Nearly a decade after The Medicines Co. (MDCO) began to enroll patients in the first phase III trial of cangrelor, the antiplatelet therapy gained FDA approval late Monday to prevent blood clots in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention or angioplasty, provided they were not previously treated with a P2Y12 inhibitor or receiving a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor. Read More
Three months after regaining global rights to EZH2 inhibitor tazemetostat, Epizyme Inc. presented updated phase I data demonstrating a deepening response rate over time in patients with advanced B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and reiterated plans to advance into phase II testing in NHL and in solid tumors that are INI1-deficient. Read More
HONG KONG — Based on the findings of advanced molecular simulations, Japanese researchers have proposed potent new curcumin derivatives for the inhibition of amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptides, the main causal agents of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The findings could lead to new treatments for AD and other diseases. Read More
HONG KONG – The life sciences industry is watching closely to see if Australia follows the U.S. lead in rejecting patent claims involving isolated DNA. Read More
Western Oncolytics Ltd., a company developing an oncolytic immunotherapy for solid tumors, has raised a $2.5 million series A round from a group of private investors to help move its lead candidate, WO-12, into the clinic within the next two years. Read More
Word leaked out late last week of China's rejection of a patent application by Gilead Sciences Inc. related to the blockbuster hepatitis C virus (HCV) drug, Sovaldi (sofosbuvir), putting a damper – at least for now – on the company's scheme to introduce one of its top-selling drugs into the world's most populous country. Read More
Two academic economists are making the argument that the Obama administration is passing on the opportunity to review the economic impact of FDA guidances. Read More
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) revised its 1999 guidance on providing marijuana for medical research. The new guidance, which becomes effective this month, removes the need for a separate review by the Public Health Services (PHS) of non-federally funded research involving marijuana. Read More
Nabriva Therapeutics AG, of Vienna, has filed its Form F-1 registration statement with the SEC to generate up to $92 million in an IPO of American Depositary Shares. Read More
Benitec Biopharma Ltd., of Sydney, said it has launched a new exploratory cellular therapy program including exosome-based delivery using the company's ddRNAi gene-silencing technology together with London-based Reneuron plc. Read More
Ampio Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Englewood, Colo., said further data analysis from the undisclosed phase, 12-week placebo-controlled, double-masked randomized trial identified a reversal of pathological changes and a synergistic effect with other medication. Read More
