Newron Pharmaceuticals SpA and its partner, Zambon SpA, remain on track to file for approval for safinamide as add-on therapy in Parkinson's disease in the fourth quarter, following the release of pivotal Phase III data at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in San Diego this week.

AbbVie Inc. and InterMune Inc. could derail the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) carefully timetabled introduction of a new data transparency regime on Jan. 1, 2014, by seeking court injunctions preventing the disclosure of clinical trial data for their respective principal products, Humira (adalimumab) and Esbriet (perfidenone).

LONDON – Study of a family affected by an inherited neurological disease has helped to reveal the identity of an enzyme that could point the way to new therapies for cancer and cardiovascular disease.

LONDON – It was money galore for UK biotech on Monday as the government Biomedical Catalyst fund announced its second round of grants, with 51 companies bagging a total of £47.2 million (US$70.2 million).

LONDON – Progenitor Labs Ltd. has raised £4 million (US$5.8 million) in seed financing from the GlaxoSmithKline plc venture fund SR One, enabling the company to further develop its platform technology for screening for small molecules that promote the differentiation of endogenous adult stem cells.

NeuroVive Pharmaceutical AB extended its drug pipeline by picking up a series of polyketide-based preclinical cyclophilin inhibitors from Biotica Technology Ltd., a UK pioneer of polyketide engineering, which is currently in administration.

LONDON – Cell Medica Ltd. has attracted Kurt Gunter, a leader of cell therapy in the U.S., to be its chief medical officer, in one of five senior appointments that will see the London-based company scaling up to a global operation.

• Riboxx Pharmaceuticals GmbH, of Radebeul, Germany, began a research collaboration with China National Biotech Group Co. Ltd., of Beijing, evaluating Riboxxim with one of CNBG's antigen's for an infectious disease.

Mesoblast Ltd. has raised A$170 million (US$174.6 million) in a private placing, bringing total cash reserves for the stem cell specialist to A$332 million and providing funding for a Phase III trial in treating degenerating spinal discs.

Ablynx NV raised €31.5 million (US$41 million) in a private placement, boosting cash reserves to around €90 million and allowing the company to progress development of its next-generation rheumatoid arthritis (RA) product ALX-0061 into Phase IIb, while negotiating with potential partners.