ATLANTA – In the search for good antibacterial targets, new sites on validated structures are one sweet spot. Because they are on previously targeted structures, they are in principle validated targets. At the same time, targeting novel sites can turn back the clock in the antibiotic resistance race, particularly if there is no cross-resistance with existing antibiotics that target the same structure. Read More
Less than two weeks after filing for an IPO, Translate Bio Inc. landed an $805 million research and development deal focused on messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines for five infectious pathogens. Read More
DUBLIN – Idorsia Ltd. pressed the go button on its second pivotal program inside a month. The company has started enrolling patients in phase III trials of nemorexant (ACT-541468), a dual orexin receptor antagonist, for treating adult and elderly (ages 65 and older) patients with insomnia. Read More
LONDON – U.K. technology commercialization startup Juvenescence Ltd. has raised $50 million in a series A to fund a range of companies and academic researchers working on anti-aging therapies. Read More
Vical Inc. is quitting development of VCL-HB01, its Vaxfectin-formulated plasmid DNA vaccine against herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), after the candidate missed what company President and CEO Vijay Samant called a "very rigorous" primary endpoint of annualized recurrence rate in a phase II trial. Company shares (NASDAQ:VICL) fell about 26.4 percent to $1.20 by Monday's market close, marking the second big drop this year after a phase III cytomegalovirus vaccine the company had partnered with Astellas Pharma Inc. missed its endpoints in January. Read More
Abbvie Inc., of North Chicago, chalked up another win for Venclexta (venetoclax), a small molecule designed to selectively bind and inhibit the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) protein, an anti-apoptotic protein that is pathologically overexpressed and is central to the survival of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells. The FDA has approved, under priority review, the drug in combination with Roche Holding AG's rituximab for the treatment of patients with CLL or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), with or without 17p deletion, who have received at least one prior therapy. Read More
A Chinese study has for the first time identified a key protein, known as LIMA1, which was shown to regulate intestinal cholesterol absorption in both mouse models and in humans. Read More
HONG KONG – China has exempted import tariffs for 28 drugs, including all cancer drugs. The move is aimed at lowering the high cost of medicines, particularly for cancer drugs, offered by the multinational firms in China, and is expected to reduce the amount by about 3 to 4 percent. Read More
The U.S. Supreme Court Monday shut the door on the threat of endless class action suits. In an unanimous decision involving a shareholder class action against China Agritech Inc., the court held that upon denial of class certification, a class member may not begin a new class action beyond the statute of limitations. Read More
Zymeworks Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, said it closed its public offering of about 6.2 million shares, including the underwriters' full overallotment, priced at $15.73 per share for gross proceeds of about $97.8 million. Read More
Nkarta Therapeutics Inc., of South San Francisco, said it entered a worldwide exclusive license agreement for proprietary natural killer cell engineering technology jointly owned by the National University of Singapore and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Read More
