Pharma Marketletter articles from September 2006

Pharma Marketletter archives from September 2006

Update on Sanofi/B-MS Apotek injunction.(Apotek for infringement of intellectual property rights )(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Hearings on the injunction filed against Canadian generics firm Apotek for infringement of intellectual property rights on the blockbuster blood-thinning agent Plavix (clopidogrel) by French drug major Sanofi-Aventis, the originator, and its US...

Negative news for Merck & Co on Vioxx cases.
September 4, 2006... In the latest round of litigation alleging damages due to Merck & Co's COX-2 inhibitor Vioxx (rofecoxib), which was withdrawn in 2004, the company was found guilty of negligence in one case and the presiding judge in another hearing ordered a...

Isolagen takes 57% stake in Agera Labs.
September 4, 2006... Pennsylvania, USA-based Isolagen says that it has acquired a 57% interest in Agera Laboratories, for just under $2.7 million in cash plus an earn-out provision. Agera is a private skin care company that has proprietary rights to a...

Paris listing for Chinese pharma.(sales and earning of Watson Biology)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Watson Biology, a Chinese producer of active principles for the drug industry, is applying for a listing on the Paris (France) Bourse - the first time a Chinese pharmaceutical enterprise has sought to do this in continental Europe. The company...

Jury says Pfizer does not infringe Synthon patent.
September 4, 2006... A federal court jury in the Eastern District of Virginia (Alexandria) has ruled unanimously that global pharmaceutical giant Pfizer does not infringe Synthon IP's US patent covering a process for making amlodipine, the active ingredient in...

B-MS board could replace CEO?(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... The Wall Street Journal, after a hard-hitting article criticizing the management ability of Bristol-Myers Squibb chief executive Peter Dolan, most recently for allowing the loss of marketing exclusivity for the blockbuser blood-thinning drug...

ASCO/NCCN publish guide for breast and colorectal cancer quality care.(American Society of Clinical Oncology)(National Comprehensive Cancer Network)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... The American Society of Clinical Oncology and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network have collaborated to develop seven evidence-based quality measures for breast and colorectal cancers. The ASCO/NCCN Quality Measures can be applied to...

Akron files first ANDA for India's FDC Ltd.(Abbreviated New Drug Application)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Specialty US pharmaceuticals firm Akorn says that it has submitted the first Abbreviated New Drug Application with the Office of Generic Drugs on behalf of FDC Ltd, India's second-largest manufacturer and marketer of ophthalmic pharmaceutical...

S-P gets clarification on golimumab rights.(rules for Schering-Plough)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... US drug major Schering-Plough has announced clarification on its question regarding the expiration date for its rights to market golimumab worldwide, excluding the USA, Japan and certain other Asian markets. As announced in August 2005, S-P and...

Expanded access program for Merck & Co's MK-0518.
September 4, 2006... A worldwide expanded access program for HIV/AIDS patients with limited or no treatment options has been announced by US drug major Merck & Co with respect to its investigational HIV integrase inhibitor MK-0518, now in Phase III development....

India's Minister of Chemicals meets drugmakers.(rules for wholesalers)
September 4, 2006... India's Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers and Steel, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan, held a meeting with the country's drugmakers and relevant trade associations to discuss industry proposals regarding the 2006 National Pharmaceutical Policy....

US NCPA calls for more competition in health insurance.(National Center for Policy Analysis)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... The USA-based think-tank the National Center for Policy Analysis has called for the "overlooked" option of creating a competitive insurance market as a solution to the rising costs in US health care, as an alternative to creeping price...

Serono reports positive data for r-hGH in HARS.(treatment of HIV-associated adipose redistribution syndrome )(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Swiss biotechnology firm Serono presented positive results from a pivotal Phase III trial of its recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH) for the treatment of HIV-associated adipose redistribution syndrome (HARS) at the 16th International AIDS...

Studies confirm utility of Monogram's Trofile assay.
September 4, 2006... USA-based Monogram Biosciences has reported four studies at the 16th International AIDS Conference, held in Toronto, Canada, which it says demonstrate the utility and clinical significance of its Trofile co-receptor tropism assay, which is able...

