Coming out of a 2010 reorganization, Canadian firm MethylGene Inc. entered 2011 with a new CEO at the helm and late Thursday disclosed a C$34.5 million (US$35.3 million) financing round to boost work on its programs in cancer and fungal infections. Read More
Portola Pharmaceuticals Inc. is taking back its rights from Merck and Co. Inc. for betrixaban, a Factor Xa inhibitor being developed for stroke. Merck reviewed and reprioritized its late-stage investigational portfolio, and did not find a place for betrixaban. The return of rights to the Phase III-ready product gives Portola an opportunity to develop the drug independently. Read More
Tumor cells take up much more sugar than regular cells – which is, in fact, the reason they show up on PET scans. But once they have that sugar, they metabolize it differently than regular cells do, via so-called glycolysis. Read More
Shares for Unigene Laboratories Inc. jumped as it announced, with partner Tarsa Therapeutics Inc., positive top-line data from their Phase III postmenopausal osteoporosis study. Read More
AltheRx Inc., of Chadds Ford, Pa., purchased from GlaxoSmithKline plc, of London, Solabegron, a beta3-adrenoceptor agonist that has demonstrated positive results in Phase II programs for the treatment of overactive bladder in women and irritable bowel syndrome. The company said it plans to advance the overactive bladder program for Solabegron into Phase III this year. Read More
Stemedica Cell Technologies Inc., of San Diego, said its ischemic adult allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells were used successfully to treat the first patient in an ischemic stroke study. A total of 35 patients will be enrolled in the study, which is designed to determine tolerance and therapeutic outcomes for the intravenously delivered stem cells. Read More
