Psoriasis trial results "tend to vary a little bit" between experiments, Dermira Inc.'s chief development officer Luis Peña told BioWorld Today, but consistency of data in two yet-to-report phase III studies with Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) is "nothing we're concerned about."

Though the failure of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s phase II combo trial in wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) surprised few (including, maybe, the company itself) in the shifting treatment landscape, phase III data due soon from Ophthotech Corp. with its similar pairing could change the picture yet again.

"The beauty of this deal is that it's not just an out-licensing deal from Servier," CTI Life Sciences partner Jean-François Leprince told BioWorld Today as he explained newly formed Laval, Quebec-based Ilkos Therapeutics Inc., which made its debut with a $21 million three-way investment in equal parts by CTI, the Fonds de solidarité FTQ and Servier Canada.

CEO Remi Barbier said Pain Therapeutics Inc. will ask for a special protocol assessment with regard to new trials demanded by the FDA's third complete response letter for extended-release, abuse-deterrent Remoxy (oxycodone).

Prescription Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week closed Friday, but intense talks around the topic and related drug development haven't stopped – and probably won't anytime soon.

Newly formed Seelos Therapeutics Inc. is "pretty well positioned to raise money," Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. President Matthew Foehr told BioWorld Today, and that's what Seelos needs to do in the four-piece licensing deal with San Diego-based Ligand.

CEO Stephen Hurly told BioWorld Today that Viventia Bio Inc.'s bid to lift antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) "to the next level" in oncology powered a merger deal with Eleven Biotherapeutics Inc., a peer in protein engineering that's had some stumbles developing ophthalmology therapies.

BOSTON – Fresh from a follow-on financing round that gave more weight to the unusual IPO carried out in February, Proteostasis Therapeutics Inc. CEO Meenu Chhabra provided a primer of sorts to attendees of Biopharm America on the timing, benefits and detriments of going public.