NeuroSearch's shares crashed more than 40 percent Aug. 10 on news that its lead drug candidate, NS2330, failed to achieve efficacy in two Phase IIb trials for Parkinson's disease and a third Phase IIb trial for Alzheimer's disease, dashing hopes that the compound would move into Phase III. (BioWorld International)
A Phase II trial miss is usually nothing to shout about, but Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd. put an optimistic gloss on macitentan's failure to demonstrate efficacy in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), emphasizing its favorable safety profile, which could augur well for an ongoing Phase III trial in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
Biotie Therapies Oyj has closed the door on its proposed stock-based acquisition of Newron Pharmaceuticals SpA, following Merck Serono SA's surprise decision to exit a partnership with Newron on the Parkinson's drug safinamide.Merck Serono, a division of Darmstadt, Germany-based Merck KGaA dropped a bomb on the acquisition process last week by indicating it would hand back rights to Safinamide, which is undergoing separate Phase III trials as an adjunct to dopamine agonist therapy in early stage Parkinson's and as an adjunct to levodopa therapy in mid-to-late-stage Parkinson's, nex
A group of researchers at Haukeland University Hospital, in Bergen, Norway, has chanced upon a potential new approach to treating chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), which could also shed light on the underlying pathophysiological mechanism of this most enigmatic of diseases.
Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics (AMT) NV's bid to become the first Western biotechnology firm to gain a gene therapy approval suffered a second rebuff, as the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) stood over its original negative opinion on a marketing authorization application for Glybera (alipogene tiparvovec), which is in development for the ultra-rare indication lipoprotein lipase deficiency.Shares in the company (AMSTERDAM:AMT) plunged 51 percent when the news was disclosed Friday, to close at €0.38 (US$0.43).
To say that Timo Veromaa, CEO of Biotie Therapies Oyj was not best pleased with Merck Serono SA's surprise decision to exit a partnership with Newron Pharmaceuticals SpA on the Parkinson's drug safinamide would be an understatement.The timing of the announcement – smack in the middle of Biotie's proposed takeover of Newron – "is completely unorthodox," he told BioWorld International. "To drop the ball right in the middle of [a pivotal Phase III program] is astonishing."
To say that Timo Veromaa, CEO of Biotie Therapies Oyj, was not best pleased with Merck Serono SA's surprise decision to exit a partnership with Newron Pharmaceuticals SpA on the Parkinson's drug safinamide would be an understatement. The timing of the announcement – smack in the middle of Biotie's proposed takeover of Newron – "is completely unorthodox," he told BioWorld Today. "To drop the ball right in the middle of [a pivotal Phase III program] is astonishing."
