Variants in the ApoE gene are the strongest genetic risk factor there is for developing Alzheimer’s disease. Inheriting the E2 allele decreases the number of plaques, while inheriting the E4 allele increases the number of plaques and raises the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease – for those unlucky individuals who have two copies, that risk jumps by 12-fold. E4 carriers also start developing the disease decades earlier than those with E2 alleles.

• Bavarian Nordic A/S, of Kvistgaard, Denmark, said Health Canada granted a notice of compliance approving Imvamune for active immunization against smallpox in a public health emergency.

• Threshold Pharmaceuticals Inc., of South San Francisco, reported early data from a Phase I trial of TH-302 in combination with Avastin (bevacizumab, Roche AG) for recurrent glioblastoma.

Roughly a third of all tumors have mutations in the protein RAS, but attempts to drug the enzyme have so far been unsuccessful. Now, a team from the University of California at San Francisco has identified small molecules that can bind one particular mutant of KRAS.

Wall Street fell short of rejoicing when Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. popped the lid off Phase III data with sarilumab that met all endpoints in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and the firm’s chief scientific officer, George Yancopoulos, said he knows why.

Flagship Ventures, Polaris Partners and Third Rock Ventures have teamed up to fund a biotech start-up based on a genome-editing platform to the tune of $43 million in Series A financing.

Shares of Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc. gained 35.5 percent Friday after the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) recommended that leukemia drug Iclusig (ponatinib) remain on the market in Europe.

Lawmakers are leaving no stone unturned in their struggle to free FDA user fees from indiscriminate sequestration cuts. The latest effort was a letter, sent last week, asking congressional budget negotiators to clearly state in their final agreement Congress’ intent to spare all user fees from the sequester.