Ardea Biosciences Inc. priced an underwritten public offering of 8.5 million shares of common stock at $17 per share, seeking to raise $144.5 million before expenses. The price represented a 6.5 percent discount to Tuesday's closing price of $18.19. Read More
Scientists at the Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute have gained new insights into how T cells cross the blood-brain barrier by going with the flow – the blood flow, that is. Read More
The Life Sciences Foundation is a nonprofit that doesn't want your money – it wants your history. It is not going to turn down a donation, but what the foundation really wants is for you to dig through your garage and find that old shoebox of mementos from your early days at Cetus Corp., at Hybritech Inc., at Tularik Inc., or wherever you trace your biotech roots. Read More
• Furiex Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Morrisville, N.C., said the European Commission (EC) endorsed a positive opinion adopted by the Committee for Human Medicinal Products Oct. 18, 2011, regarding Prilogy (dapoxetine) 30-mg and 60-mg doses for use in premature ejaculation in men between the ages of 18 and 64. The endorsement paves the way for marketing authorization in member states where the drug is not yet approved. Read More
• Athersys Inc., of Cleveland, reported results from its Phase I trial of MultiStem in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HCSTs) for leukemia and related conditions, which showed that the cell therapy product was well tolerated in both the single-infusion and repeat-infusion arms. Data also suggested that the therapy might provide benefit to patients of allogeneic HSCT, such as reducing the incidence and severity of graft-vs.-host disease (GvHD) as compared to historical clinical experience. MultiStem has orphan drug designation for the prevention of GvHD. Read More
• Radius Health Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., named Michael S. Wyzga president, CEO and board member. It also appointed Louis Brenner chief medical officer and elected Kurt Graves chairman. Read More
