Awaiting multiple gevokizumab (XOMA 052) data readouts in 2014, including the first Phase III data by midyear, on Friday Xoma Corp. priced a public offering of 9.5 million shares of common stock at $5.25 apiece, seeking to raise $50 million. The Berkeley, Calif.-based company granted underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1.4 million shares, potentially increasing its haul by $7.5 million.

By partnering with one of the top pharmaceutical companies in China, Dutch brain drug developer To-BBB Technologies BV is expanding its pipeline and looking to gain access to the Chinese market.

Researchers have gained new insights into the cellular processes that underlie tumor invasion, the initial step toward metastasis. The findings show that the cells leading such invasion express certain proteins at high levels, and that the invasiveness of a tumor is determined by how many of its cells express those factors.

Bind Therapeutics Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., and Amgen Inc., of Thousand Oaks, Calif., amended their development and commercialization collaboration agreement to extend the period during which Amgen may exercise its option by six months.

Neumedicines Inc., of Pasadena, Calif., reported data from a study in healthy human subjects showing that Hemamax (recombinant human interleukin-12, or IL-12) works by promoting NK cell migration and also increases CSCL10, co-receptors IL-12Rbeta2 and CXCR3 and bright CD56.

Ventana Medical Systems Inc., of Tucson, Ariz., a member of the Roche Group, said the Ventana HER2/neu (4B5) Rabbit Monoclonal Primary Antibody assay is available as a companion diagnostic for detecting HER2 protein expression in patients who may be candidates for Perjeta (pertuzumab) and Kadcyla (ado-trastuzumab emtansine).

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., of Osaka, Japan, reported results showing that pantoprazole magnesium 40 mg, branded Tecta, was as effective as esomeprazole 40 mg for achieving complete remission in patients with erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease, with a high mucosal healing rate, while providing significantly higher symptom relief after eight weeks.

Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center have synthesized the hormone erythropoietin (EPO), which controls blood synthesis and is used in recombinant form for the treatment of anemia and myelodysplasia, via completely chemical means.

After Coronado Biosciences Inc. reported two trial failures this year in Crohn’s disease with its oral Trichuris suis ova (TSO, or pig whipworm eggs), investors’ faith had fallen low in the unusual immune system-based approach, but Wall Street sang a different song when the company unveiled positive data from a pilot study in the seemingly unlikely indication of autism.