BioWorld International articles from November 2007

BioWorld International archives from November 2007

GPC wins spectrum dispute; wider uncertainty continues.
November 7, 2007... GPC Biotech AG emerged successfully from its legal dispute with partner Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc., although the circumstances surrounding the case altered radically in the interim. A three-person arbitration panel, appointed by the...

Ark raising $73m to advance new gene therapy products.
November 7, 2007... LONDON -- Ark Therapeutics Group plc plans to raise 35.4 million [pounds sterling] (US$73.8 million) in an oversubscribed placement, providing funds to complete development and establish sales and marketing for Cerepro, a treatment for...

Overlooked VEGF relation may have fewer side effects.
November 7, 2007... LONDON -- An antibody that interferes with the action of a molecule that helps blood vessels to grow in tumors and other diseases--but not in healthy tissue--could enter clinical trials in humans before the end of the year. The molecule...

Syntaxin raises $33m to boost its pipeline.
November 7, 2007... LONDON -- Syntaxin raised 16 million [pounds sterling] (US$33.3 million) in a second private round, providing funding to take its lead product for treating respiratory diseases to Phase IIb over the next three years and advance two other...

Allergy Therapeutics plc.(Other News To Note)
November 7, 2007... Allergy Therapeutics plc, of Worthing, UK, gave an update on the clinical hold placed on its programs by the FDA on July 11 following the report of an adverse event classified at that time by the physician involved as possibly related to the...

Amphion Innovations plc.(Other News To Note)
November 7, 2007... Amphion Innovations plc, of London, said its investee company, WellGen Inc., of North Brunswick, N.J., a nutrigenomics specialist, raised $9.5 million in an oversubscribed third round funding at $2.50 per share. Amphion now owns approximately...

Apitope Technology Ltd.(Other News To Note)(phase I/IIa trial of multiple sclerosis vaccines)(Brief article)
November 7, 2007... Apitope Technology Ltd., of Bristol, UK, announced the completion of dosing for six secondary progressive multiple sclerosis patients in a Phase I/IIa trial of its therapeutic vaccine ATX-MS-1467 and said it was safe and well-tolerated....

Crucell NV, of Leiden, the Netherlands, said DSM Biologics, a business unit of Crucell and DSM Pharmaceutical Products, signed a nonexclusive PER.C6 technology research licensing agreement with Brazilian-based Recepta Biopharma SA.(Other News To Note)
November 7, 2007... Crucell NV, of Leiden, the Netherlands, said DSM Biologics, a business unit of Crucell and DSM Pharmaceutical Products, signed a nonexclusive PER.C6 technology research licensing agreement with Brazilian-based Recepta Biopharma SA. That deal...

Debiopharm Group SA, of Lausanne, Switzerland, licensed ex-Japan development and commercialization rights to cancer drug DACH-Platin Polymeric Micelle (Debio 0507/NC-4016) from Chiba, Japan-based NanoCarrier Co. Ltd.(Other News To Note)
November 7, 2007... Debiopharm Group SA, of Lausanne, Switzerland, licensed ex-Japan development and commercialization rights to cancer drug DACH-Platin Polymeric Micelle (Debio 0507/NC-4016) from Chiba, Japan-based NanoCarrier Co. Ltd. Debiopharm will provide...

Audio conference focuses on personalized medicine.(Conference news)
November 7, 2007... Reality will soon come to medical practices specifically geared to individuals based on their genetic makeup. A new report issued by HHS pinpoints work that lies ahead for the government, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and other...

EMA reveals reasoning behind product rejection.(Data Called Unconvincing)(European Medicines Agency)(drug disapproval of Genta Development Ltd.)
November 7, 2007... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Medicines Agency has just revealed why it finally turned down in July an application for a new antineoplastic based on anti-sense technology. Genta Development Ltd., of London, had applied for a marketing...

Nitec gains rights to Paz's Tarenflurbil for inflammation.
November 7, 2007... Nitec Pharma AG in-licensed exclusive worldwide rights to Tarenflurbil in inflammation and pain from PAZ GmbH. Terms were not disclosed but Nitec CEO Anders Harfstrand told BioWorld International the deal has a "regular structure" and...

