Pfenex Inc. filed with the SEC for an initial public offering (IPO) of up to $74.75 million, aiming to finance a planned phase III trial of lead candidate PF582, a biosimilar to Lucentis (ranibizumab, Genentech Inc./Novartis AG). Filing as an emerging growth company, San Diego-based Pfenex set its sights on the big board, with plans to list on the New York Stock Exchange as PFNX. Read More
After a month's postponement, Radius Health Inc. scooted through the initial public offering window on its second attempt, pricing, as expected, an offering of 6.5 million shares at $8 apiece for gross proceeds of $52 million. Read More
Novavax Inc. said it plans to raise $100 million to advance its pipeline of vaccines for flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and other viruses as the company prepares to test its most advanced programs in phase II trials. Read More
SHANGHAI – Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co. Ltd. released positive phase III data for apatinib at American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting last week and is now waiting for the good word from the CFDA for marketing approval in China. Apatinib, a molecular targeted therapy for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer has been shown to be associated with improved survival in patients with prior failure to second line chemotherapy. Read More
Jitters over prospects with any candidate in Alzheimer's disease (AD) failed to deter investors from putting up to $30.8 million into Transition Therapeutics Inc., which not only has AD work ongoing but also a phase II trial in type 2 diabetes with heavyweight partner Eli Lilly and Co. Read More
LONDON – Apoptosis is a well-known type of programmed cell death, but it's not the only way that cells can bring about their own death. There's also necroptosis – in which cells spectacularly burst and die, rather than withering away as in apoptosis. Read More
LYON, France – The European Union's (EU's) research funding programs will play an increasingly prominent role in European research in the coming years, but cash-strapped researchers will have an even tougher time than before in landing the precious funds they need to advance their work. Read More
GW Pharmaceuticals plc, of London, gained FDA fast track status for its investigational cannabidiol orphan drug Epidiolex in the treatment of Dravet syndrome, a rare treatment-resistant form of childhood epilepsy. Read More
Zafgen Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., which filed in April with the SEC, announced terms for its initial public offering (IPO), planning to raise $75 million from 5 million shares at a price range of $14 to $16. The company is targeting the obesity market with beloranib, a first-in-class selective methionine aminopeptidase 2 (MetAP2) inhibitor. Read More
Merck & Co. Inc., of Whitehouse Station, N.J., said the first patient was enrolled in its phase III ONCEMRK trial, designed to assess a once-daily investigational formulation of integrase inhibitor Isentress (raltegravir) as part of combination HIV therapy in treatment-naïve HIV-1-infected adults. Read More
Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, of Ingelheim, Germany, said the European Commission approved anticoagulant Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate) for the treatment and prevention of recurrence of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Read More
Alchemia Ltd., of Brisbane, Australia, said it expected to report the top-line results from a pivotal phase III trial of HA-Irinotecan in metastatic colorectal cancer before the end of the third quarter this year. Read More
Researchers from Advanced Cell Technology and Imstem Biotechnology Inc. have generated mesenchymal stem cells from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and used them to treat mice with the animal version of multiple sclerosis. Read More
