Would-be therapies in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) took center stage with Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) plan to take over Alios Biopharma Inc. for $1.75 billion, gaining a pipeline that includes the phase II oral nucleoside analogue AL-8176 in RSV and a uridine nucleotide (nuke) analogue, AL-335, for hepatitis C virus (HCV) – another, less loudly touted driver for the deal. Read More
Four months ago, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. took an option to develop and commercialize MGD010, a preclinical asset developed in-house by Macrogenics Inc. that uses its Dual-Affinity Re-Targeting (DART) technology to simultaneously engage the B-cell surface proteins CD32B and CD79B, targeting autoimmune diseases. Read More
HONG KONG – An American pharmaceutical firm is working with a Japanese biotech company to combine two antibodies into a more effective immunotherapy for solid tumors. Read More
HONG KONG - For the first time, Chinese scientists have identified the molecular mechanism underlying the anorexogenic effects of a safe and effective herbal dietary supplement that is widely used for weight control, providing a promising target for the development of novel obesity drugs. Read More
After operating off the grid for nearly two years, Oncore Biopharma Inc. has unveiled three recent deals to mark its presence in the hepatitis B virus (HBV) space in a big way. Read More
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Tuesday launched its official Open Payments website, an online database consolidating public information on payments made by drug- and devicemakers to doctors and medical schools. Read More
HONG KONG – A German-Japanese effort to develop a first-line therapy for advanced Asian hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recently hit an important milestone with the completion of a phase I trial and the launch of phase II development. Read More
Tesaro Inc., of Waltham, Mass., closed its underwritten public offering of $201.25 million in 3 percent convertible senior notes due 2021, including $26.25 million in notes issued to exercise in full the underwriters' option to fill overallotments. Read More
Glialogix Inc., of San Francisco, said it entered a sponsored research agreement with Fast Forward, a nonprofit organization established by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, which will provide funding to the company for preclinical studies of GLX1112, a neuroprotective therapy designed to slow the accumulation of disability in progressive multiple sclerosis. Read More
Dandrit Biotech A/S, of Copenhagen, the subsidiary of Dandrit Biotech USA Inc., signed a contract of collaboration with the University Hospital IRCCS "San Martino" National Institute for Cancer Research known as the San Martino Hospital of Genoa. Read More
Baxter International Inc., of Deerfield, Ill., said it plans to form a new global innovation and R&D center in Cambridge, Mass., for Baxter's biopharmaceuticals business, which is expected to become a separate, independent global company known as Baxalta Inc. in mid-2015. Read More
