Transfer Research Fast-Track grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The grant will support the company's program to develop human antibody therapeutics against S. aureus infections, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus.

• Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Henderson, Nev., for the second time extended the offering period to purchase the outstanding shares of common stock of Allos Therapeutics, Inc., of Westminster, Colo., for $1.82 per share in cash, plus one contingent value right entitling Allos stockholders to an additional 11 cents per share in cash if European regulatory approval and commercialization milestones for Folotyn are achieved. The offer, previously scheduled to expire at 5 p.m. EST on June 8, was extended until 5 p.m. EST on June 22 to enable the companies to provide additional information and documents requested in May by the Federal Trade Commission. Spectrum said 63.9 million shares of Allos stock, representing approximately 59.7 percent of outstanding shares, were tendered prior to June 8. (See BioWorld Today, April 6, 2012.)