A pre-market lift for shares of Xenoport Inc. (NASDAQ:XNPT) quickly deflated Tuesday following release of preliminary top-line results from the phase II trial of XP23829 in moderate to severe chronic plaque-type psoriasis. Shares closed at $4.84 for a loss of $1.89, or 28.1 percent. Read More
BOSTON – "I would urge every single pharma senior executive [to] bail out and start a company," said Jeremy Levin, former CEO of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. "And if they do choose to move, to get their feet wet again, get their hands dirty, and oh, by the way, invest their money, innovation and experience in bringing it to a different level." Read More
Aptinyx Inc., a spinout of Allergan plc-acquired Naurex Inc., has picked up a substantial seed round intended to help it develop a pipeline of preclinical N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor modulators. Read More
HONG KONG – Chinese pharmaceutical firms have come a long way, transforming themselves from makers of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to innovative drug developers in a couple of decades. Read More
NEW DELHI – An increasing number of Chinese and Indian pharma firms are setting up units in each other's countries, looking to tap into expertise and strength that may be lacking at home. Read More
SHANGHAI – Sciclone Pharmaceuticals Inc. is one of a few U.S.-listed specialty pharma companies almost exclusively focused on the China market. Read More
Mirati Therapeutics Inc., of San Diego, said it plans to offer about $80 million of its common shares (NASDAQ:MRTX) in an underwritten public offering and to grant underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 15 percent in additional common shares. Read More
Novartis AG, of Basel, Switzerland, said its NVS Influenza Vaccines unit, now owned by Australia-based CSL Ltd., said the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted to recommend licensure of a candidate vaccine to help protect against seasonal influenza in people age 65 and older via accelerated approval. Read More
Beyondspring Pharmaceuticals Inc., of New York, reported mechanism-based analysis from phase II data showing that lead compound plinabulin, combined with docetaxel, in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), who have lung lesions greater than 3 cm, potentially could offer substantial improvement in overall survival. Read More
