Differences in dosing, duration and the disability of patients likely led to Pfizer Inc.'s phase II fizzle with its 5-hydroxytryptamine6 (5-HT6) serotonin receptor antagonist in Alzheimer's disease (AD), said Axovant Sciences Ltd. CEO Vivek Ramaswamy, who distinguished the pharma giant's experiment from the phase III effort by his firm with RVT-101, which also targets 5-HT6. Read More

Rising concern over the spread of the Zika virus, crystallized by Monday's WHO labeling of it as a public health emergency, has jumpstarted efforts at Sanofi SA, Glaxosmithkline plc, Newlink Genetics Corp., Mymetics Corp. and Valneva SE to develop new vaccines against the dengue-related virus. Read More

Glaxosmithkline plc (GSK) expanded the terms and sweetened the economics of its strategic collaboration and licensing agreement with Adaptimmune Therapeutics plc for a T-cell receptor (TCR) engineered cancer immunotherapy program initially targeting NY-ESO-1. Read More

LONDON – Mission Therapeutics Ltd. has raised a hefty £60 million (US$86.3 million) in a third round of funding, as it moves two first-in-class small-molecule inhibitors of the deubiquitylating (DUB) enzymes that are at the heart of DNA damage repair processes, into formal preclinical development. Read More

DUBLIN – The Pierre Fabre Group is establishing an open innovation initiative to tap into research and clinical or preclinical development projects in three key areas, in order to bolster its pipeline as well as Europe's drug development ecosystem. Read More

HONG KONG – A promising cancer orphan drug could soon be available in a string of major and emerging Asian markets, marking the next step in a multinational partnership for global commercialization and research. Read More

As part of a two-pronged approach to address the opioid abuse epidemic facing the nation, President Barack Obama is calling for $1 billion to be used over two years to expand access to medication-assisted treatment for heroin and prescription drug abuse. Read More

Spero Therapeutics LLC, of Cambridge, Mass., said existing series A investors Atlas Venture, SR One, MRL Ventures, Lundbeckfond Ventures, the Kraft Group and Partners Innovation Fund will provide $30 million in preferred B funding. Read More

Pozen Inc., of Chapel Hill, N.C., said its stockholders approved the agreement and plan of merger and arrangement with Tribute Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., of Milton, Ontario. Upon closing of the transaction, the Pozen and Tribute businesses will operate as subsidiaries of Aralez Pharmaceuticals Inc., a company located in Vancouver, British Columbia. Aralez will be listed on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol ARLZ and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker ARZ. Read More

Carbylan Therapeutics Inc., of Palo Alto, Calif., reported top-line results from COR1.1, its first phase III trial of Hydros-TA, its formulation of hyaluronic acid which entraps low-dose corticosteroid triamcinolone acetonide, for the treatment of pain associated with osteoarthritis of the knee. Read More