DUBLIN – Johnson & Johnson's vaccine subsidiary Crucell Holland BV and Bavarian Nordic A/S have entered a formal license and supply agreement to accelerate and scale up an ongoing collaboration with the NIH in the development of a combination Ebola virus vaccine regimen. Read More
Biogen Idec Inc. shares (NASDAQ:BIIB) sunk 5.4 percent Wednesday to $309.07 despite third quarter net earnings of $857 million, or $3.62 per diluted share, up 76 percent from last year's third quarter. Read More
Recognizing that good science can be used for bad purposes or lead to harmful accidents, the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) debated the merits of an administration-imposed moratorium on government funding for so-called "gain-of-function" (GOF) research involving influenza, MERS and SARS viruses. Read More
Like other rare diseases, the development of vaccines and drugs to combat Ebola has been stymied by a lack of financial backing to move therapeutics through clinical trials. The patient populations weren't large enough. Read More
As its lead compound, telotristat etiprate (LX1032), marches toward the goal line, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc. pocketed $23 million up front as part of a potential $145 million licensing deal with Paris-based Ipsen SA to commercialize the drug outside North America and Japan. Read More
Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corp., of Vancouver, British Columbia, updated its Ebola program, stating that it has started limited GMP manufacture of a new therapeutics targeting the Ebola-Guinea variant, which is the viral variant responsible for the Ebola outbreak currently prevalent in West Africa. Supply of that product will be available in early December for potential use by various collaborators. Read More
Ferring Pharmaceuticals SA, of Saint Prex, Switzerland, said its Cortiment (budesonide) treatment for the induction of remission in patients with active, mild to moderate ulcerative colitis has received marketing approval from 27 European Union member states following the EU Mutual Recognition Procedure. Read More
Esperion Therapeutics Inc., of Ann Arbor, Mich. reported that it raised net proceeds of $91.6 million in a now-closed follow-on offering. The company sold about 4.9 million shares at $20 each, with underwriters exercising in full their option to buy 637,500 shares. Esperion intends to use the financing to fund continued development of ETC-1002, a small-molecule cholesterol drug that inhibits ATP citrate lyase while activating AMPK, through completion of an anticipated phase III program.) Read More
Atara Biotherapeutics Inc., of Brisbane, Calif., said it dosed the first patient in a phase I study of STM 434, an Activin inhibitor, in patients with ovarian cancer and other solid tumors. The study is designed to assess the safety, tolerability and efficacy of STM 434 as a single therapy and in combination with liposomal doxorubicin. Read More
