Emeryville, Calif.-based Zogenix Inc.’s positive top-line data from the phase III study with Fintepla (fenfluramine oral solution) in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) failed to charm Wall Street, which by day’s end trimmed the shares (NASDAQ:ZGNX) by $20.50, or 39%, putting the final price at $32.12. Read More
A little more than two years after first licensing U.S. commercial rights to the Nucynta (tapentadol) pain drug franchise from Depomed Inc., specialty pharma Collegium Pharmaceutical Inc. is acquiring those rights from Depomed successor Assertio Therapeutics Inc. for $375 million in cash, less royalties paid to Assertio in 2020. The deal, which includes both extended-release (ER) and immediate-release formulations of the drug, is expected to close by Feb. 14. It will be financed with $325 million in committed debt financing. Read More
LONDON – Freeline Therapeutics Ltd. believes it has found the dose at which FLT-180a, its gene therapy for hemophilia B, will provide a functional cure, promoting expression of factor IX (FIX) blood clotting factor within the normal range. Read More
Privately held Sonoma Biotherapeutics Inc. plans to take its newly raised $40 million series A financing to develop regulatory T-cell therapies to control inflammatory responses in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and multiple sclerosis. Read More
BEIJING – China’s partial shutdown caused by the 2019-nCoV coronavirus outbreak has sparked global fears of a disrupted supply chain of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), as the country is a major exporter. Drugs that many depend on, such as ibuprofen and acarbose, could be affected. Read More
HONG KONG – A team of researchers at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) claim to have invented the world’s fastest portable 2019-nCoV diagnostic device. From sampling to testing, the device is apparently able to detect the novel coronavirus in just 40 minutes. In comparison, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology that is currently in use can take between 1.5 to 3 hours. The device draws on the latest microfluidic chip technology from Shenzhen Shineway Hi-Tech Co. Ltd. Read More
BioWorld looks at translational medicine, including: CD47 knockout improves antitumor vaccine; Multiple edits make for durable T cells; Endothelial cells have functional deficits in progeria; Myelin is deregulated in autism spectrum disorder; More enhancers suggest more pathogenicity: study; Just the vesicles, please; Distinguishing real from backseat drivers; Blocking bad bone; Plexin D1 is receptor and mechanosensor in 1; Monocytes have it both ways in DMD. Read More
New hires and promotions in the biopharma industry, including: Biomotiv, Complexa, DBV, Frequency, Immunomolecular, Nymox, Plus, Trillium, Vectivbio. Read More
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Adial, Catalyst Biosciences, Compugen, Elios, Freeline, Immunicum, Ocular Therapeutix, Soricimed, Zogenix. Read More
Biopharma happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Aduro, Alterity, Applied DNA Sciences, Inceptua, Merck, Oncosec, Portola, Proqr, Takis, Therapix, Tracon. Read More
Therapeutic area data reported by biopharma companies on phase III trials in January 2020, including: Abbvie, Astrazeneca, Beigene, Biofrontera, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Erytech, Evolus, Incyte, Innovent, Isofol Medical, Kala, Kyowa Kirin, Lipidor, Merck, Nucana, Orion, Rafael, Roche, Sellas Life Sciences, VBL, Verastem. Read More
