Affymax Inc. and its Japanese partner Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. have ceased development of Hematide, a synthetic pegylated peptide-based erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA), as a product to treat chemotherapy-induced anemia. (BioWorld Today)

When the FDA on July 30 imposed restrictions on the use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) in oncology patients, the action appeared to have little impact on Amgen Inc. (BioWorld Financial Watch)

Newly formed Cambridge, Mass.-based Proteostasis Therapeutics Inc. has raised $45 million in a Series A financing to develop therapies, which the firm has dubbed proteostasis regulators, to treat multiple genetic and degenerative disorders associated with protein homeostasis deficiencies, such as Alzheimer's disease, emphysema, Type II diabetes and Huntington's disease. (BioWorld Today)

Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s stock took a hit again Tuesday following Monday's 13 percent drop after the late afternoon revelation by the FDA that two patients taking the firm's Type II diabetes product Byetta (exenatide) died of acute pancreatitis and four other patients were hospitalized with the illness. (BioWorld Today)