GAO: FDA must get tougher on foreign facility inspections.(Government Accountabilty Office)(Food and Drug Administration)
November 7, 2007... WASHINGTON -- The FDA lacks the resources to ensure that medications made overseas are safe, witnesses told Congress. Many drugs and biologics marketed in the U.S. are manufactured in foreign countries. In fact, about 80 percent of the...

Direvo Biotech AG, of Cologne, Germany, said its collaborative industrial enzyme protein engineering project with Danisco AS, of Copenhagen, Denmark, has yielded a significantly improved phytase enzyme.(Other News To Note)
November 7, 2007... Direvo Biotech AG, of Cologne, Germany, said its collaborative industrial enzyme protein engineering project with Danisco AS, of Copenhagen, Denmark, has yielded a significantly improved phytase enzyme. Phytase enzymes release phosphate from...

Elan Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Dublin, Ireland, has licensed data analysis suite MetaCore from GenGo, of St. Joseph, Mich.(Other News To Note)
November 7, 2007... Elan Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Dublin, Ireland, has licensed data analysis suite MetaCore from GenGo, of St. Joseph, Mich. MetaCore is designed for functional analysis of biological and chemistry data. Elan will use MetaCore in their neurology...

Evogene Ltd., of Rehovot, Israel, has granted exclusive rights to several of its genes that improve drought-stress tolerance primarily in corn and soybeans to Dupont subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred, of Des Moines, Iowa.(Other News To Note)
November 7, 2007... Evogene Ltd., of Rehovot, Israel, has granted exclusive rights to several of its genes that improve drought-stress tolerance primarily in corn and soybeans to Dupont subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred, of Des Moines, Iowa. The financial terms of the...

Helsinn Healthcare SA, of Lugano, Switzerland, and partner MGI Pharma Inc., of Minneapolis, have filed a supplemental new drug application for Aloxi (palonosetron hydrochloride) Capsules for treating postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV).(Other News To Note)
November 7, 2007... Helsinn Healthcare SA, of Lugano, Switzerland, and partner MGI Pharma Inc., of Minneapolis, have filed a supplemental new drug application for Aloxi (palonosetron hydrochloride) Capsules for treating postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV)....

Inion plc.(Other News To Note)(research facility closed)(Brief article)
November 7, 2007... Inion plc, of Tampere, Finland, said it is closing its research facility in Cambridge, UK, at a costs of 500,000 [pounds sterling] (US$1.1 million), to give annual savings of 1.5 million [pounds sterling]. The facility opened in November 2005...

Medarex Inc., of Princeton, N.J., and Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., of Osaka, Japan, said the FDA has allowed the investigational new drug application for MDX-1106 (ONO-4538), a fully human anti-PD-1 antibody being investigated for the treatment of chronic viral infections, with the first trial to target hepatitis C.(Other News To Note)
November 7, 2007... Medarex Inc., of Princeton, N.J., and Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., of Osaka, Japan, said the FDA has allowed the investigational new drug application for MDX-1106 (ONO-4538), a fully human anti-PD-1 antibody being investigated for the treatment...

Nycomed, of Zurick, Switzerland, has expanded its dermatology franchise in the U.S. by signing a definitive agreement to purchase Bradley Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Fairfield, N.J., for $20 per share, or $346 million.(Other News To Note)
November 7, 2007... Nycomed, of Zurick, Switzerland, has expanded its dermatology franchise in the U.S. by signing a definitive agreement to purchase Bradley Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Fairfield, N.J., for $20 per share, or $346 million. The purchase brings to...

Osmetech plc.(Other News To Note)(exclusive rights for use of warfarin biomarker)(Brief article)
November 7, 2007... Osmetech plc, of London, licensed exclusive rights to a new warfarin biomarker discovered at the Marshfield Clinic in Marshfield, Wis., which it will use to develop and market a genetic test that will more accurately determine the initial level...

Rosetta Genomics Ltd.(Other News To Note)
November 7, 2007... Rosetta Genomics Ltd., of Rehovot, Israel, said it successfully completed the prevalidation phase for its first diagnostic test. Using a single microRNA, the test is designed to differentiate squamous from nonsquamous lung cancer with high...

