DUBLIN – Annexin Pharmaceuticals AB completed a listing on the First North exchange in Stockholm last week and is on track to begin clinical trials of its first-in-class therapy for inflammatory vascular disease by year-end.

DUBLIN – Shares in Xbiotech Inc. (NASDAQ:XBIT) fell by 41 percent Friday on news that its European application for its advanced colorectal cancer therapy Xilonix (MABp1), was likely to fail. 

DUBLIN – French biotech has a new source of cash for early stage ventures. Advent France Biotechnology (AFB) has raised €64.75 million (US$69.7 million) in a first closing of a new seed fund, which has a mandate to back first or best-in-class breakthrough innovations that address unmet medical needs.

DUBLIN – Motif Bio plc is on course for an NDA filing next year for its diaminopyrimidine antibiotic, iclaprim, following a positive readout from the first of two phase III trials in patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infection (ABSSSI), in which it demonstrated noninferiority to vancomycin. Results from a second study, which is following the same protocol, are due in the second half of this year.

DUBLIN – Investors in Polyphor Ltd. have kept their faith in the company's first-in-class antibiotic therapy murepavadin (POL7080) by pumping in CHF40 million (US$39.8 million) in a largely internal round to fund a registration program in hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP) caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.

DUBLIN – Shares in Innocoll Holdings plc surged by more than 86 percent during pre-market trading on Nasdaq Wednesday on news of a takeover offer from Gurnet Point LP valued at up to $209 million.

DUBLIN – Numab Therapeutics AG could earn up to CHF258 million (US$262 million) in up-front and milestone payments from a research and option agreement with Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., in which it will deploy its multispecific antibody fragment technology in the search for a molecule that simultaneously binds a novel immuno-oncology target nominated by Ono as well as other complementary targets.

DUBLIN – The lag between the initiation of new research and the approval of targeted or biologic drugs for treating cancer can exceed 40 years, according to a newly published analysis that examines the relationship between the maturation of technologies and their potential to generate successful products.