Warning shareholders that the strategy to handle $620 million in debt due in 2016 could result in their ending up with "little or no ownership," Dendreon Corp. reported second-quarter earnings that showed the prostate cancer (PC) drug Provenge (sipuleucel-T) gaining 12 percent in sales year over year and 19 percent quarter over quarter, reaching $82 million. Read More
Intercept Pharmaceuticals Inc. shares (NASDAQ:ICPT) climbed more than 25 percent in heavy midday trading, energized by new top-line data showing that obeticholic acid (OCA), its nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) therapy, met its primary endpoint in the phase IIb FLINT trial, improving nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) without worsening fibrosis. Read More
Gene therapy pioneer Uniqure NV is moving into the field of complex disease, by purchasing Inocard GmbH, an early stage German start-up focused on congestive heart failure (CHF), in a cash-and-shares deal valued at €3 million (US$4.01 million) up front. The transaction also includes undisclosed milestone payments and downstream royalties. Read More
LONDON – The World Health Organization (WHO) said the scale and severity of the current outbreak of Ebola virus and the difficulties of applying infection control measures to limit its spread make it ethical to administer unregistered treatments and vaccines. Read More
It sounds like fodder for an early John Irving novel. But it was published by Cell Press, not Random House or Dutton: "Grizzly Bears Exhibit Augmented Insulin Sensitivity while Obese Prior to a Reversible Insulin Resistance during Hibernation." Read More
SHANGHAI – Cellular Biomedicine Group Inc., a stem cell and immunotherapy company headquartered in Shanghai, has acquired Beijing Agreen Biotech Co. Ltd. The deal will bring patents, people and the promise of revenue to its new owner. Read More
Tokai Pharmaceuticals Inc. joined the thinning ranks of biotechs pursuing initial public offerings (IPO) by filing a registration statement with the SEC seeking to raise $75 million, including overallotments, to advance its lead compound, galeterone. Read More
HONG KONG – It's been more than a year since Chinese authorities leveled allegations against Glaxosmithkline plc (GSK) for corrupt activities amounting to almost $500 million in bribes, setting off an industrywide crackdown that has garnered the attention of not only the Chinese, but also the U.S. and UK anti-corruption authorities. Read More
Apricus Biosciences Inc., of San Diego, said it entered a common stock purchase agreement with Aspire Capital Fund LLC, which is purchasing 1,159,824 shares of common stock for $2 million upon execution of the agreement and they have committed to purchase up to $20 million of additional shares of common stock over the next 24 months at prices based on the market price at the time of each sale. Read More
strong>Cellular Biomedicine Group Inc., of Palo Alto, Calif., said it treated the final patient in its phase IIb trial to further evaluate the safety and efficacy of their adipose-derived mesenchymal precursor cell (haMPC)-based therapy Rejoin for knee osteoarthritis. Read More
Insys Therapeutics Inc., of Phoenix, submitted an FDA new drug application for it liquid formulation of the cannabinoid dronabinol, a synthetic version of tetrahydrocannabinol intended for the treatment of anorexia associated with weight loss in patients with AIDS and nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conventional antiemetics. Read More
Sanofi SA, of Paris, said its Sanofi U.S. arm launched an authorized generic version of Eloxatin (oxaliplatin injection) through Winthrop U.S., the company's generics division. Read More
