Amidst a venture capital climate that could most charitably be described as "tough" for early stage biotech, Mirna Therapeutics Inc., of Austin, Texas, completed a $34.5 million Series C financing led by Sofinnova Ventures, with New Enterprise Associates, Pfizer Ventures, Osage University Partners, Correlation Ventures and some existing investors. Read More
Through a procedure known as spindle transfer, or spindle complex-chromosomal transfer, scientists have created human eggs composed of the nuclear DNA from one person and the mitochondrial DNA from another. Read More
Gilead Sciences Inc. did not disappoint in its third-quarter performance, reporting 14 percent higher revenues, at $2.43 billion, compared to $2.12 billion the same period a year earlier. Read More
• Cytheris SA, of Paris, said the European Commission granted orphan drug status to CYT017 for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Read More
• Oncolytics Biotech Inc., of Calgary, Alberta, said it completed patient enrollment in its U.S. Phase II trial testing intravenous administration of oncolytic virus Reolysin in combination with gemcitabine in patients with advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer. Read More
• Pfizer Inc., of New York, said the European Commission gave conditional marketing authorization for Xalkori (crizotinib) for the treatment of adults with previously treated anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Read More
• Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., of Jerusalem, said its women's health subsidiary reported Phase III findings showing that Quartette (levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol tablets and ethinyl estradiol tablets), an extended-regimen oral contraceptive, showed the product is efficacious for the prevention of pregnancy and has a safety profile similar to those of other oral contraceptives. Read More
