LONDON – Cancer specialist SuperGen Inc., is taking over its privately held counterpart, Astex Therapeutics plc, in a cash and shares deal, which creates a specialist Anglo-American oncology company with a portfolio of seven drugs in clinical development, $50 million per annum in revenues, $120 million in cash and several high-profile pharma partnerships including three partnered programs in the clinic. Read More
Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co. Ltd. (DSP) bested a field of a dozen interested companies to license a small-molecule oncology drug, BBI608, from Boston Biomedical Inc. DSP will pay $15 million up front, with the potential for up to $155 million more in development costs and milestones. The agreement covers all oncology indications in Japan, and exclusive right of negotiation for the drug in the U.S. and Canada. Read More
Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cheshire, Conn, filed earlier-than-expected marketing applications in both the U.S. and Europe for Soliris (eculizumab) in patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). Read More
Inhibitex Inc. expects to net about $44 million through a public offering of 11.46 million shares of common stock at $4.10 per share for a Phase II trial of nucleotide polymerase inhibitor INX-189 for chronic hepatitis C and other R&D and corporate expenses. Read More
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics Inc. (CFFT), a nonprofit drug discovery and development affiliate of the CF Foundation, will collaborate on the discovery and development of new medicines known as correctors that aim to treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis in people with the most common form of the disease. Read More
Targacept Inc., of Winston-Salem, N.C., reported data from a Phase II trial showing that its schizophrenia candidate TC-5619 caused statistically significant superiority over placebo for cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. In the trial, 185 patients with schizophrenia, having stable psychotic symptoms and taking an approved atypical antipsychotic medication, received TC-5619 or placebo in addition to their antipsychotic, for 12 weeks. The drug was well tolerated with nausea as its most frequent adverse event. Read More
A small biotech boasting a technology aimed at targeting difficult-to-drug glycans and a big pharma firm continuing to make inroads in the orphan disease space came together in an early stage deal to develop small molecules against lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) such as mucopolysaccharidoses. Read More
