Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. followed up its earnings tally with word that the first patient has joined the 1 ,800-patient Phase III program called ASCENT with bevenopran, previously known as CB-5945, a peripherally active mu opioid receptor antagonist for chronic noncancer pain and opioid-induced constipation. Read More
LONDON – Redx Pharma Ltd. is motoring toward the launch of a third research division, securing a conditional offer from the UK government's Regional Growth Fund (RGF) for a unit specializing in metabolic disease. Read More
A small biotech buy earlier this year could someday reap big rewards for Ignyta Inc., a San Diego firm that is integrating targeted drug discovery and development with companion diagnostics for patient stratification. Read More
Back-to-back papers have reported new insights into the role of the melanocortin receptor, and proteins that modulate its signaling, melanocortin receptor accessory proteins (MRAPs) in the control of feeding. Read More
• Celsion Corp., of Lawrenceville, N.J., and Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., of Taizhou City, China, entered a memorandum of understanding to pursue ongoing collaborations for the continued clinical development of Thermodox, as well as the technology transfer relating to the commercial manufacture of Thermodox for the greater China territory. Read More
• Gtx Inc., of Memphis, Tenn., reported that the last patients completed Phase III trials in non-small-cell lung cancer in May, and survival of patients is being monitored. Read More
• Psivida Corp., of Watertown, Mass., said it priced a public offering of about 3.5 million shares of common stock at $3.10 per share, a 9.4 percent discount to Thursday's closing price, for gross proceeds of about $10.8 million. Read More
• Janssen Biotech Inc., of Horsham, Pa., part of Johnson & Johnson, said the FDA approved Simponi Aria (golimumab) for infusion for the treatment of adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis in combination with methotrexate. Read More
Researchers from the British King's College London published a compendium of hundreds of new knockout mice that lack genes of formerly unknown function. Despite the availability of whole genome data, biomedical research has continued to focus on a small number of much-studied genes. Read More
