With its lead product, a deuterium-tweaked version of tetrabenazine for hyperkinetic movement disorders, in Phase III testing in chorea associated with Huntington’s disease (HD), orphan drug company Auspex Pharmaceuticals Inc. added its name to the initial public offering (IPO) roster.

Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc. got a nice holiday gift from the FDA allowing for immediate resumption of sales of leukemia drug Iclusig (ponatinib), two months after it was suspended from the market, and pushing shares of the troubled biotech up 16.5 percent Friday.

Heading for the end of the year, investors probably were looking for positive pivotal data from Onconova Therapeutics Inc.’s rigosertib in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS); instead, the Newtown, Pa.-based biotech said Wednesday it was calling it quits on the Phase II/III trial testing the drug in pancreatic cancer.

Founded barely 15 months ago to accelerate development of assets in-licensed from Amgen Inc., Atara Biotherapeutics secured its second round of funding, adding $38.5 million in the initial closing of its Series B round.

Though still very early stage, initial Phase II results testing Biolinerx Ltd.’s CXCR4 antagonist, BL-8040, in relapsed and refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients caught the attention of Wall Street Monday, sending shares of the Jerusalem-based firm jumping 15 percent.

The area of complex carbohydrate chemistry offers broad potential in drug development, with carbohydrates playing key roles in cell function and major disease pathologies. But it’s that first word, “complex,” that has kept less intrepid drug developers away.

In another savvy acquisition for The Medicines Co., the Parsippany, N.J.-based firm nabbed 2-year-old antibiotics developer Rempex Pharmaceuticals Inc., gaining rights to a marketed product that should help lay the groundwork for the commercial launch of its own oritavancin antibiotic, anticipated next year, and a Phase III-ready combination beta-lactamase inhibitor/carbapenem candidate with blockbuster potential.

Shrugging off pre-Thanksgiving initial public offering (IPO) jitters, which saw four biotechs yank their planned IPOs last month, Xencor Inc. exited Tuesday with a $70 million offering to support clinical development of FC-engineered antibody candidates XmAb5871 and XmAb7195.

Three years ago, Metabolex Inc. seemed on the road to success, with a promising gout drug reporting Phase II data and three pharma partnerships inked in quick succession. But then partner Sanofi SA dropped out of a diabetes deal in 2011 and for two years the Hayward, Calif.-based biotech appeared to go dormant.