Good viral suppression with S-P's vicriviroc.(product development of Schering-Plough )
September 4, 2006... US drug major Schering-Plough reported strong results from an ongoing Phase II clinical trial of its anti-HIV drug candidate vicriviroc. According to the firm, the CCR5 receptor antagonist demonstrated potent and sustained viral suppression...

Novartis ships first Fluvirin shots to USA.(product development of flu vaccines)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Swiss drug major Novartis has made the first flu vaccines available in the USA with the delivery and release of its first shipments of Fluvirin influenza virus vaccine for the 2006-2007 flu season. The US Food and Drug Administration's...

Adams set to defend guaifenesin position from competitor.(product development of Mucinex)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Adams Respiratory Therapeutics has been contacted by a company claiming to have submitted an Abbreviated New Drug Application to the US Food and Drug Administration for a single-ingredient extended-release formulation of guaifenesin, which...

deCODE starts enrolling in Ph I DG051 trial.(prevention of heart attack)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Icelandic genomics-based drug development firm deCODE genetics has begun enrolling patients in a Phase I clinical development program for DG051, its follow-on developmental compound for the prevention of heart attack. The ascending-dose,...

Strong Ph III data on Cubist's Cubicin.(product development of Cubicin )(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... The USA's Cubist Pharmaceuticals has welcomed data published in the August 17 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine from a landmark Phase III study of its drug candidate Cubicin (daptomycin for injection) as monotherapy versus dual...

Eli Lilly's Arxxant gets FDA approvable letter.(Food and Drug Administration)(retinopathy medication ruboxistaurin mesylate)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... US drug major Eli Lilly says that it has received a Food and Drug Administration approvable letter for its diabetic retinopathy medication ruboxistaurin mesylate, which has the proposed trade name Arxxant. In its letter, the FDA has asked for...

Schering AG's Betaferon cuts risk of clinical MS.
September 4, 2006... German drugmaker Schering AG says that the results from a trial of Betaferon (interferon beta-1b), which is marketed as Betaseron in the USA, show that the drug reduces the risk of developing clinically-identified multiple sclerosis. The data,...

Prostate cancer risk factors identified in African Americans.(research on prostate cancer)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Researchers at the Harvard Medical School in the USA say they have identified a DNA segment that is a major risk factor for prostate cancer in African American men. The discovery of the significant 3.8megabase region, which is located on human...

Generex awarded buccal drug delivery patent.(management of Generex Biotechnology )(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... USA-based Generex Biotechnology says that the Patent and Trademark office has granted it a patent entitled "Methods of Administering and Enhancing Absorption of Pharmaceutical agents." The document covers broad claims for the delivery of...

Nastech begins dose ranging assessment of PYY3-36.(dosage and administrtion of drugs)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... The USA's Nastech Pharmaceutical, a specialist developer of products using proprietary molecular biology-based drug delivery technologies, says that it has begun a dose-ranging study of PYY3-36, its developmental anti-obesity nasal spray. The...

Harvard group suggests PirB role in neuronal plasticity.(paired-immunoglobulin like receptor-B)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Researchers at the Harvard Medical School in the USA say that paired-immunoglobulin like receptor-B (PirB), previously thought to only play a role in immunity, may be involved in the development of neuronal stability associated with increasing...

MedImmune files IND for MT103 with US FDA.(Food and Drug Administration)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... The USA's MedImmune has filed an Investigational New Drug application with the Food and Drug Administration for MT103 (also known as MEDI-538) for the treatment of patients with B-cell-derived non-Hodgkin's lymphoma not eligible for curative...

FDA delays Genasense trial clearance.(Food and Drug Administration )(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... USA-based Genta has been informed that the Food and Drug Administration is still reviewing its proposal for a confirmatory trial of Genasense (oblimersen sodium) injection in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The news of the delay to...

Barr resubmits troubled Plan B to US regulator.(approval for oral emergency contraceptive Plan B)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... The USA's Barr Pharmaceuticals has resubmitted an application to the US Food and Drug Administration for approval of its oral emergency contraceptive Plan B (levonorgestrel), after the agency asked the firm to limit its request for the...

