With the goal of providing the first oral option for patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), Tyrogenex Inc. launched a phase II study of X-82, a drug that could also be differentiated in the crowded AMD market by its dual action, inhibiting both VEGF and PDGF.

On the heels of a handful of successful gene therapy IPOs and big pharma investments, analysts and investors were looking for the much-anticipated data from Celladon Corp.'s phase IIb CUPID2 trial testing heart failure candidate Mydicar to be a big win for the space.

Transitioning from discovery stage to human proof of concept is the next goal for cancer immunotherapy firm Jounce Therapeutics Inc., which added $56 million in series B funding to advance its pipeline and move into the clinic with a lead program directed against inducible T-cell co-stimulator, or ICOS.

Inhibiting poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, or PARP, has proved its mettle against cancers with germline BRCA mutations such as in ovarian cancer, for which Astrazeneca plc's Lynparza (olaparib) gained approval late last year.

While investors await an opt-in decision from partner Abbvie Inc. following 24-week data expected later this year, executives of Galapagos NV said they are prepared to move forward into phase III one way or another after disclosing what they called "really impressive data" from the first 12 weeks of the phase IIb DARWIN 1 trial testing JAK1 inhibitor filgotinib in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

A few years ago I went to the nearby immediate care with a minor but irritating cough that wouldn’t go away. Three visits later – after two utterly ineffectual rounds of antibiotics and a prescription for a cough medicine that didn’t alleviate my cough though it helpfully revealed that I should never take codeine – I finally started digging around online. My search led me to a condition that explained my cough as well as a couple of other minor symptoms I hadn’t even thought to mention during my earlier visits because they didn’t seem related. I returned to the...

Taxus Cardium Pharmaceuticals Group Inc. inked a new deal with its Chinese investor to help fund a recently launched subsidiary aimed at advancing Generx (alferminogene tadenovec [Ad5FGF-4]), an angiogenic gene therapy candidate that has been in development for nearly 20 years, but may be finally reaching the finish line just as interest is reigniting the overall space.

Taxus Cardium Pharmaceuticals Group Inc. inked a new deal with its Chinese investor to help fund a recently launched subsidiary aimed at advancing Generx (alferminogene tadenovec [Ad5FGF-4]), an angiogenic gene therapy candidate that has been in development for nearly 20 years, but may be finally reaching the finish line just as interest is reigniting the overall space.

In the wake of last month's big win for diehard amyloid beta theorists everywhere, Alzheon Inc.'s $10 million series A round to advance its Alzheimer's disease candidate toward pivotal testing seems downright modest; in fact, the small biotech could easily have raised more.

Getting a drug through today's rigorous and costly development and regulatory processes – a 2014 Tufts study estimated more than a decade and $2.6 billion in expenses – might seem like the endgame. But the next step, getting that drug into the hands of doctors and patients, is just as crucial, and that's where a successful direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing campaign could make the difference between a market leader and an also-ran.