Twenty-four years after the NIH established the Office of Research on Women's Health, and 21 years after the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 first required that women be included in clinical trials, certainly the letter of the law has been achieved. Women are now the majority of participants in NIH-funded trials. Read More
DUBLIN – Modern Biosciences plc (MBS) could earn up to £176 million (US$277 million) in up-front and milestone payments from an option and licensing deal with the Janssen Biotech Inc. arm of Johnson & Johnson that covers a series of preclinical bone-protective compounds in development for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and potentially other indications. Read More
Half of the more than 100 firms targeted by a group of hackers out to intercept confidential data regarding potentially market-moving disclosures are biotech companies, according to a new report by the Milpitas, Calif.-based security firm FireEye. Read More
As expected, the FDA hit Avanir Pharmaceuticals Inc. late Wednesday with a complete response letter (CRL) related to the new drug application (NDA) for AVP-825, a drug-device combination product consisting of low-dose sumatriptan powder, delivered intranasally with a breath-powered delivery technology for the acute treatment of migraine. Read More
LONDON – Astrazeneca plc is extending its reach further into academic research in the UK, signing an agreement to give the medical charity Cancer Research UK (CRUK) access to its library of 2 million compounds and to a new screening facility currently under construction in Cambridge. Read More
BOGOTA, Colombia – A deal between Cuban and French vaccine developers looks to tap into Cuba's strength as a vaccine producer while reaching out to markets in Asia and Latin America. Read More
HONG KONG – Carsgen, a Chinese developer of cancer therapies, announced its completion of an undisclosed series A financing led by China-based health care private equity fund BVCF Management Ltd. Read More
Alimera Sciences Inc., of Atlanta, inked an agreement with Deerfield Management and certain affiliates, which agreed to purchase approximately $50 million in Alimera preferred shares, contingent on undisclosed closing conditions. Read More
Can-Fite Biopharma Ltd., of Petach Tikva, Israel, reported the publication of findings by researchers at St. Louis University and the NIH on the use of lead compound CF101, generically known as IB-MECA, to prevent neuropathic pain. Read More
Contera Pharma ApS, of Copenhagen, said Bukwang Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., of Seoul, South Korea, acquired 100 percent of Contera Pharma from its current shareholders. Read More
Exelixis Inc., of South San Francisco, reported top-line results from the final analysis of COMET-2, its randomized, double-blind, controlled trial of cabozantinib in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who are suffering from moderate to severe pain despite optimized narcotic medication, and whose disease has progressed following treatment with docetaxel as well as Zytiga (abiraterone, Johnson & Johnson) and/or Xtandi (enzalutamide, Medivation Inc. and Astellas Pharma Inc.). Read More
Novartis AG, of Basel, Switzerland, updated the phase III study of fingolimod in primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), stating that the study did not meet the primary endpoint. Read More
