Rempex Pharmaceuticals Inc., formed in June to acquire the human, financial and clinical assets unrelated to Aeroquin from Mpex Pharmaceuticals Inc., has attracted a commitment of up to $67.5 million to advance the development of treatments for resistant Gram-negative infections. Read More
Western biopharmaceutical companies hoping to capitalize on opportunities in the emerging China and India markets through collaborations and partnerships should be prepared to deal with potential legal and regulatory challenges related to intellectual property (IP), accounting and import-export standards. Read More
This week, researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center showed that they have achieved fairly remarkable fat loss – and have done so in monkeys, which are far more similar to humans in their metabolism than rats and mice are – by treating them with a peptide that cuts off the blood supply specifically to their fat cells. Read More
Affiris AG raised €25 million (US$34 million) in new equity funding and could land another €30 million from the same investors, to take forward its pipeline of clinical and preclinical peptide-based therapeutic vaccine candidates, which are in development for a range of neurodegenerative, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. Read More
• Curis Inc., of Lexington, Mass., and Genentech Inc., of South San Francisco, a member of the Roche Group, said the FDA accepted and filed the new drug application (NDA) for vismodegib, a Hedgehog pathway inhibitor, for use in adults with advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC) for whom surgery is considered inappropriate. The application was granted priority review status, with a PDUFA date of March 8, 2012. Read More
• NeuroDerm Ltd., of Ness Ziona, Israel, reported that ND0611 met all primary and secondary endpoints in a Phase I/II safety and pharmacokinetic trial as an adjunct therapy in advanced Parkinson's disease. The drug is administered subcutaneously by a dermal patch and is designed to increase the bioavailability and efficacy of orally administered levodopa, as in Sinemet, Sinemet CR or Stalevo. Read More
