Sizzle in the anti-cancer stem cell (CSC) space continued in the wake of the $177.25 million up-front deal between Oncomed Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Celgene Corp., which included $22.25 million as an equity investment and gives the latter options to as many as six candidates.

Positive data from a Phase II trial with the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) glembatumumab vedotin (CDX-011) in patients with metastatic, triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) that overexpress glycoprotein non-metastatic melanoma protein (GPNMB) have led Celldex Therapeutics Inc. to fire up a pivotal study called METRIC that could lead to accelerated approval.

Visterra Inc.’s $8.1 million in proceeds from its upsized Series A round gives the company enough cash to finish Phase I trials with its influenza drug and choose a lead candidate for advancement against dengue fever.

Oncology partner Sanofi SA likely was not thrilled by the clinical part of the mixed bag of news offered by Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc., but a moderate-sized nanoliposomal deal with specialty pharma Actavis plc made Wall Street happy.

Having leapt the cardiovascular (CV)-risk hurdle set by the FDA for Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion) with early results from the Phase III trial known as the Light Study, Orexigen Therapeutics Inc. can start to resubmit its new drug application (NDA) for the obesity drug, which could be approved in the U.S. by next summer.

Wall Street fell short of rejoicing when Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. popped the lid off Phase III data with sarilumab that met all endpoints in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and the firm’s chief scientific officer, George Yancopoulos, said he knows why.

First to benefit from a deal between Glaxosmithkline plc (GSK) and Avalon Ventures that will launch as many as 10 new companies is Sitari Pharmaceuticals Inc., funded with $10 million in Series A money to pursue early work targeting the transglutaminase 2 (TG2) pathway.

“It’s nice to make money with people you like,” said Antoine Papiernik, managing partner at Sofinnova Partners, about the $200 million-up-front deal engineered between Clovis Oncology Inc. and Ethical Oncology Science SpA (EOS).

As expected, Biomarin Pharmaceutical Inc.’s Vimizim (elosulfase alfa), an enzyme replacement therapy for mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) Type IVA, also called Morquio A syndrome, sailed through an FDA advisory panel with positive voting.

Less than a week after Cell Therapeutics Inc. (CTI) snagged a handsome deal with Baxter International Inc. for its Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor pacritinib – adding another industry vote for the approach – Sanofi SA disclosed safety problems with its JAK inhibitor fedratinib and ended the Phase III effort, which sparked a new look at the class.