PHILADELPHIA – The Biotechnology Industry Organization's (BIO) International Convention returns to the City of Brotherly Love this week after a decade since BIO 2005 convened here. Read More
HONG KONG & NEW DELHI – Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is in the spotlight across Asia, as researchers search for drugs to fight a virus many fear could be as devastating as SARS was in 2003. Read More
SHANGHAI – When Johnson & Johnson (J&J) set up its network of five Innovation Centers in the world's life science hot spots – Boston, California, London and Shanghai – it put into action a global experiment: Could a giant find a way to systematically engage in early stage possibilities in drugs, devices or consumer health with its innovative, entrepreneurial brethren? Having just announced 17 deals across the globe bringing the overall deal total to 200, they have shown if they fail, it won't be for lack of effort. Read More
SHANGHAI – Inside Johnson & Johnson Innovation Center's 17-deal announcement, the Asia Pacific Innovation Center (APIC) shows it has been busy, too, signing four deals in the region: in Japan, Australia, Mainland China and Taiwan. Read More
The roller-coaster ride that is Aveo Oncology Inc. took another dip Friday when the Cambridge, Mass.-based company reported written feedback from the FDA on the development of a biomarker that would help predict the response of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) to tivozanib (tivo) compared with Avastin (bevacizumab, Roche AG). Read More
In the biopharma world, prostaglandins are best known as a target for painkillers. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) from ibuprofen to Celebrex (celecoxib, Pfizer Inc.) work by inhibiting the production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Read More
Company officials would not go into details, but Sunesis Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s drill-down on data from the narrowly failed phase III trial called Valor could mean the firm will take aim at patients ages 60 and beyond as regulatory efforts continue with the quinolone derivative vosaroxin plus cytarabine in adults with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Read More
Catabasis Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., set terms for its IPO. The company plans to raise approximately $60 million by offering 4.3 million shares priced in a range of $13 to $15 and said certain principal stockholders indicated interest in purchasing up to approximately $18 million in shares at the IPO price. Read More
Medicinova Inc., of La Jolla, Calif., said the ongoing clinical trial of MN-166 (ibudilast) in progressive multiple sclerosis has completed randomization of 255 subjects, which exceeds the goal of 250 subjects that were planned for participation. Read More
Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc., of Norwood, Mass., said the FDA granted orphan drug designation to its lead candidate, the anti-inflammatory therapy Resunab, to treat systemic sclerosis, which currently has no FDA-approved treatments. Read More
A team from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center has shown that commensal bacteria protect against fungal colonization. Candida albicans is a fungus that is found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tracts of somewhere around half of all adults. Read More
