Sunesis Pharmaceuticals Inc. launched its Phase III trial of vosaroxin in combination with cytarabine in relapsed and refractory acute myeloid leukemia. The drug showed encouraging results from its Phase II studies, including excellent safety and tolerability in its sensitive elderly patient population. Read More
Biogen Idec Inc. followed through on its November promise to leverage its neurology R&D expertise with the acquisition this week of three preclinical immunotherapy programs focused on Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Read More
Incyte Corp. set its sights on a second quarter 2011 new drug application filing for INCB18424 in myelofibrosis after the JAK1/2 inhibitor solidly hit the primary endpoint of reducing spleen size in patients in a Phase III trial. Read More
Biotech veteran Jack Reich thought he had retired in 2002 after selling his cardiovascular gene therapy firm Collateral Therapeutics Inc. to Schering AG in a $140 million stock-for-stock deal, but further developments in the field brought him back to the executive fold, heading up 2008 start-up Renova Therapeutics Inc. Read More
NewLink Genetics Corp. became the latest biotech to jump into the initial public offering (IPO) queue, with a filing that looks to raise as much as $86 million to help fund its ongoing Phase III study in pancreatic cancer. Read More
Merck Serono, the pharmaceutical division of Merck KGaA, of Darmstadt, Germany, signed a deal with Philochem AG, of Zurich, Switzerland, in which Philochem will supply specific monoclonal antibodies to Merck Serono, to be used in the search for molecular biomarkers of oocyte and embryo quality for a test to be used by physicians. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Read More
PTC Therapeutics Inc., of South Plainfield, N.J., completed enrollment in a Phase III trial of ataluren for nonsense mutation cystic fibrosis. Read More
