The early stop thanks to efficacy of Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s Phase III trial with Velcade in new multiple myeloma patients left a key question unanswered, as the firm rolls toward a supplemental new drug application in the front-line setting "as fast we can, but by the first quarter of 2008," said Deborah Dunsire, president and CEO. (BioWorld Today)

Microbia Inc.'s potential $330 million deal - $70 million up front as a licensing fee - with Forest Laboratories Inc. for the Phase IIb gastrointestinal drug linaclotide could let the pair jump into the $500 million-plus market gap left earlier this year when Novartis AG pulled its compound for constipative irritable bowel syndrome, Zelnorm, off the shelves due to safety concerns. (BioWorld Today)

Last week s new deal between Aradigm Corp. and existing partner United Therapeutics Corp. through its wholly owned subsidiary Lung Rx Inc. to develop Remodulin (treprostinil) using the former s AERx Essence approach could provide the needed boost to put prostacyclins at the forefront of pulmonary arterial hypertension therapy (PAH), thanks to the metered-dose inhaler.