Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have linked the shortening of chromosome tips, or telomeres, to the production of progerin. The work confirmed that progerin, best known for its driving role in the accelerated aging disease progeria, plays a role in normal aging as well. Read More
Canadian biotech Milestone Pharmaceuticals Inc. took home C$13 million (US$13.3 million) in an equity financing round to boost development of its cardiovascular candidate, MSP-2017. The drug offers hope of a short-acting, as-needed treatment for episodes of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) that may allow patients to discontinue chronic therapy and stay out of the emergency room. Read More
Six months after receiving a complete response letter for epilepsy drug Potiga (ezogabine), Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. and partner GlaxoSmithKline plc gained approval of the potassium channel opener as an adjunctive treatment for partial-onset seizures. Read More
Unigene Laboratories Inc., of Boonton, N.J., will sell its 45 percent equity interest in Chinese joint venture Unigene Biotechnology Co. Ltd. to China Pharmaceutical Group Ltd., of Hong Kong, or one of its affiliates, for $1.05 million. China Pharmaceutical Group and its affiliates are subsidiaries of Shijiazhuang Pharmaceutical Group Corp. Unigene said that all technology licenses, sublicenses and other rights granted to the joint venture and China Pharmaceutical Group have been returned to Unigene. Read More
VIA Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Francisco, announced dosing of the first healthy volunteers in a Phase I trial of VIA-3196, the company's orally administered, liver-directed thyroid hormone beta receptor agonist for the treatment of high LDL cholesterol and other dyslipidemias including high triglycerides and elevated Lp (a). Read More
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. positioned itself to expand the multi-billion dollar sales forecasts for recently approved hepatitis C virus (HCV) drug Incivek (telaprevir) with a potential $1.5 billion deal with privately held Alios BioPharma Inc., of South San Francisco, for worldwide rights to preclinical nucleotide analogues ALS-2200 and ALS-2158. Read More
Only a few months after pulling in $25 million in equity funding, privately held Synageva BioPharma Corp. is gaining access to the public markets, as well as a nice chunk of cash, in a planned stock-for-stock merger with Trimeris Inc. Read More