Biochallenge's decision on Viropro MOU in Sept.(Viropro contracts with BioChallenge)(memorandum of understanding )(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Canadian drugmaker Viropro has updated investors on the binding memorandum of understanding it signed with BioChallenge, a privately-held pharmaceutical company based in Tunis, Tunisia, (Marketletter June 26), a deal which Viropro hopes will...

UK charities protest NICE bowel cancer ruling.
September 4, 2006... The UK government's advisory body on health care standards and treatments for England and Wales, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has come under criticism from patient groups for its decision to refuse its...

US drugmaker critics' challenged over conflict of interest.(decipline of pharmaceutical company)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Three authors of an article in the Annals of Internal Medicine, a USA-based journal, who called for tighter regulations against off-label marketing by drug firms, failed to disclose their personal interest in the issue, according to a US...

US drug firms raise concerns about patent reform.(Interpretation and construction of patent law)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... The US Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA) and the Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA) have both highlighted concerns they have with portions of the proposed revision of the US patent system, introduced by...

US firm has FDA approval for pill coating.(Food and Drug Adminstration )(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... The US Food and Drug Adminstration has approved a request by EMD Chemicals, a USA-based subsidiary of German drugmaker Merck KGaA, to add new color pigments to pills and tablets, including shimmering and other effects. Dan Giambattisto,...

US FDA and MIT to develop drug safety monitoring capacity.(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)(Food and Drug Administration)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... The US Food and Drug Administration and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have formed a joint venture to develop an automated system for the detection of problems in drugs and medical devices. The idea is to use an automatic...

Neurochem's 2nd-qtr losses up 9%.(financial report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Canadian drugmaker Neurochem says that it suffered a net loss of C$20.4 million ($18.2 million), or $0.53 per share, for the second quarter ended June 30, 2006. The firm said that the increased loss, up 9.1% on the comparable period last year,...

Innogenetics sees 2nd-qtr sales edge up 2%.(financial report)(Financial report)
September 4, 2006... Gent, Belgium-based drugmaker Innogenetics says that, in the second quarter 2006, it achieved total revenues of 14.1 million euros ($18.2 million), up 2.1% on the year-earlier period. The company said that the increase had been achieved by the...

Astion initiates recruitment in Ph II psoriasis study.(treatment of psoriasis)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Danish drugmaker Astion Pharma, a specialist in the field of inflammatory dermatology and immunological diseases, says it has begun patient recruitment in a trial of its developmental psoriasis treatment ASF-1075. The Phase II study, which...

Study advocates early use of VTD in post prostatectomy therapy.(Plethora Solutions product information)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... UK specialty drugmaker Plethora Solutions says that newly published research confirms that early post-surgical use of vacuum therapy devices, such as its ErecAid product, enables a more rapid return to levels of preoperative sexual function....

UCB and Verus to commercialize Twinject in Europe.(UCB contracts with Verus Pharmaceuticals)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Belgian drugmaker UCB says that it has entered into an agreement with USA-based Verus Pharmaceuticals, covering the European commercialization of the latter's Twinject (epinephrine autoinjector) emergency anaphylaxis treatment. The product,...

H Lundbeck' 2nd-qtr profits fall 69%.(sales and earnings of the company)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Danish drug maker H Lundbeck says that its revenue for the second quarter of 2006 was 2.19 billion Danish kroner ($376.9 million), representing a 4% decline on the comparable period last year. The company attributed the slide to the expected...

Celesio's growth hits 5.5% for first half 2006.(financial report)(Financial report)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Germany-based pharmaceutical distributor Celesio has reported that its first-half 2006 revenues were 10.6 billion euros ($13.69 billion), up 5.5% on the comparable period last year. The firm added that the sales expansion resulted a 10.1% hike...

Warner Chilcott's 2nd-qtr losses fall 34.8%.
September 4, 2006... Warner Chilcott, a USA-based drugmaker focused on the areas of women's health care and dermatology, says that its losses for the second quarter 2006 fell 34.8% to 27.5 million. The firm explained that this reduction was largely due to a 64%...

