Sold as a nutritional supplement – before it was ruled a drug by the FDA and went through phase II trials in the hands of Biostratum Inc. – pyridoxamine dihydrochloride entered a pivotal program overseen by Nephrogenex Inc., which is testing the derivative of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) in diabetic nephropathy. Read More
TIANJIN, China – Among the country's plan to boost its biopharmaceutical sector, a focus on developing antibodies is likely to characterize the development of the industry over the next few years, said officials and executives during an annual gathering. Read More
Any thoughts that initial public offerings (IPOs) for biotech companies have run out of steam will have to change those ideas. Wall Street is certainly warming up to biotech IPOs once again. Following this week's IPO pricing and strong market debut by ZS Pharma Inc., Fremont, Calif.-based Ardelyx Inc. followed suit, taking advantage of that renewed enthusiasm from investors and raised $60 million. Read More
BOGOTA, Colombia – A pair of specialty biopharma companies have launched an alliance with the end goal of reaching deep into the growing but often difficult-to-tap markets across Latin America. Read More
LONDON – It will be possible to develop a new generation of antibiotics that work by blocking a channel present in the outer membrane of bacteria, researchers predict. Studies suggest that the strategy will reduce the chances that bacteria will become resistant to the new drugs, because they will act on a molecule that is accessible from outside the microorganisms. Read More
SHANGHAI – Newcomer Ark Biosciences Inc., of Shanghai, has announced its first deal with the acquisition of global rights to Roche AG's respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) drug candidate, AK0529. Read More
As part of a collaboration with the National Science Foundation, the NIH is rolling out its I-Corps pilot program to help train entrepreneurial-minded researchers to translate their work into marketable applied science. Read More
Arrowhead Research Corp., of Pasadena, Calif., said its next clinical candidate, ARC-AAT, an RNAi therapeutic designed to treat liver disease associated with alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency, greatly reduced both soluble and insoluble forms of inflammatory Z-AAT in the livers of PiZ mice after eight weeks of treatment in multidose studies. Read More
Cellular Biomedicine Group Inc., of Palo Alto, Calif., released the six-month follow-up data analysis of its phase I/IIa trial of Rejoin, its human adipose-derived mesenchymal precursor cell therapy for knee osteoarthritis. Read More
Cipla Ltd., of Mumbai, India, said it collaborated with Hetero Group, of Hyderabad, India, to launch a biosimilar of darbepoietin alfa (marketed as Aranesp by Amgen Inc.) under the brand name Actorise. Read More
Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., of Osaka, Japan, said it decided to end the development program for orteronel (TAK-700) in prostate cancer following results from two phase III studies in metastatic, castration-resistant disease in which the drug, in combination with prednisone, was found to extend progression-free survival but not overall survival. Read More
