Researchers from Chugai Pharmaceuticals Inc. created a bispecific antibody that mimics the effect of Factor VIII, a protein in the blood-clotting cascade that is absent in hemophilia A. Read More
• XenoPort Inc., of Santa Clara, Calif., reported Phase I data testing four different oral formulations of XP23829, a fumaric acid ester compound that is a prodrug of monomethyl fumarate (MMF) and is in development for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and/or psoriasis. Read More
• Grupo Ferrer Internacional SA, of Barcelona, Spain, said it successfully completed an absorption, tolerability and safety trial in adult and juvenile patients from 2 months of age with impetigo involving Ozenoxacin formulated as a topical treatment for infectious dermatological conditions. Read More
• Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., of New York, said the European Commission granted marketing authorization for the subcutaneous formulation of Orencia (abatacept) in combination with methotrexate for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis. Read More
• Deciphera Pharmaceuticals LLC, of Lawrence, Kan., said it plans to transition from an oncology discovery company to an oncology drug development company and will focus its resources on the continued development of rebastinib and DCC-2701, two drugs discovered using its switch pocket kinase inhibitor technology. Read More
Eight months after suspending Phase I/II trials of Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s systemic antibiotic, GSK2251052, GlaxoSmithKline plc has dropped the other shoe by discontinuing development of the compound. Read More
On Friday, monoclonal antibody (mAb) developer KaloBios Pharmaceuticals Inc. filed a registration statement with the SEC for a proposed initial public offering (IPO), indicating a proposed maximum offering price of $60 million. Read More
It was an unlikely project, all the way around. First, getting together a syndicate of venture capital investors to bet on vaccines – medicines typically given to healthy subjects, which makes possible toxicity an especially dicey proposition. Read More
Despite the continuing turbulence in the global capital markets, investors have had no qualms about backing the biotech sector – more in public biotechs than in private ones, however. Read More