SkyePharma plc, of London, and Sciele Pharma Inc., of Atlanta, said that the Prescription Drug User Fee Act date for their supplemental new drug application for a new formulation of Sular, a calcium-channel blocking agent for the treatment of high blood pressure, has been extended to Jan. 2, 2008.(Other News To Note)
November 7, 2007... SkyePharma plc, of London, and Sciele Pharma Inc., of Atlanta, said that the Prescription Drug User Fee Act date for their supplemental new drug application for a new formulation of Sular, a calcium-channel blocking agent for the treatment of...

Summit Corp. plc.(Other News To Note)
November 7, 2007... Summit Corp. plc, of Oxford, UK, signed a $450,000 deal with a large undisclosed pharmaceutical company for use of its zebrafish technology in drug discovery and development. The pharma firm will use Summit's platform to assess a significant...

ThromboGenics NV, of Leuven, Belgium, and co-development partner BioInvent International, of Lund, Sweden, said data published in Cell showed that antibodies against PIGF (placental growth factor) can inhibit both cancer tumor growth and the development of metastases in preclinical models, without affecting healthy tissues.(Other News To Note)
November 7, 2007... ThromboGenics NV, of Leuven, Belgium, and co-development partner BioInvent International, of Lund, Sweden, said data published in Cell showed that antibodies against PIGF (placental growth factor) can inhibit both cancer tumor growth and the...

Vectura Group plc.(Other News To Note)
November 7, 2007... Vectura Group plc, of Chippenham, UK, announced positive data from a Phase II study of VR040 for the treatment of off episodes, debilitating periods of complete or partial immobility, in Parkinson's disease. VR040 is a formulation of...

Antisense Pharma gets $39.5m for antisense glioma product.
November 14, 2007... Antisense Pharma GmbH raised 27 million [euro] (US$39.5 million) in a third investment round funded solely by MIG AG, which also was the only investor in its 18 million [euro] funding round two years ago. The Regensburg, Germany-based...

Acambis partners West Nile vaccine in $80m Sanofi deal.
November 14, 2007... LONDON -- Acambis plc fell further into the embrace of Sanofi Pasteur, signing a third deal for one of its ChimeriVax vaccines. That agreement, for a Phase II West Nile virus vaccine, is worth $80 million in up-front and milestone payments...

Novel obesity gene plays a role in modifying DNA.
November 14, 2007... LONDON -- New understanding of the function of a mystery gene that can increase someone's risk of obesity by 70 percent could speed work toward potential new treatments for this condition. There is a long way to go yet, however; researchers...

Actelion advances clazosentan into phase III vasospasm study.
November 14, 2007... Despite the apparent failure of clazosentan (Pivlaz) to demonstrate clinical benefit in a Phase IIb study last year, Actelion Ltd. is moving the endothelin receptor antagonist into a pivotal Phase III trial to evaluate its effect on reducing...

Peptech reinvents itself as Arana, shifts to antibodies.
November 14, 2007... LONDON -- One of the most established Australian biotechs, Peptech Ltd., is changing its name to Arana Pharmaceuticals following the $128 million acquisition of Sydney neighbor and fellow antibody company EvoGenix Ltd. in August. The new...

Cerep sells Hesperion to CRO Averion in 25m [euro] deal.
November 14, 2007... PARIS -- Cerep SA completed the sale of Hesperion AG, its Swiss-based clinical development services company, to Averion International Corp. for a total consideration of 25 million [euro] (US$36.8 million). The deal provided for Averion to...

Activists strike at European industry's lobbying power.(Industry overview)
November 14, 2007... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The relationship between the biotech industry and European Union officials is "too close for comfort," according to a critical report on EuropaBio from Friends of the Earth Europe (FoEE). That report said industry has...

Atlantic Healthcare Ltd.(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... Atlantic Healthcare Ltd., of Cambridge, UK, raised 1 million (US$2.1 million) in a private round, and said it plans to file for an initial public offering on the Alternative Investment Market in London by mid-2008. The company licenses...

LSD deal brings Amicus $50m now, $390m later.(Shire Gets Ex-U.S. Rights)
November 14, 2007... In a deal that could top $440 million, Amicus Therapeutics Inc. teamed up with Shire Human Genetic Therapies Inc. on the ex-U.S. development and commercialization of Amicus's three lead pharmacological chaperone compounds for lysosomal storage...

