Privately held Metamark Genetics Inc. landed a big fish, inking a research, collaboration and license agreement with Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Biotech Inc. potentially worth $365 million. Read More
Trius Therapeutics Inc. hit all primary and secondary endpoints in its first Phase III trial of antibiotic tedizolid (formerly torezolid), yet investors rewarded the San Diego biotech by pushing its shares down 12 percent. Read More
Shares in Sygnis Pharma AG plunged more than 62 percent Friday on news that its lead drug AX200 failed to demonstrate efficacy in a 328-patient Phase IIb trial in acute ischemic stroke. Read More
• The ALS Therapy Development Institute entered a research agreement with Biogen Idec Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., and UCB Pharma SA, of Brussels, Belgium, to investigate the use of an anti-CD40L antibody as a potential therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Read More
• Medicago Inc., of Quebec City, closed the second tranche of a C$22.5 million (US$21.8 million) private placement by Philip Morris Investments BV, consisting of 17.2 million common shares at C65 cents per share for gross proceeds of C$11.2 million. The first tranche, which closed in October, was a similar size. The proceeds will be used to advance Medicago's pandemic and seasonal influenza vaccine candidates. Philip Morris' investment stems from a rights agreement between the companies executed in 2008. Read More
• Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Carlsbad, Calif., initiated a Phase I study of ISIS-SMNRx in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The single-dose, dose-escalation study is designed to assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile of the drug in children with SMA between the ages of 2 and 14 who are medically stable. ISIS-SMNRx will be administered intrathecally as a single injection directly into the spinal fluid. Read More