Oscient completes $78M buy of Reliant's Antara.(Oscient Pharmaceuticals acquired with Reliant Pharmaceuticals)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Oscient Pharmaceuticals has completed its acquisition of the US rights to the cardiovascular product Antara (fenofibrate) 130mg capsules from fellow USA-based Reliant Pharmaceuticals. On August 21, news of the deal sent Oscient's share price up...

Teva's Azilect approved for early PD in Canada.(disease, treatment for Parkinson's)
September 4, 2006... Israel's Teva Pharmaceutical Industries says that Azilect (rasagiline tablets), the first once-daily oral treatment for Parkinson's disease, has just been approved by Health Canada. The drug is cleared for use as monotherapy in early PD and as...

Alnylam licenses IP to Calando for cancer drug.(Licensing agreements between Alnylam and Calando Pharmaceuticals )(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... RNAi therapeutics specialist Alnylam has granted fellow USA-based Calando Pharmaceuticals a license under its InterfeRx program to develop and commercialize a synthetic siRNA, combined with Calando's proprietary delivery technology, towards an...

B-M S and Otsuka launch Abilify Discmelt.(Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co product introduction )(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... US drugmaker Bristol-Myers Squibb and Japan's Otsuka Pharmaceutical have announced the launch of an orally disintegrating tablet version of their co-developed antipsychotic Abilify (arpiprazol), known as Abilify Discmelt. This follows the US...

UCB's Keppra available to new epilepsy patients.(usage of Keppra)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Belgian drug developer UCB says that its drug Keppra (levetiracetam) in now available in Europe to newly-diagnosed epilepsy patients. Specifically, the product has been approved as a monotherapy for the treatment of partial onset seizures with...

CBH to submit kallikren inhibitor to SFDA.(China Biopharmaceuticals Holdings)(State Food and Drug Administration)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Beijing-headquartered drugmaker China Biopharmaceuticals Holdings says that it has completed all trials of its developmental drug nafamoslate mesilate, which the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration requires. The firm said that it is...

Quigley granted key US patent for QR-333.(Quigley Pharma product development)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... USA-based Quigley Pharma has been assigned patent no 7,083,813 B2, for its application - Methods for the Treatment of Peripheral Neural and Vascular Ailments - filed in November 2002. This adds another degree of intellectual property support to...

Bradley signs drug delivery deal with Polymer Science.(Bradley Pharmaceuticals has agreed to development terms with Polymer Science)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... USA-based Bradley Pharmaceuticals has agreed to development terms with pharmaceutical coating and packaging provider Polymer Science, a division of Indianapolis, USA-based Marian. Polymer Science will develop delivery systems not currently...

Court deliberates Apotex' Plavix launch.(product development of Plavix)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... In the second day of the federal court hearing between US pharmaceutical major Bristol-Myers Squibb, leading French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis and their generic rival Apotex over the blood thinner Plavix (clopidogrel), Judge Stein declared that...

Imagenetix to brand its products in USA.
September 4, 2006... US drugmaker Imagenetix says it will launch a nationwide retail branding program for its proprietary products. The first to be included will be its Celadrin-based joint health formulas. The firm's new brand name - Inflame Away - will be...

Phynova granted key patent for lead HCV drug.(treatment of chronic HCV infections)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... The Phynova Group, a UK-based developer of pharmaceuticals based on Chinese medicines, says that the UK Patent Office has granted it a key patent to cover and protect its candidate hepatitis C treatment, PYN17. The agent contains extracts...

Good early efficacy data for Geron's immuno activator.(product development of molecule telomerase activator )(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... California, USA-based Geron Corp presented data supporting the development of TAT0002, its small-molecule telomerase activator for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, at the 16th International AIDS Conference held in Toronto, Canada. According to...

NRTI-sparing approach highlighted by new data.(research on HIV treatments)(International AIDS Conference)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... In the first head-to-head comparison between two commonly-used HIV treatments, researchers from the Universirty of Pittsburgh found that one "side-effect light" triple-drug therapy was significantly more effective at reducing HIV viral load...

Introgen reports efficacy markers for Advexin.(Advexin its gene therapy for head and neck cancer)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... USA-based Introgen Therapeutics reported data on molecular and clinical biomarkers that it says can predict the efficacy of Advexin, its gene therapy for head and neck cancer, at the 2006 annual meeting of the American Head and Neck Society,...

