A significant fraction of knockout genes are embryonic lethal – that is, knocking them out causes mouse embryos to die before birth. Research into the function of those genes has focused on the embryos themselves, but researchers from the British Babraham Institute have shown that the majority of embryonic lethal genes affect the placenta. Read More
Novelion Therapeutics Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, said subsidiary Aegerion Pharmaceuticals Inc. entered a secured financing facility with affiliates of Sarissa Capital Management and Broadfin Capital providing for a $20 million term loan to Aegerion, which has been fully drawn. Read More
DUBLIN – H. Lundbeck A/S is acquiring Prexton Therapeutics Ltd. for €100 million up front (US$123 million) and up to €805 million more in development, regulatory and commercial milestones, in a deal that gives it ownership of foliglurax (PXT-002331), a first-in-class metabotropic glutamate receptor 4 (mGluR4) agonist currently undergoing a phase II trial as adjunct therapy in Parkinson's disease. Read More
LONDON – Quoted technology investor Arix Bioscience plc closed its capital raise at £87 million (US$121 million) after investors took up 14.2 million of the 20 million shares available in the open offer announced on Feb. 28. Read More
Given the timing of the company's earnings call last week, investors might have expected phase II data with etrasimod in ulcerative colitis (UC) from Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc., but eagerly awaited results from the 157-patient phase experiment testing the oral sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator will not roll out until later this month. Read More
On the heels of last year's FDA nod for Privigen (immune globulin intravenous, human, 10 percent liquid), CSL Behring, a unit of Australia's CSL Ltd., gained the agency's green light for Hizentra (immune globulin subcutaneous [human] 20 percent liquid) as the first subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIg) therapy to treat chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). The drug, approved by the FDA in 2010 to treat primary immunodeficiency (PI), is indicated as maintenance therapy in adults with CIDP to prevent relapse of neuromuscular disability and impairment. Read More
HONG KONG – Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is partnering with two European institutions to establish a life sciences and engineering R&D platform to spearhead applied research. Read More
Foundation Medicine Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., said Japan-based Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. will broaden patient access to its genomic profiling (CGP) services for individuals with advanced cancer. Read More
Tetra Discovery Partners Inc., of Grand Rapids, Mich., said the FDA accepted the IND for BPN-14770, a selective small-molecule inhibitor of the phosphodiesterase type-4D enzyme, which research suggests may be useful in the treatment of fragile X syndrome and possibly other autism spectrum disorders. Read More
