Not just curmudgeons will admit that people can exit the hospital with bigger problems than they came in with. One example is hospital-acquired infections, which can form so-called biofilms, often on medical devices such as catheters. New research shows how bacteria can break out of such biofilms to seed new films or become a source of recurrent infections. Read More
NEW YORK – In spite of having the world's highest number of life science patents per capita, a highly developed academic research infrastructure, and entrepreneurial know-how, Israel still has trouble commercializing its discoveries due to a number of factors, mostly financing. But the Israeli biotech industry is finally coming of age, according to 14 company presentations at this week's Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE)-NASDAQ Biomed Conference held at NASDAQ's New York headquarters. Read More
While technical risk was once the biggest threat to many biotechs, regulatory and commercial risks have moved front and center. And no one – not VCs, not the public markets and not potential partners – wants to tackle those heightened risks, which creates additional financing risk. What's a biotech to do? Read More
• PharmAthene Inc., of Annapolis, Md., said the FDA lifted the partial clinical hold imposed last year on Valortim, a fully human anti-toxin monoclonal antibody being developed for the prevention and treatment of inhalational anthrax, clearing the company to move forward with a Phase I intravenous dose-escalation study in the coming weeks, which Roth Capital Partners analyst Joseph Pantginis called an "encouraging event" for the company. Read More
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. has reported that its oral laquinimod for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) hit the primary endpoint in its two-year Phase III ALLEGRO study, demonstrating significant reduction in annualized relapse rate compared to placebo. Read More
• BioDelivery Sciences International Inc., of Raleigh, N.C., enrolled and dosed the first patient in its Phase III trial of BEMA buprenorphine for chronic pain. Results are expected in the third quarter of 2011. Read More
Shares of XenoPort Inc. tumbled 6.4 percent after the biotech priced a public offering of 4 million common shares at $7.15 per share, which was about 7.9 percent below Wednesday's closing price. Read More
