A month after the FDA accepted its new drug application (NDA) for lead compound lomitapide as an adjunct to a low-fat diet and other lipid-lowering therapies to reduce cholesterol in patients with homozygous familial hypercholesteremia (HoFH) and familial chylomicronemia (FC), Aegerion Pharmaceuticals Inc. priced an underwritten public offering of 3.4 million shares of common stock at $14.75 each, seeking to raise approximately $47.3 million. Read More
WASHINGTON – As economic woes continue to rattle Europe, many advocacy groups are looking to the U.S. to increase its funding of global R&D for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis (TB). Read More
Very rapid but not very specific, the innate branch of the immune system is that system's first responder. But if it doesn't work, the effects can last a lifetime. Read More
Amarantus Biosciences Inc. is an early stage biotech devoted to controlling diseases related to programmed cell death. Its lead program focuses on mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) as a therapeutic protein for conditions such as Parkinson's disease and traumatic brain injury. Read More
• International Stem Cell Corp., of Carlsbad, Calif., said that scientists in its wholly owned subsidiary, Lifeline Cell Technology, modified human stem cells using transducible transcription factors (TTF), a type of protein engineered to pass into stem cells and direct changes into specific cell types. The method does not require viruses or chemicals, and TTF proteins are naturally eliminated when no longer required. Read More
• PharmAthene Inc., of Annapolis, Md., said it completed final analytical testing and release of its recombinant protective antigen anthrax vaccine, SparVax, in pre-filled syringes for further clinical evaluation. Read More
• Breckenridge Pharmaceutical Inc., of Boca Raton, Fla., and Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd., of Baroda, India, settled Paragraph IV patent litigation with Novartis AG, of Basel, Switzerland, concerning rivastigmine tartrate capsules, a generic version of Novartis' Exelon. Read More
• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., of Jerusalem, reported top-line data from the Phase III GALA (Glatiramer Acetate Low-Frequency Administration) trial testing 40 mg/1 ml glatiramer acetate (GA 40 mg/1 ml) injection administered subcutaneously three times a week compared to placebo in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients. Read More
