Arch Venture Partners, Ecor1 Capital, Polaris Partners and Venbio lined up behind Metacrine Inc., a start-up seeking to apply endocrine research to metabolic disease. Read More
A consortium has reported results from an international randomized controlled trial of the multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri (natalizumab, Biogen Inc.) for the treatment of stroke. Read More
Avax Technologies Inc., a Philadelphia-based immunotherapy specialist that ran into financing troubles in 2009, has settled debts it owed the Cancer Treatment Centers of America Inc. (CTCA) and Firebird Management LLC, repaying both parties with equity as it advances plans to re-launch a pivotal clinical study of M-Vax, its candidate immunotherapy for melanoma, and explore resuming a trial of O-Vax, a potential immunotherapeutic vaccine to treat ovarian cancer. Read More
Providing guidance on how to avoid obviousness for next-generation products and what it considers an adequate written description in patent claims, the Federal Circuit upheld several patents relating to a safer, revised formulation of Allergan plc's glaucoma drug Lumigan. Read More
Critical Outcome Technologies Inc., of London, Ontario, said it completed the final tranche of its non-brokered private placement with the issuance of 2.79 million units at $0.30 each for gross proceeds of approximately C$837,000 (US$634,680). Read More
Karuna Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Boston, said it received a translation fund award from the Wellcome Trust consisting of an unsecured convertible loan of up to $3.84 million. Read More
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc., of Novato, Calif., dosed the first patient in a phase II study of recombinant human beta-glucuronidase (rhGUS, UX003) in patients younger than 5 years with mucopolysaccharidosis 7 (MPS 7, or Sly syndrome), potentially including patients with non-immune hydrops fetalis, a severe infantile presentation of the disease. Read More
Keryx Biopharmaceuticals Inc., of Boston, reported net sales of phosphate binder Auryxia (ferric citrate) of $1.8 million for the second quarter, based on about 3,700 prescriptions as reported to the company by IMS Health. Read More
