The work at Epiomed Therapeutics Inc. dates back to NASA's efforts back in the 1980s to reduce motion sickness on the space shuttle, but the semivirtual biotech start-up has tweaked those early discoveries and set its sights on the multi-billion-dollar nausea and vomiting market. Read More
LONDON – Algeta A/S said its lead product Alpharadin is on course for blockbuster status after the Phase III trial was stopped on the basis of statistically significant efficacy in the treatment of bone marrow metastases in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer. Read More
Investors may be looking to Exelixis Inc. for comfort during the biotech's Monday evening conference call, particularly after a series of analyses from a Phase II trial of cabozantinib (XL184) presented over the weekend at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's (ASCO) 2011 annual meeting sent shares tumbling 20.2 percent. Read More
Versartis Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., reported long-term preclinical safety data showing that VRS-317, its once-monthly version of recombinant human growth hormone, was well tolerated when dosed in monkeys every two weeks for three months. Data also further supported once-monthly treatment in humans. GLP toxicology studies in monkeys for both acute (four weeks) and long-term (13 weeks) exposure at doses of up to 25 mg/kg showed no observed adverse events, and no lipoatrophy or anti-XTEN antibodies were detected. Read More
Adolor Corp., of Exton, Pa., completed enrollment in two Phase II trials of ADL5945 in chronic, noncancer pain patients with opioid-induced constipation. More than 200 patients have enrolled in the placebo-controlled trials that are testing different doses of the µ-opioid receptor antagonist. Adolor expects to report results in the third quarter, with a pivotal trial beginning early next year. Read More
CHICAGO – Much-anticipated full results for two new melanoma drugs were reported at the 47th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and published online in The New England Journal of Medicine, on Sunday: the BRIM3 trial of Vemurafenib (PLX4032/RG7204, Plexxikon Inc./Roche AG) and the 024 study on Yervoy (Ipilimumab, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.) Read More
With the submission of its new drug application for ruxolitinib, Incyte Corp. is counting on having the myelofibrosis field to itself for a few years with a first-in-class treatment. Read More