Bavarian Nordic A/S.(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... Bavarian Nordic A/S, of Kvistgard, Denmark, received an advance payment of $50 million from the Department of Health and Human Services, as allowed under the RFP-3 contract awarded in April, under which HHS agreed to buy 20 million doses of...

Beactica AB, of Uppsala, Sweden, entered a drug discovery agreement with London-based Arrow Therapeutics Ltd. to direct its characterization technology at selected Arrow compounds against a confidential target.(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... Beactica AB, of Uppsala, Sweden, entered a drug discovery agreement with London-based Arrow Therapeutics Ltd. to direct its characterization technology at selected Arrow compounds against a confidential target. Financial terms were not...

As big pharma model falters, biotech rides to the rescue.(BIO-Europe 2007)
November 14, 2007... HAMBURG, Germany -- Vaughn Kailian, general partner at MPM Capital, wasted little time getting to the point at the opening session of BIO-Europe 2007. "What is it about big pharma that allows the strong to become weak and the weak to...

BioView Ltd.(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... BioView Ltd., of Rehovot, Israel, agreed to allow Transgenomic Inc., of Omaha, Neb., to distribute BioView's family of Scanning and Analysis Workstations in selected Western European countries and Scandinavia. Transgenomic's European sales and...

Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd.(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd., of Petach Tikva, Israel, said preclinical findings show that CF101, which is in development for rheumatoid arthritis, also could be used to treat Crohn's disease, since the A3 adenosine receptor targeted by CF101 is...

Celgene International Sarl.(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... Celgene International Sarl, of Neuchatel, Switzerland, said the Australian Drug Evaluation Committee recommended approval of Revlimid (lenalidomide) in combination with dexamethasone in multiple myeloma patients whose cancers have progressed...

Crucell NV, of Leiden, the Netherlands, said its subsidiary Berna Biotech AG sold all of the 2.9 million shares it owned in Bern, Switzerland-based Pevion Biotech Ltd., generating net proceeds of CHF10 million (US$8.9 million).(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... Crucell NV, of Leiden, the Netherlands, said its subsidiary Berna Biotech AG sold all of the 2.9 million shares it owned in Bern, Switzerland-based Pevion Biotech Ltd., generating net proceeds of CHF10 million (US$8.9 million). Pevion was a...

Diamyd Medical, of Stockholm, Sweden, and Sangamo BioSciences, of Richmond, Calif., said that data showed a statistically significant reduction in pain in a preclinical model of cancer pain.(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... Diamyd Medical, of Stockholm, Sweden, and Sangamo BioSciences, of Richmond, Calif., said that data showed a statistically significant reduction in pain in a preclinical model of cancer pain using a product that combines Sangamo's proprietary...

Direvo Biotech AG, of Cologne, Germany, acquired AC Biotech GmbH, of Julich, Germany, in an all-cash transaction, though specific terms of the deal were not disclosed.(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... Direvo Biotech AG, of Cologne, Germany, acquired AC Biotech GmbH, of Julich, Germany, in an all-cash transaction, though specific terms of the deal were not disclosed. AC Biotech will continue to operate as an independent, fully-owned...

Eden Biodesign Ltd., of Liverpool, UK, and ImmunoBiology Ltd., of Cambridge, UK, extended their initial collaboration to develop ImmBio's influenza vaccine, with the new contract covering a range of development and cGMP manufacturing services to produce material for ImmBio's Phase I trial.(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... Eden Biodesign Ltd., of Liverpool, UK, and ImmunoBiology Ltd., of Cambridge, UK, extended their initial collaboration to develop ImmBio's influenza vaccine, with the new contract covering a range of development and cGMP manufacturing services...

Eurofins Scientific, of Nantes, France, completed its takeover of Lantmannen Analycen AB, of Stockholm, Sweden, a firm that provides analytical testing services of agro-food products, agronomic complements and pharmaceuticals.(Other News To Note)(Financial report)(Brief article)
November 14, 2007... Eurofins Scientific, of Nantes, France, completed its takeover of Lantmannen Analycen AB, of Stockholm, Sweden, a firm that provides analytical testing services of agro-food products, agronomic complements and pharmaceuticals. At the same time,...

GW Pharmaceuticals plc.(Other News To Note)(Clinical report)
November 14, 2007... GW Pharmaceuticals plc, of Salisbury, UK, said data showing that its cannabis-based medicine Sativex successfully treats peripheral neuropathic pain was published in Pain. Those data come from a multicenter, double-blind, randomized,...

