Adaptimmune Therapeutics plc, of Oxford, U.K., said it is expanding its T-cell therapy development activities to target certain autoimmune diseases and named P. Julian Dyson to head that effort. Adaptimmune's goal is to restore the function of the immune system and inhibit the autoimmune response by delivering affinity enhanced regulatory T cells, or Tregs, to the site of the disease. Read More
A delay in certifying a ballot initiative that would ensure lower drug prices in Ohio has landed the issue in front of the state Supreme Court. Four supporters of the initiative, which would adopt U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs drug pricing for state programs, filed suit Wednesday in the Supreme Court against Ohio Secretary of State John Husted, claiming he failed to fulfill his obligation to certify the petitions and advance the initiative to the General Assembly. Read More
BOGOTA, Colombia – Multinational manufacturers of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are getting ready to defend the effectiveness of the product in Brazil after a public attorney set out to ban them across the country. Read More
Many of the symptoms of Rett syndrome may be the result of changes to a chloride ion channel, and targeting that channel may be a way to address a number of those symptoms, researchers from Pennsylvania State University have discovered. Read More
For the second day in a row, the biopharma sector remained undeterred by the red blanketing Wall Street, with 11 firms pricing public offerings expected to total well more than $1.1 billion in funding. (See BioWorld Today, Jan. 7, 2016.) Read More
HONG KONG – Looking to further its innovative efforts in drug development, pharma major Johnson & Johnson has partnered with Chinese liver disease expert Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. (CTTQ), as well as a score of other external companies. Read More
Hopes that phase II data could "re-ignite the investment case" for Tetralogic Pharmaceuticals Corp. flamed out and the shares (NASDAQ:TLOG) plunged 76.1 percent, or $1.29, ending at 41 cents, as the firm offered mixed results from a pair of trials. Read More
LONDON – Uniqure NV reported that four of five patients suffering from severe or moderately severe hemophilia B have been able to discontinue prophylaxis with recombinant factor IX (FIX), following treatment with its AMT-060 gene therapy. Read More
Dynavax Technologies Corp. investors rejoiced Thursday as positive top-line results from a phase III trial comparing the safety and immunogenicity of its investigational hepatitis B vaccine, Heplisav-B, to Glaxosmithkline plc's Engerix-B emboldened the Berkeley, Calif.-based company to resubmit its biologics license application (BLA) for the therapy by the end of March. Read More
Aridis Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, reported phase I results for its fully human monoclonal antibody, Aerucin, for the treatment of hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by gram negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Read More
