Celgene Corp. reported success in the phase III SUNBEAM trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of ozanimod – the oral selective sphingosine 1-phosphate 1 (S1PR1) and 5 (S1PR5) receptor modulator that was the crown jewel in its 2015 pick-up of Receptos Inc. – but offered few details. For the most part, analysts looked on the bright side, concluding that all is well. Read More
The oral c-Met inhibitor tivantinib missed its primary endpoint of improving overall survival vs. placebo in a phase III hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) study, calling into question the future of the program, licensed by Arqule Inc. to Daiichi Sankyo Group in December 2008, even as another phase III study of the candidate in Japan progresses. Shares in Arqule (NASDAQ:ARQL) fell 18.4 percent, closing at $1.20 on Friday. Read More
BOSTON – Just three years in, the U.S. BRAIN project has led to the development of a number of new high-speed, non-invasive methods for imaging neuronal activity, that are starting to transform basic research in neuroscience and pointing toward novel approaches to treating brain diseases. Read More
HONG KONG – It is a tumultuous year for Korean conglomerate Samsung, whose group chief Jay Y. Lee was arrested Friday in connection to a corruption scandal, and Samsung Biologics Co. Ltd., the company's contract manufacturer arm of biologic drugs, coming under scrutiny with allegations of being involved in unlawful accounting practices. Read More
PERTH, Australia – After signing a deal with Nantworks Inc. that expands its pipeline into oncology, Australian gene silencing company Benitec Biopharma Ltd. appears to be on the road to recovery after a few harrowing years that sent the stock into a nosedive. Read More
HONG KONG – Imminent changes to Taiwan's drug approval process could dramatically improve the country's pharmaceutical sector, potentially shortening approval times and boosting growth. Drug developers operating in the country are paying close attention to upcoming reforms, which should be implemented soon. Read More
Kalytera Therapeutics Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, said it closed the second and final tranche of its brokered private placement offering, consisting of 3.5 million shares priced at C45 cents (US34 cents) per share, for gross proceeds of C$1.6 million. Read More
Arvinas LLC, of New Haven, Conn., presented preclinical data at the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2017 Genitourinary Cancers Symposiums in Orlando, Fla., showing that its oral androgen receptor (AR) Protac platform demonstrated robust and durable degradation of all clinically relevant mutant AR proteins, including 92 percent to 98 percent degradation of total AR across all cell lines, suppression of prostate-specific antigen gene expression, inhibition of cell proliferation and inducing of apoptosis of prostate cancer cell lines. Read More
Viriom Inc., of San Diego, reported top-line results from its phase IIb comparator study of Elpida vs. Sustiva (efavirenz, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.) in combination with tenofovir/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC, Gilead Sciences Inc.) at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Seattle. Read More
Sirtuins are no longer considered the key to the fountain of youth that they once were, but researchers continue to confirm that they have many roles in the biology of health and disease. Read More
