Immuron Ltd., of Sydney, said Emory University has enrolled its first patient in the company's IMM-124E pediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) phase II trial. Read More

Astellas Pharma US Inc., of Northbrook, Ill., part of Astellas Pharma Inc., of Tokyo, named Linda Friedman executive vice president, general counsel, with responsibility for the company's Legal organization worldwide. Read More

TOKYO – Exelixis Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. reached an exclusive licensing agreement for the commercialization and further clinical development in Japan of oncology drug cabozantinib. The deal grants Takeda exclusive commercial and further clinical development rights in Japan for cabozantinib. Read More

HONG KONG – Imminent changes to Taiwan's drug approval process could dramatically improve the country's pharmaceutical sector, potentially shortening approval times and boosting growth. Drug developers operating in the country are paying close attention to upcoming reforms, which should be implemented soon. Read More

The oral c-Met inhibitor tivantinib missed its primary endpoint of improving overall survival vs. placebo in a phase III hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) study, calling into question the future of the program, licensed by Arqule Inc. to Tokyo-based Daiichi Sankyo Group in December 2008, even as another phase III study of the candidate in Japan progresses. Shares in Arqule (NASDAQ:ARQL) fell 18.4 percent, closing at $1.20 on Friday. Read More

LONDON – Clinical trials involving genome editing in gametes or early embryos could be permitted in the future, but only for serious conditions and under stringent oversight, said experts after a year-long review of the scientific and ethical issues thrown up by CRISPR/Cas9. Read More

HONG KONG – It is a tumultuous year for Korean conglomerate Samsung, whose group chief Jay Y. Lee was arrested Friday in connection to a corruption scandal, and Samsung Biologics Co. Ltd., the company's contract manufacturer arm of biologic drugs, coming under scrutiny with allegations of being involved in unlawful accounting practices. Read More

SHANGHAI – Hutchison China Meditech Ltd. (Chi-Med) and its partner, Astrazeneca plc, of London, shared phase II safety and efficacy data for savolitinib in patients with papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC), a fatal form of kidney cancer. Read More