Corgenix' AspirinWorks recognised by new patent.(licensing approval for Corgenix )(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... US diagnostics firm Corgenix has received US Patent Office approval protecting the technology behind its AspirinWorks test, to which Corgenix' strategic partner Creative Clinical Concepts holds exclusive worldwide licensing rights. The urine...

Ark reports strong data from ongoing Ph II Trianam trial.(Phase II trial of Trinam)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... UK-based Ark Therapeutics has reported further positive results from a Phase II trial of Trinam, its novel gene therapy to prevent blood vessel blockage in kidney dialysis patients who have undergone vascular access graft surgery. Good...

Kosan selects names for its lead Hsp90 drugs.(Kosan Biosciences names for its two lead Hsp90 inhibitor compounds)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... The USA's Kosan Biosciences has selected non-proprietary compound names for its two lead Hsp90 inhibitor compounds. KOS-953 is named tanespimycin and KOS-1022 is now called alvespimycin HCl. They have both been adopted by the US Adopted Names...

Fresenius Kabi licenses HESylation platform to Sandoz.(Fresenius Kabi partnership with Sandoz)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Germany's Fresenius Kabi has entered a drug development partnership with Sandoz, the generics unit of Swiss drug major Novartis, to develop a modified, second-generation biopharmaceutical drug for an undisclosed target. As part of the...

UK's NICE issues final guidance on Herceptin.(National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... The UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), which evaluates clinical effectiveness for the National Health Service in England and Wales, has issued its final guidance on Swiss drug major's Herceptin (trastuzumab) for...

Off-label drug use defended by US think-tank.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Commenting on the recent debate about off-label prescribing of drugs in the USA (Marketletter August 21), Robert Goldberg, vice president of the New York, USA-based think-tank the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, said: "people tend...

Canadian on-line pharmacist hope for "Donut hole" bonus.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... A Canadian Internet-based pharmacy is predicting a surge in demand as millions of US senior citizens hit the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit coverage gap, also known as the "Donut hole" (Marketletters passim). DoctorSolve, a...

France's CNAM reports rise in treatment spending.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... The French public body responsible for sickness benefits has reported a sharp increase (11.3%) in spending on treating diseases in private health establishments for the first half of this year, compared with the like period for 2005. The...

Now US anti-abortion groups block FDA appointment.(Food and Drug Administration)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... The long-winded nomination process for Andrew von Eschenbach to be confirmed as Commissioner on a permanent basis at the US Food and Drug Administration took another twist when anti-abortion groups called on US President George W Bush to...

Prometic and Nabi sign ligand technology deal.(licensing agreements between ProMetic Life Sciences Inc and Nabi Biopharmaceuticals)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Canadian biopharmaceutical firm Prometic Life Sciences says that it has signed a licensing deal with the USA's Nabi Biopharmaceuticals covering the use of the former's Mimetic Ligand technology in the development of plasma-derived hyperimmune...

CoGenesys and Vegenics agree VEGF IP accord.(CoGenesys licensing agreement with Vegenics)(vascular endothelial growth factor )(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... USA-based biopharmaceutical firm CoGenesys says it has entered a worldwide licensing agreement with Australian biotechnology company Vegenics, which supplies the latter with rights to key intellectual property in the field of vascular...

EpiCept receives F&S Transdermal Drug Delivery award.(achievements and awards of EpiCept Corp)(Frost and Sullivan Inc)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... US financial analysis firm Frost & Sullivan has named New Jersey-based pharmaceutical firm EpiCept as recipient of its 2006 Transdermal Drug Delivery Entrepreneurial Company of the year award, in response to the company's emerging leadership in...

Entelos and Novartis form research collaboration.(alliances and partnerships between Entelos Inc and Novartis AG)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... California, USA-based life sciences company Entelos says it has entered into a collaboration with Swiss drug major Novartis, under which the pair will carry out research using the former's PhysioLab "virtual patient" platform. The firms will...

