A cholesterol-lowering pill from Esperion Therapeutics Inc., ETC-1002 (bempedoic acid), significantly reduced LDL-cholesterol levels vs. placebo in a phase IIb study of patients with hypercholesterolemia on stable statin therapy, answering a key question for potential partners ahead of a planned phase III study later this year targeting statin-intolerant patients. Read More
LONDON – A global Dementia Discovery Fund has launched with an initial $100 million to fund preclinical and early stage research in the field. Read More
Kite Pharma Inc. has augmented its T-cell receptor (TCR) platform and is making itself known in Europe via the buyout of privately held T-Cell Factory B.V. for €20 million (US$21 million) up front to the Amsterdam-based firm's shareholders, licensors and employees. Read More
Relief may be on the way for drugmakers sucked into the abyss of controlled substance scheduling at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Read More
SHANGHAI – Astrazeneca plc, of London, inked an academic collaboration with leading Singaporean research institutes to take advantage of a unique feature of the small but diverse city-state: access to a population that can provide insights into heart failure. Read More
HONG KONG – A Chinese biotech company has moved its innovative rabies vaccine into human trials in Singapore, with the hope of making therapy less dependent on the assistance of immunoglobulin. Read More
Eagle Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Woodcliff Lake, N.J., priced an underwritten public offering of approximately 1.32 million common shares at $42 apiece. Read More
Galapagos NV, of Mechelen, Belgium, said it regained rights to GLPG1690, a selective autotaxin inhibitor, after the company mutually agreed to terminate inflammation alliance and option agreements with partner Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, of Beerse, Belgium, a unit of Johnson & Johnson. Read More
Aclaris Therapeutics Inc., of Malvern, Pa., disclosed statistically significant results from a phase II trial of its lead drug candidate, A-101, which yielded improvements in removing seborrheic keratosis (SK) lesions on the face. Read More
Merck & Co. Inc., of Whitehouse Station, N.J., reported results from a pre-specified exploratory analysis of the IMPROVE-IT study of more than 18,000 patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes at the American College of Cardiology meeting in San Diego. Read More
Actavis plc, of Dublin, said it completed the acquisition of Allergan Inc., of Irvine, Calif., in a cash and equity transaction valued at about $70.5 billion. Read More
