LONDON – AstraZeneca plc is once again taking the ax to its R&D operations, announcing plans to relocate 2,500 roles and cut about 1,600 jobs, mainly in the UK and U.S., as it consolidates discovery and development in Cambridge, UK; Gaithersburg, Maryland; and Mölndal, near Gothenburg, in Sweden. Read More
Dry-eye syndrome (DES) was not the first indication that OphthaliX Inc. planned to tackle with its first-in-class A3 adenosine receptor agonist CF101, though a 24-week, 236-patient, placebo-controlled Phase III trial is already enrolled, from which data are expected to spill out by the fourth quarter of this year. Read More
With sequestration swinging its two-edged blade through the funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other government research-focused programs, a lot has been said about its impact on the future pipeline of medical researchers. But federal funding isn't the only factor leading to a growing talent drain in the field. Read More
Inflammation can be thought of as two separate processes. Acute inflammation is a critical part of survival. But it comes at a price. Unresolved inflammation drives many chronic diseases, from heart disease to autoimmune disorders. Read More
• Angiotech Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, said that Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. issued a notice of redemption on behalf of Angiotech to redeem $16 million in aggregate principal of Angiotech's senior secured floating rate notes due 2013. Read More
• BioSante Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Lincolnshire, Ill., and ANIP Acquisition Co., d/b/a ANI Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Baudette, Minn., said ANI stockholders approved the merger of ANI into BioSante. Read More
• Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., enrolled its last patient in a Phase II, open-label, randomized trial of MM-121, a human monoclonal antibody, in combination with paclitaxel, compared to paclitaxel alone in advanced ovarian cancers. Read More
• Ferring Pharmaceuticals SA, of Saint Prex, Switzerland, presented data at the European Association of Urology 2013 annual meeting in Milan, Italy, showing that degarelix (Firmagon), a gonatropin-releasing hormone antagonist for prostate cancer, may be associated with a lower risk of a cardiovascular event or death compared to luteinizing hormone-releasing agonists. Read More