Myriad completes enrollment in Flurizan AD study.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Utah, USA-based Myriad Genetics says it has completed enrollment into a Phase III trial of its developmental Alzheimer's disease treatment Flurizan (MPC-7869). The 1,600 participants will be provided with 800mg of the drug or placebo, twice...

Vical begins Ph I trial of prime-boost HIV vaccination strategy.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... San Diego, USA-based Vical says it has initiated a National Institutes of Health-sponsored Phase I clinical trial of a "prime-boost" vaccine strategy for patients already infected with HIV. The assessment involves eliciting an immune response...

Synova's Fem-V soon available in Duane Reade Pharmacies.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Synova Healthcare says it has increased the distribution of Fem-V, its at-home kit for the diagnosis of vaginal infections, through a deal with Duane Reade, the largest pharmacy chain in the New York metropolitan area. The agreement will see...

Valeant launches new chemotherapy management guide.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... California, USA-based Valeant Pharmaceuticals says it will make "Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects for Dummies", its new complimentary resource, available to both patients and their caregivers. The book is part of the popular "For Dummies..."...

Laureate and Lpath agree Sphingomab production deal.(Lpath)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... US firms Laureate Pharma, a biopharmaceutical development and protein production specialist, and Lpath, a leader in the field of lipidomic-based therapeutics, say they have entered into an agreement to produce the latter's recombinant...

ACT announces proposed financing.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... US biotechnology firm Advanced Cell Technology, a specialist in the application of stem-cell technology to regenerative medicine, says that it plans to privately offer up to $11,295,000 of senior secured convertible debenture warrants. The...

Biosite enters kidney injury biomarker R&D accord.(Biosite partnership with Hopitaux Universitaires de Geneve)(research and development)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Biosite, a US proteomics-based diagnostics firm, has entered a collaboration for the identification and validation of novel, protein-based disease biomarkers for kidney injury with Hopitaux Universitaires de Geneve (HUG), a Swiss clinical...

Althea to manufacture Althus' ALTU-238 for Ph III trial.(Althea Technologies contracts with Altus Pharmaceuticals )(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Althea Technologies, a provider of innovative technologies and services for pharmaceutical development and manufacturing, has won a contract from fellow USA-based Altus Pharmaceuticals to produce its ALTU-238 product candidate, a crystallized...

Illumina tools to be used in largest ever study into ALS causes.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... US genetic analysis specialist Illumina says that investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School will utilize data from its Sentrix HumanHap300 BeadChips and Infinium assay reagents to perform a 2,200-sample...

Novozymes buys back $41M of its shares from Novo.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Danish biotechnology firm Novozymes has acquired 600,000 B shares, worth 241.3 million kroner ($41.4 million) from Novo AS, the holding company for its parent and majority-share holder in NovoNordisk, at 402.16 kroner per share. The...

UK's NICE guidance on hepatitis C treatment OKs two drugs.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... The UK's regulatory body charged with evaluating treatment effectiveness in England and Wales, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued its guidance to endorse the use of two drugs against hepatitis C. These...

Peakadilly closes financing at 14.5 million euros.(Peakadilly NV)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Peakadilly NV, a Ghent, Belgium-based predictive protein biomarkers company, has announced the final close of its series A financing, raising a further 8.5 million euros ($10.6 million) and bringing the total raised to 14.5 million euros. ...

4-Antibody closes 6M SwFr financing, appoints CEO.
September 4, 2006... 4-Antibody, a Basel, Switzerland-based biotechnology company focused on exploiting its proprietary platform to develop de novo and improved fully-human antibodies says it has closed a 6.0 million Swiss franc ($4.8 million) Series A financing...

Wyeth looks to Synmetrics to enhance its target profiling.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Wyeth Pharmaceuticals has signed a new three-year agreement with Dendrite for the use of its Synmetrics four character pressure profiling system. This approach will enable Wyeth to personalize its marketing to general practitioners and ensure...

Thiakis gets L10M investment for obesity therapy.
September 4, 2006... Thiakis Ltd, a UK based biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of peptide hormones for the treatment of obesity, says it has completed a L10.0 million ($18.9 million) Series A financing round. The investment syndicate was jointly...