Invitrogen Corp., of Carlsbad, Calif., and Biosynth AG, of Staad, Switzerland, launched a fluorescence-based culture medium for faster detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... Invitrogen Corp., of Carlsbad, Calif., and Biosynth AG, of Staad, Switzerland, launched a fluorescence-based culture medium for faster detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The product is designed for use by hospitals...

Kedrion SpA, of Lucca, Italy, and ProMetic BioTherapeutics Inc., of Montreal, reached a preliminary agreement for multiple hyperimmunes, under which Kedrion will license technologies from ProMetic to enable hyperimmune manufacturing in Europe.(Other News To Note)(Brief article)
November 14, 2007... Kedrion SpA, of Lucca, Italy, and ProMetic BioTherapeutics Inc., of Montreal, reached a preliminary agreement for multiple hyperimmunes, under which Kedrion will license technologies from ProMetic to enable hyperimmune manufacturing in Europe....

Kiadis Pharma.(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... Kiadis Pharma, of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, said that the FDA has granted orphan drug status to the firm's lead product, ATIR, as a therapy for immune reconstitution and prevention of graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD) following allogeneic...

Lantibio Inc., of Chapel Hill, N.C., and TRB Chemedica, of Valais, Switzerland, signed a license agreement with a subsidiary of Hunenberg, Switzerland-based Alcon Inc., for U.S. rights to a dry eye syndrome product that consists of a TRB formulation containing sodium hyaluronate.(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... Lantibio Inc., of Chapel Hill, N.C., and TRB Chemedica, of Valais, Switzerland, signed a license agreement with a subsidiary of Hunenberg, Switzerland-based Alcon Inc., for U.S. rights to a dry eye syndrome product that consists of a TRB...

Living Cell Technologies Ltd.(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... Living Cell Technologies Ltd., of Melbourne, Australia, said U.S. investment group NaviGroup Management Ltd. completed the initial closing under the Oct. 4 share purchase agreement, paying $2 million in exchange for 20.2 million shares priced...

Medivir AB, of Huddinge, Sweden, is using the Synapt HDMS (Synapt High Definition Mass Spectrometry System) from Milford, Mass.-based Waters Corp. to hasten its drug discovery efforts in the area of protease inhibitors for diseases such as herpes, hepatitis C, HIV, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and high blood pressure.(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... Medivir AB, of Huddinge, Sweden, is using the Synapt HDMS (Synapt High Definition Mass Spectrometry System) from Milford, Mass.-based Waters Corp. to hasten its drug discovery efforts in the area of protease inhibitors for diseases such as...

Neurotune AG.(Other News To Note)(move to new biotech centre)(Brief article)
November 14, 2007... Neurotune AG, of Zurich, Switzerland, said it has moved to new laboratory and office facilities at the Biotech Centre in Zurich. The company said the move will help advance the development of its candidate substances for treating diseases of...

NicOx SA.(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... NicOx SA, of Sophia Antipolis, France, presented data from an exploratory blood pressure study of anti-inflammatory drug naproxcinod. The study showed that patients receiving naproxcinod had lower blood pressure than those receiving the...

Paion AG, of Aachen, Germany, said it is seeking a new U.S. partner for lead compound Desmoteplase, which it plans to advance despite inconclusive results reported in June from a Phase III stroke trial that yielded a greater-than-expected response in the placebo group.(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... Paion AG, of Aachen, Germany, said it is seeking a new U.S. partner for lead compound Desmoteplase, which it plans to advance despite inconclusive results reported in June from a Phase III stroke trial that yielded a greater-than-expected...

Qiagen NV.(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... Qiagen NV, of Venlo, the Netherlands, said that data showed the FastHPV, a molecular test for cancer-causing types of human papillomavirus (HPV), could reduce the incidence of cervical cancer by as much as 56 percent if given just three times...

Sloning BioTechnology GmbH.(Other News To Note)(series E round financing)(Brief article)
November 14, 2007... Sloning BioTechnology GmbH, of Puchheim, Germany, raised 4.7 million [euro] (US$6.8 million) in the first closing of a Series E round. New investor LBBW Venture Capital GmbH, of Stuttgart, Germany, joined existing investors HBM BioVentures, KfW...

