Despite the continuing grip of sequestration, the FDA will breathe easier if a bipartisan Senate appropriations proposal becomes part of a hybrid spending package intended to fund the government for the remainder of fiscal 2013. Read More
The same month that researchers published confirmatory findings in Nature Biotechnology (NBT) that "rising-star," emerging markets do not represent much of a near-term challenge to U.S. drug developers, the venture capital (VC) firm Domain Associates disclosed a push to help Western countries gain footholds in China. Read More
Astellas Pharma Inc. dropped the hammer on Ambit Biosciences Corp., ending its collaboration on the joint development and commercialization of FMS-like tyrosine kinase-3 (FLT3) inhibitors, including lead program quizartinib (formerly AC220), effective Sept. 3. Read More
Shire plc will gain a foothold in neonatology with its acquisition of Premacure AB, of Uppsala, Sweden. Premacure is developing a protein replacement therapy for the prevention of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a rare eye disease affecting about 14,000 to 16,000 preterm infants in the U.S. each year. Read More
• Idera Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., filed with the SEC to raise up to $40 million through the sale of common stock and warrants. The company has not yet disclosed the number of shares to be offered or share price. Read More
• Immunubiology Ltd., of Cambridge, UK, said the UK government-backed Biomedical Catalyst awarded the firm about £200,000 (US$300,000) to support preclinical development of pneumococcal vaccine PnuBioVax, which is designed to target a wide range of strains of bacteria. Read More
• Lithera Inc., of San Diego, said the first patient was treated with LIPO-202 (salmeterol xinafoate for injection) in its 500-patient Phase IIb RESET trial. LIPO-202 is Lithera's lead candidate designed to produce localized reduction of subcutaneous fat. Read More
• Merck & Co. Inc., of Whitehouse Station, N.J., said the data safety monitoring board of the IMPROVE-IT trial testing cholesterol-lowering drug Vytorin (ezetimibe/simvastatin) completed its planned review and recommended that the study continue. Read More
