SHANGHAI – Officials in China said a number of executives at Glaxosmithkline plc (GSK) are now officially under investigation "for suspicions of serious economic crimes" that potentially involve deals worth ¥3 billion (US$488 million). Read More

LONDON – A faulty gene that plays a role in heart development is responsible for many cases of heart failure, an international team of researchers has shown. Read More

LONDON – The European Union said the second phase of the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI 2) will get under way in January 2014 with a budget of €3.45 billion (US$4.5 billion) to be devoted to the development of vaccines and treatments for a range of chronic and degenerative diseases. Read More

Ariana Pharma SA is developing software to guide the selection of personalized cancer care as part of a clinical trial in patients which, the study investigators claim, will be the first to offer all participants a treatment regimen based on their individual DNA, RNA and microRNA profiles. Read More

LONDON – The UK botulinum toxin specialist Syntaxin Ltd. is to be acquired by research partner and equity investor Ipsen SA in a deal that potentially is worth €158 million (US$205.8 million), with €28 million to be paid up front, and the remainder tied to development and commercialization milestones. Read More

LONDON – Redx Pharma Ltd. is motoring toward the launch of a third research division, securing a conditional offer from the UK government's Regional Growth Fund (RGF) for a unit specializing in metabolic disease. Read More

• Advancell SA, of Barcelona, Spain, and Helsinn Healthcare SA, of Lugano, Switzerland, signed a partnering agreement to develop and commercialize ATH008, a topical product designed to prevent and treat palmoplantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome, or PPES, often caused by fluoropyrimidines-based chemotherapy, and hand-foot skin reactions, or HFSR, often caused by multitargeted kinase inhibitors. Read More