Theraptosis SA.(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... Theraptosis SA, of Romainville, France, appointed Olivier Chesnoy CEO and chairman to succeed the company's co-founder, Etienne Jacotot. Jacotot will now devote himself to the role of chief scientific officer. Chesnoy was previously with the...

Tripos Discovery Research Ltd., of Bude, UK, a wholly owned subsidiary of Commonwealth Biotechnologies Inc., signed a service agreement with Kenilworth, N.J.-based Schering-Plough Corp. to design, synthesize and purify high-quality, drug-like compounds to expand Schering-Plough Research Institute's compound collection.(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... Tripos Discovery Research Ltd., of Bude, UK, a wholly owned subsidiary of Commonwealth Biotechnologies Inc., signed a service agreement with Kenilworth, N.J.-based Schering-Plough Corp. to design, synthesize and purify high-quality, drug-like...

UK BioIndustry Association.(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... The UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) in London elected Clive Dix as its new chairman, effective Jan. 1, 2008. He succeeds Simon Best, who will remain a member of the BIA Board. Dix currently is non-executive chairman of London-based Modern...

Verona Pharma plc.(Other News To Note)
November 14, 2007... Verona Pharma plc, of London, said its asthma drug candidate, RPL554, is starting a second 28-day inhalation toxicology study to demonstrate safety, and pending positive results, the company anticipates moving into the clinic early next year....

Neurimmune inks $380m deal in Alzheimer's with Biogen Idec.
November 21, 2007... Neurimmune Therapeutics AG, an early stage biotechnology firm specializing in developing antibody-based therapies for neurodegenerative conditions, entered an alliance on Alzheimer's disease with Biogen Idec worth up to $380 million in up-front...

Genmab, GSK move into phase III with Ofatumumab in Europe.
November 21, 2007... Genmab A/S and GlaxoSmithKline plc are starting their Phase III program for ofatumumab in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in Europe. U.S. studies are penciled in for next year. The European leg of the program comprises two studies,...

Cisplatin's DNA repair kit offers hope for the future.
November 21, 2007... LONDON -- New insights into the molecular mechanisms by which the anticancer drug cisplatin operates could one day lead to equally effective drugs with fewer side effects. A team of researchers working in Germany have shown that the cell's...

European industry seeking 'trust' from regulators.(Industry overview)
November 21, 2007... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Europe's biopharmaceutical sector is growing steadily, but remains dominated by its U.S. competitors, according to a frank admission by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations in its latest...

GPC cuts staff 44 percent to conserve operating cash.
November 21, 2007... Aiming to have about two years of operating cash in the bank by the end of this year, beleaguered GPC Biotech AG is saying goodbye to 103 employees--44 percent of the work force--as the firm deals with satraplatin setbacks, sifting data in...

New stem cell sciences CEO vows to keep current course.
November 21, 2007... LONDON -- With a scant 12 month's cash, Stem Cell Sciences plc has brought in Alistair Riddell as CEO to put the company on a firmer financial footing, with founding CEO Peter Mountford stepping down to the position of chief technology officer....

Vaxon Biotech obtains orphan status for lung cancer vaccine.
November 21, 2007... From Staff Reports PARIS -- Vaxon Biotech has been granted orphan drug designation for its lead compound, Vx-001, a peptide-based vaccine for the treatment of TERT-positive non-small-cell lung cancer, by the Committee for Orphan Medicinal...

DeCode gets personal with genotyping kit.(deCODE genetics Inc.)
November 21, 2007... LONDON -- DeCode Genetics launched the first commercial personal genotyping service, enabling individuals to find out if they carry any genes associated with 17 diseases. For $985 the DeCodeme service will analyze more than 1 million...

Amarin Corp. plc.(Other News To Note)
November 21, 2007... Amarin Corp. plc, of London, said the FDA indicated that an additional Phase III trial demonstrating robust results, in conjunction with confirmatory evidence from the existing clinical data, might be sufficient to support a new drug...

Beike Biotechnology.(Other News To Note)(Shenzhen Graduate School of China's Tsinghua University.)(Brief article)
November 21, 2007... Beike Biotechnology, of Shenzhen, China, established a laboratory facility for the research of cell reprogramming and gene engineering through a joint agreement with the Shenzhen Graduate School of China's Tsinghua University. The lab will...

