SAN FRANCISCO — As investors in biopharma, medtech and affiliated industries descend on San Francisco for the start of the 34th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (JPM), invited guests and throngs of hangers-on could be forgiven for glancing nervously over their shoulders at the global capital markets. Read More
With a phase II trial in stubborn triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) set to begin soon and results already disclosed against nuclear protein in testis (NUT) midline carcinoma, bromodomain and extra terminal domain (BET) inhibitor specialist Tensha Therapeutics Inc. drew Roche AG to the table for a takeover valued at up to $535 million. Read More
SHANGHAI – Zai Labs Ltd., of Shanghai, has done it again, this time raising more than $100 million from seasoned health care venture firms led by Advantech Capital and Orbimed. The trio of Zai's series A backers – Qiming Ventures, Sequoia and TF Capital – also continued their support in this second round. Read More
Mylan NV and Momenta Pharmaceuticals Inc. agreed to work together to develop, manufacture and commercialize six of Momenta's current biosimilar candidates under an exclusive new deal. Read More
The New York arm of Accelerator Corp. launched its second biopharma in less than a week as Lodo Therapeutics Corp. set out with a $17 million series A financing. Read More
In findings that illustrate the gap between risk variants and clinical disease, scientists from Vanderbilt University have reported that in an unselected population, the carriers of two gene variants that are considered potentially pathogenic for heart disease had neither a higher incidence of arrhythmia nor longer QT intervals than those without such variants. Read More
PARIS – At the start of what promises to be a big year for nanomedicine developer Nanobiotix SA, of Paris, the company reported approval for its first clinical trial in the U.S. and a bold new program stepping into the fast-developing field of immuno-oncology. Read More
Ardelyx Inc., of Fremont, Calif., priced a public offering of 7.5 million shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $10 each for gross proceeds of $75 million. The firm granted the underwriters the right to purchase up to about 1.12 more million shares of common stock at the public offering price. Read More
Tiziana Life Science plc, of London, said its research agreement with Cardiff University, focused on the development of Bcl-3 inhibitors for cancer, led to the identification of a lead candidate, CB1, with antimetastatic activity and in vivo efficacy and safety. The company said it plans to file an investigational new drug application and move CB1 into the clinic before the end of this year. Read More
Vectura Group plc, of Chippenham, U.K., said it completed a clinical trial for VR315, a generic inhaled combination therapy comprising fluticasone and salmeterol, in the U.S. for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. VR315 is delivered using Vectura's dry powder inhaler and formulation technology. Read More
Scientists at the British King's College London have reported results from long-term high-throughput immune monitoring of a cohort of roughly 180 individuals after they were vaccinated with adjuvanted Pandemrix, the vaccine against the 2009 pandemic "swine flu" strain. Read More
