Wowed by stunning Phase IIa results for nephrology candidate KAI-4169, Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based Amgen Inc. tendered an offer of $315 million in cash to buy KAI Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Francisco. Read More
Shares of ViroPharma Inc. were rocked Tuesday after the FDA informed the company that the supplemental new drug application (sNDA) for its antibiotic Vancocin (vancomycin hydrochloride), approved in December 2011, would not qualify for three additional years of exclusivity. Read More
A venture capital firm with a reputation for supporting early stage innovation, Flagship Ventures is teaming up with Merck & Co. Inc. in an unusual partnership that brings Merck closer to early stage discoveries while allowing young companies the chance to tap into the big pharma's expertise. Read More
It can be difficult to deliver proteins and other large molecules to muscle tissue. But 4s3 Bioscience Inc., of Medford, Mass., said it believes it has found a back door into those cells using its 3E10-targeting antibody along with the ENT2 nucleoside transporter, which is naturally enriched in skeletal muscle fibers. Read More
• KineMed Inc., of Emeryville, Calif., received a Rapid Access to Intervention Development (RAID) grant from the National Institutes of Health for manufacturing, formulation and investigational new drug-enabling safety studies of FX-5A, an ApoA-I mimetic designed to reverse atherosclerosis and heart disease. Read More
• Omeros Corp., of Seattle, said it started patient enrollment in its second Phase III trial of PharmacoSurgery candidate OMS302 in intraocular lens replacement (ILR) surgery. The product is designed to be added to standard irrigation solution used during ILR procedures to maintain intraoperative mydriasis and reduce postoperative pain. About 400 patients undergoing cataract surgery or refractive lens exchange will be recruited, with data expected later this year. In the first Phase III study, the product hit statistical significance, showing superiority over placebo on both endpoints (p < 0.00001). Read More
• BioRestorative Therapies Inc., of Jupiter, Fla., raised $1.6 million in debt and $500,000 in equity in multiple financing rounds in 2012. The company issued about 22 million shares of restricted stock and 25.5 million five-year warrants to purchase stock at prices between 3 cents and 35 cents per share. BioRestorative works on autologous cell therapies including a brown fat cell-based therapeutic/aesthetic program. Read More
• Illumina Inc., of San Diego, said proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis & Co. LLC advised its stockholders to vote for the election of Illumina's nominees at its 2012 annual meeting. Read More
