Hua Medicine Ltd., of Shanghai, closed its series C financing, which combined a U.S. dollar and Chinese renminbi-denominated investment of approximately $50 million. Read More
Baxter International Inc., of Deerfield, Ill., and Baxalta Inc., of Bannockburn, Ill., said Baxter has commenced an offer to exchange up to 12.8 million shares of Baxalta common stock that are currently owned by Baxter, which represents about 1.9 percent of the outstanding common stock of Baxalta, for shares of Baxter common stock that are validly tendered and not validly withdrawn in the exchange offer. Following the completion of the exchange offer, if Baxter disposes of all of the remaining shares of Baxalta common stock held by it in the exchange offer, Baxalta will be wholly independent from Baxter, except that certain agreements between Baxter and Baxalta will remain in place, the companies said. (See BioWorld Today, March 5, 2015.) Read More
Intarcia Therapeutics Inc., of Boston, named Anthony Hurley vice president, global commercial manufacturing and operations, based in Hayward, CA. Read More
Biomarin Pharmaceutical Inc., of San Rafael, Calif., said it enrolled the first patient in a phase I/II trial of BMN 250, its enzyme replacement therapy using a fusion of recombinant human alpha-N-acetyglucosaminidase with a peptide derived from insulin-like growth factor 2, to treat Sanfilippo B syndrome, also known as mucopolysaccharidosis IIIB (MPS IIIB). Read More
By sequencing a cohort of aged individuals that were in good health, which they termed "wellderly," scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have identified genetic variants that were associated with healthy aging. Read More
The FDA made an about-face one day after posting revised briefing documents for Monday's Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs (PCNS) Advisory Committee meeting to discuss the new drug application (NDA) for the Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) candidate, eteplirsen, from Sarepta Therapeutics Inc., of Cambridge, Mass. Read More
HONG KONG – Novartis AG pulled out of negotiations with the government of Colombia to determine a price for the leukemia drug Glivec (imatinib). Discussions had been initiated to prevent the issuance of a mandatory license. (See BioWorld Today, April 22, 2016.) Read More
With U.S. drug prices grabbing headlines and spurring congressional hearings, biosimilars continue to hold out hope for a solution. But hope is not reality. Read More
LONDON – The two sides in the public-vs.-private race to sequence the human genome have been brought together under the umbrella of an Astrazeneca plc plan to make genomics the foundation of all its future drug discovery and development. Read More
CEO Sean McCarthy told BioWorld Today that Cytomx Therapeutics Inc.'s deals will be "increasingly strategic," structured for purposes of "not just bringing cash in the door," and the latest – the firm's third pharma pact – with Abbvie Inc. typifies what he's talking about: "a foundational, pipeline-building" arrangement. Read More
Allergan plc is adding experimental ointment for under eye bags to its vanity empire with the acquisition of Topokine Therapeutics Inc. for $85 million up front and undisclosed success-based development and sales milestones. Read More
HONG KONG – Dong-A ST. Co. Ltd., an 84-year-old South Korean pharmaceutical company, recently inked two separate licensing agreements with Nasdaq-listed Tobira Therapeutics Inc., as a further sign that Korean firms are reaching deeper into the global biopharma scene through licensing agreements with multinationals. Read More
