Move over, insulin. Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have identified an additional hormone that controls the liver's metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins after a meal. The hormone, fibroblast growth factor 19, or FGF19, acts via a pathway that is independent of the insulin signaling pathway. Read More
Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. agreed to sell 12.15 million shares of common stock and 12,150 shares of preferred stock to entities affiliated with Deerfield Management. From gross proceeds of $35.5 million, approximately $17.7 million will be used to prepay a portion of loan principle owed to Deerfield. That principle would have been due in June 2013. Read More
A month after reporting positive data for cystic fibrosis (CF) candidate VX-770 in adult patients, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. disclosed better-than-expected results in a separate study involving children ages 6 to 11, which should further bolster regulatory filings expected in the second half of this year. Read More
Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Emeryville, Calif., is expanding its Phase III European FOCUS trial, which is evaluating the efficacy and tolerability of carfilzomib, a next-generation proteasome inhibitor, in patients with relapsed and refractory myeloma. Based on overall survival data from the Phase IIb 003-A1 study, the company is changing the primary endpoint of the FOCUS trial from progression-free survival to overall survival. Read More
Heptares Therapeutics Ltd.of Welwyn Garden City, UK, said it has demonstrated that fragment-based drug discovery methods can be applied to the screening of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) by stabilizing the GPCRs with StaR technology. Results were published in a recent issue of Methods in Enzymology. Read More
What's happening at Japan's Fukushima reactors is spiking interest in developing biopharmaceuticals the U.S. hopes it will never have to use. Read More
