• Activartis Biotech GmbH, of Vienna, Austria, said it expects interim results from an ongoing Austrian Phase II trial of its cancer vaccine in glioblastoma multiforme in the second half of next year. Activartis' technology uses autologous dendritic cells to activate tumor-specific T cells and activates release of interleukin 12, a signaling molecule key to polarizing an immune response based on killer T-cell activity. The primary objective of the randomized, open-label, two-arm trial is progression-free survival, with overall survival as the secondary goal. Read More
• Alexza Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Mountain View, Calif., submitted a marketing authorization application to the European Medicines Agency for its Adasuve (loxapine) for the rapid control of agitation in adult patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Adasuve uses Alexza's Staccato oral inhalation technology. Grupo Ferrer International SA, of Barcelona, Spain, has commercial rights to Adasuve in Europe, Latin America, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Read More
• Cortex Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Irvine, Calif., completed a $500,000 private placement in common stock and warrants with Samyang Value Partners Co. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Samyang Optics Co. Ltd., of Seoul, South Korea. The company completed an earlier private placement of $1.5 million in convertible promissory notes and warrants with Samyang Optics in January 2010. Cortex issued 6,765,466 shares of common stock and warrants to purchase up to an additional 1,691,367 shares of common stock to Samyang Value Partners. Read More
• Celgene Corp., of Summit, N.J., once again beat analyst expectations for the quarter. The firm reported third quarter revenues of $1.25 billion, a 37 percent increase over the same period last year and ahead of the $1.2 billion analysts had expected. Non-GAAP net income was $469 million and non-GAAP earnings per share were $1.02, while analysts had expected 94 cents. Read More
A lot is riding on the European approval of Plenadren. For patients with adrenal insufficiency, it could be the first innovative treatment in more than half a century. And for DuoCort Pharma AB, it could be a payday of up to nearly $165 million.That's how much ViroPharma Inc. Read More
In a discovery that could have practical implications both for developing pain drugs and treatments for neuroinflammatory diseases, scientists have identified an enzyme that contributes to the production of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins in the brain, lung and liver, but not in the gut or heart.The discovery, senior author Benjamin Cravatt told BioWorld Today, is in some ways reminiscent of the discovery of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2). Read More
LONDON – Russia's state-owned investment firm Rusnano has made its first foray into U.S. biotech, joining existing and other new investors in private funding rounds totaling $94.5 million for nanomedicine specialists Selecta Biosciences Inc. and Bind Biosciences Inc.Rusnano's contribution of $50 million will be divided equally between the two companies, with each raising a further $22.25 million to complete the rounds. Read More
Fresh off a big score at the Joint Triennial Congress of the European and Americas Committees for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis conference in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, for its oral multiple sclerosis immune modulator BG-12, Biogen Idec has inked a multi-million-dollar deal with privately held Portola Pharmaceuticals Inc. (See BioWorld Today, Oct. Read More
