Aside from its aesthetic value, hair is a barrier that keeps everything from damaging UV rays to the cold away from skin. Now, scientists from the Japanese Keio University have demonstrated that hair, or at least hair follicles, appear to have an immunological function as well. Read More

Six months after signing an option agreement on a Phase I-stage antisense program in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Biogen Idec Inc. agreed to a similarly structured deal for an earlier-stage rare disease program targeting myotonic dystrophy Type I (DM1), a muscular wasting disease also known as Steinert disease. Read More

Sangart Inc.'s CEO Brian O'Callaghan first took on his C-level responsibilities at the age of 30 for a division of Merck Serono, but it wasn't official for two years because of his young age. "Investors thought at 30 years it was too big a risk for the CEO title," O'Callaghan told BioWorld Today. After 11 years, O'Callaghan has grown into the executive leadership position he took on so early. Read More

LONDON – Oxford Biomedica plc said that Sanofi SA is taking up its options on two gene therapy products for treating retinal disease, triggering a $3 million milestone and providing the impetus for a placing and open offer to raise up to GBP16 million (US$25 million). Read More

Short-term, the chances of surviving a heart attack are now quite good – on the order of 90 percent. But the longer-term statistics remain grim. Within a year of a first heart attack, nearly 20 percent of victims will have a second outright heart attack, and fully half of them will have additional heart problems that stay short of a full heart attack. Read More

• Medivir AB of Stockholm, Sweden said that in July it will be initiating a Phase II combination study with TMC435 and daclatasvir (Bristol-Myers Squibb, BMS-790052). Read More

• NanoViricides Inc., of West Haven, Conn., said it raised $5 million, drawing down on its universal registered shelf offering. Read More

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• A.P. Pharma Inc., of Redwood City, Calif., reported additional data from a Phase III trial of APF530, for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. Read More

• Orphan Biovitrum AB of Stockholm, Sweden reported an increase in the number of its shares following the issuance of 684,590 class C shares under the company's long-term incentive programs.  Read More