Hematologic cancers always grab the spotlight at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting, which kicked off this weekend, but Pharmacyclics Inc. got a head start last week by announcing a $975 million deal with Janssen Biotech Inc. for Phase II hematologic cancer drug PCI-32765. Read More
Stock in Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc., Celgene Corp., YM Biosciences Inc. and other hemtaology-focused biotech companies trended upward Friday in anticipation of results presented over the weekend at the 53rd Annual American Society of Hematology meeting in San Diego. Read More
Researchers have discovered that two proteins best known for their roles in fighting infection play a role in cognitive processes, in particular in memory formation. The double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase, or PKR, and interferon gamma "are controlling, in the brain, the kind of processes that lead to memory formation," Mauro Costa-Mattioli told BioWorld Today. Read More
With the biopharma industry more regulated, more restricted, more competitive and more vilified than ever before, it can't afford to be paralyzed by the FDA's lack of social media guidance. Read More
• TaiGen Biotechnology Co. Ltd., of Taipei, Taiwan, said Warner Chilcott plc, of Ardee, Ireland, will transfer the worldwide rights for nemonoxacin, a nonfluorinated quinolone antibiotic in development for antibiotic-resistant infections, to TaiGen, giving the biotech worldwide rights to the drug. Read More
• Gilead Sciences Inc., of Foster City, Calif., said top-line Phase III results showed that elvitegravir, an integrase inhibitor in development for HIV, was noninferior to the integrase inhibitor raltegravir after two years of therapy in treatment-experienced patients. Read More
• CeNeRx BioPharma Inc., of Research Triangle Park, N.C., said it completed a $4.85 million financing round from existing investors Perseus Soros Biopharmaceutical Fund, L Capital Partners, Pappas Ventures and Omega Funds. Proceeds will be used to complete the firm's ongoing Phase II trial of an improved formulation of TriRima, a reversible inhibitor of monoamine oxidase A, for use as a monotherapy in treatment-resistant depression. Read More
• Enzon Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Piscataway, N.J., presented Phase II data showing PEG-SN38 (EZN-2208) demonstrated activity in patients with previously treated metastatic breast cancer. Overall response was 21 percent in patients previously treated with anthracycline and taxane (AT) and 11 percent in patients previously treated with anthracycline, taxane and capecitabine (ATX). Read More
Researchers from the Swiss Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne have identified a mechanism that cancer stem cells use to expend when they first colonize distant sites during metastasis. Read More
