WASHINGTON– As far as cellular processes go, mitosis seems like a natural target for cancer drugs. "Its major business is cell growth," Genentech Inc.'s Peter Jackson told the audience at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). It's got kinases – lots of kinases. And there is a "vast array" of traditional chemotherapies that hits some aspect of the cell cycle. Read More
Cancer specialist Activartis Biotech GmbH will present positive survival data from the Phase II trial of its dendritic cell therapy in treating glioblastoma at the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Wednesday, as it steps up efforts to find a partner to back a Phase III study. Read More
In a Phase III trial, an ocular therapeutic product, EGP-437, being developed by EyeGate Pharma Inc., of Waltham, Mass., was noninferior to prednisolone acetate 1 percent ophthalmic suspension for anterior uveitis. EGP-437 comprises a formulation of dexamethasone delivered into the eye using an ocular iontophoresis device. Read More
MedDay raised €8 million (US$10.5 million) to take forward three drug development programs, two of which already have yielded promising data in small-scale human trials, in progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and in treatment-resistant forms of psychotic illness. Read More
S-TARget therapeutics GmbH, an Austrian start-up developing therapeutic vaccines for allergies, aims to close a €6 million (US$7.8 million) Series A funding round in the coming months. Read More
• biOasis Technologies Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, said BT2111, a brain-penetrating conjugate of trastuzumab (Herceptin, Roche AG) and its Transcend vector designed to treat brain metatastsis of HER2-positive tumors, has moved into the next stage of preclinical development. Read More
• Reviva Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Jose, Calif., reported top-line results from its Phase II REFRESH study of RP5063 in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, with the dopamine serotonin stabilizer showing overall broad efficacy across the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale total scores, as well as subscales: Positive, Negative and General Psychopathology. Read More
• Ipsen SA, of Paris, said Health Canada granted marketing authorization for Dysport (botulinum toxin Type A for injection) for the temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe frown lines in adults younger than 65. Read More
