Soligenix Inc., of Princeton, N.J., said it reached an agreement with the FDA on the design of a pivotal phase III trial testing photodynamic therapy SGX301 (synthetic hypericin) for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Read More
Merck & Co. Inc., of Whitehouse Station, N.J., presented the first data from the phase III program testing omarigliptin, its once-weekly DPP-4 inhibitor for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Read More
3SBio Inc., of Shenyang, China, entered an exclusive license agreement with pegylation services company Jenkem Technology Co. Ltd. for the development, manufacturing and marketing in mainland China of peg-irinotecan, a long-acting polymer-drug conjugate inhibiting topoisomerase I, which is overexpressed in many solid tumors. Read More
Avraham Pharmaceuticals Ltd., of Yavne, Israel, said Yissum Research Development Co. Ltd. led a $4.5 million financing, joined by Pontifax, Clal Biotechnology Industries, Integra Holdings and Technion Research and Development Foundation Ltd. Read More
The Critical Path Institute said the FDA awarded the organization $2.1 million in first-year funding of a five-year grant with the potential of $10.5 million over the five years. Read More
SHANGHAI – BGI, a powerhouse gene sequencing organization based in China, and the Vancouver Prostate Centre agreed to formalize their relationship by establishing a joint translational cancer research laboratory in Vancouver, British Columbia. Read More
Whether artificial sweeteners cause weight loss or weight gain has been a matter of debate for some time – at least as far as their human use is concerned. Such sweeteners are routinely used in animal feed to increase appetite and weight gain. Read More
BEIJING – A new scheme to improve and boost the development of Shanghai's biopharmaceutical industry that will take effect at the end of this month should generate opportunities for local biopharmaceutical enterprises, especially the bigger ones. Read More
Although it might be premature to characterize the potential $200 million collaboration between Third Rock Ventures-backed Myokardia Inc. and Sanofi SA as a replicate of the pharma's early interest in Genzyme Corp. that led to that blockbuster acquisition, both partners referenced the relationship in describing their deal to discover and develop precision medicines targeting genetic heart disease. Read More
Following up last year's deal with Baxter International Inc. for the Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor pacritinib in myelofibrosis (MF), CTI Biopharma Corp.'s sealed an agreement with Les Laboratoires Servier SA that brings €14 million (US$18.1 million) up front and could be worth as much as €103 million if all milestones are achieved with Pixuvri (pixantrone), conditionally approved in the European Union for aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients who failed two or three prior lines of therapy. Read More