BioLineRx Ltd.(Other News To Note)(exclusive rights agreement)(Brief article)
November 21, 2007... BioLineRx Ltd., of Jerusalem, signed a worldwide exclusive license agreement with Yissum, the technology transfer company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Hadasit, the technology transfer company of Hadassah medical organization, for...

CHMP again turns down application for natalizumab.
November 21, 2007... From Staff Reports The up-and-down story of Tysabri (natalizumab) as a treatment for Crohn's disease took another downturn when a European group for the second time recommended rejecting marketing authorization requested by Elan Corp. plc,...

Speedel, Novartis in dispute on flow of aliskiren data.
November 21, 2007... The smooth transition of Speedel Holding AG into a company generating sustained revenues has encountered a little turbulence. In reporting its third quarter results last week, the Basel, Switzerland-based firm disclosed that it was in dispute...

Cellectis SA.(Other News To Note)
November 21, 2007... Cellectis SA, of Romainville, France, delivered a meganuclease targeting the RAG1 gene to a research team at the Children's Hospital in Boston. The RAG1 gene is mutated in certain severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) patients, and until...

Crucell NV, of Leiden, the Netherlands, said the FDA granted fast-track designation to the firm's rabies monoclonal antibody cocktail.(Other News To Note)
November 21, 2007... Crucell NV, of Leiden, the Netherlands, said the FDA granted fast-track designation to the firm's rabies monoclonal antibody cocktail. Results of a Phase I clinical trial indicated that the cocktail is well tolerated, provides the expected...

Innate Pharma SA, of Marseille, France, has begun regulatory preclinical development of IPH 2201 , a new monoclonal antibody targeting NK (natural killer) cells.(Other News To Note)
November 21, 2007... Innate Pharma SA, of Marseille, France, has begun regulatory preclinical development of IPH 2201 , a new monoclonal antibody targeting NK (natural killer) cells. It is the latest in a series of products derived from Innate's NK cell biology...

Kiadis Pharma BV.(Other News To Note)
November 21, 2007... Kiadis Pharma BV, of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, agreed to provide Rhitol during a limited period of time to requesting physicians participating in the ongoing Phase I/II trial, which closed for enrollment and is expected to finish at the end...

Medical Marketing International Group plc.(Other News To Note)(Queen Mary University of London )(Viratis Ltd)(Brief article)
November 21, 2007... Medical Marketing International Group plc, of Cambridge, UK, agreed to terms with its partners, King's College London (KCL), Queen Mary University of London and the inventing scientists for an option to acquire their shareholdings in Viratis...

Novexel, of Paris, initiated a Phase II clinical trial of NXL 103 (PI + PII), an oral antibiotic of the streptogramin class, which destroys bacteria in multi-resistant strains such as S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae and S. aureus, including those resistant to methicillin (SARM).(Other News To Note)
November 21, 2007... Novexel, of Paris, initiated a Phase II clinical trial of NXL 103 (PI + PII), an oral antibiotic of the streptogramin class, which destroys bacteria in multi-resistant strains such as S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae and S. aureus, including those...

Novogen Ltd.(Other News To Note)
November 21, 2007... Novogen Ltd., of Sydney, Australia, said study results revealed that NV-52, a synthetic flavonoid, may be useful for maintaining remission in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). No adverse effects were detected during Phase Ia and Phase Ib trials...

Orexo AB, of Uppsala, Sweden, said its shareholders approved the previously proposed acquisition of Stockholm, Sweden-based Biolipox AB.(Other News To Note)(Brief article)
November 21, 2007... Orexo AB, of Uppsala, Sweden, said its shareholders approved the previously proposed acquisition of Stockholm, Sweden-based Biolipox AB. Biolipox had previously agreed to acquire several assets from Vancouver, British Columbia-based Inflazyme...

Pharmaxis Ltd.(Other News To Note)(Brief article)
November 21, 2007... Pharmaxis Ltd., of Sydney, Australia, raised A$11.7 million (US$10.5 million) from its share purchase plan that closed earlier this month. Shareholders were given the opportunity to buy up to $5,000 worth of shares each at the A$3.90 price paid...