Mersana Therapeutics Inc. is cashing in on the rage for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in a new collaboration agreement with Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc. Read More
With deal flow indicating there's plenty of appetite for fibrosis drugs, Promedior Inc. pulled in $21.5 million in the first closing of a Series D financing aimed at advancing and expanding its fibrosis pipeline. Read More
• Apexigen Inc., of Burlingame, Calif., granted an exclusive license to Gansu Duyiwei Biological Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (GDBP), of Longnan City, China, to develop and commercialize APX004 in China. The humanized monoclonal antibody is directed against VEGFR2 for the treatment of certain cancers and angiogenic diseases. GDBP assumes sole responsibility to research, develop and commercialize APX004 in China, with Apexigen retaining rights to the compound outside China and collaborating with GDBP to advance the development program. Read More
• Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Carlsbad, Calif., said it started a Phase I trial of ISIS-STAT3Rx, a Generation 2.5 antisense drug designed to treat cancer by specifically reducing the production of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, or STAT3, which is overexpressed in numerous cancer types. Read More
• Forest Laboratories Inc., of New York, and Pierre Fabre Medicament, of Castres, France, reported top-line results in a Phase III trial showing that levomilnacipran significantly reduced depression symptoms in patients with major depressive disorder compared to placebo, as early as week one and at each subsequent visit, as measured by the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale-Clinician Rated. Read More
• Allos Therapeutics Inc., of Westminster, Colo., reported fourth-quarter net product sales of $15.4 million for peripheral T-cell lymphoma drug Folotyn (pralatrexate), a 17 percent increase over the third quarter of 2011. For the full year, Folotyn net sales totaled $50.5 million, a 43 percent jump over 2010. Read More
• Adeona Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Ann Arbor, Mich., appointed Jeff Riley president and CEO, added C. Evan Ballantyne as chief financial officer and named Scott L. Tarriff and Nelson K. Stacks to the board. Read More
