InDex Pharmaceuticals AB is moving its lead drug candidate Kappaproct into a European Phase III trial in patients with chronic active ulcerative colitis who are unresponsive to other therapies.

LONDON – It may be possible to develop a drug that will prevent white blood cells from entering the inflamed synovial joints that occur in rheumatoid arthritis, where they cause further damage and inflammation, a new study suggested.

The month of May could prove to be an important milestone in the evolution of drug regulation in Europe. Around then, Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics (AMT) Holding NV expects to hear a final decision from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on its dossier for gene therapy treatment Glybera (alipogene tiparvovec), which has traced a highly circuitous route through various European Union institutions over the past couple of years.

LONDON – Shield Therapeutics Ltd. signed an exclusive agreement with the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) for PT20, a treatment for hyperphosphatemia caused by kidney disease, and raised €10.5 million (US$13.9 million) for the onward development of the compound, which is ready for Phase II.

Basic biomedical research in Ireland is facing a period of significant uncertainty, following the publication of a report setting out a new overarching strategy for research in the country, which calls for greater emphasis on research areas that will enhance Ireland's appeal as a pharmaceutical manufacturing location.

LONDON – Neurotune AG launched the first validated blood test for sarcopenia, a move it said has made its putative treatments for the muscle-wasting disease more attractive to potential pharma partners.

LONDON – "This is not about doing the easy thing, but the right thing," said David Brennan, CEO of AstraZeneca plc, at the launch of a new code of practice for pharmaceutical companies, which for the first time has been extended beyond marketing practices, to set out the terms of engagement for all pharma industry interactions with health care professionals, hospitals and patients' organizations.

• BioLineRx Ltd., of Jerusalem, closed its $15 million private placement with U.S. institutional investors. The company sold about 5.25 million American Depositary Shares (ADSs) at $2.86 per ADS and warrants to purchase up to 2.6 million additional ADSs at an exercise price of $3.57 each, netting BioLineRx around $14.1 million. Roth Capital Management LLC acted as sole placement agent. In other news, BioLineRx received approval from the Israeli Ministry of Health to begin a Phase II trial of BL-7040 for inflammatory bowel disease.

LONDON – Galapagos NV landed a deal with Abbott last week worth $1.35 billion, plus royalties, for its JAK1 inhibitor for rheumatoid arthritis, in an agreement the company said is the largest for a Phase II compound in the history of the industry.

• BioLineRx Ltd., of Jerusalem, reported that preclinical results demonstrated that BL-7010, a polymer intended to treat celiac disease, reduced gluten toxicity and prevented gluten-induced pathological damage to the small intestine in rodents. The research was published in the February 2012 edition of Gastroenterology.