Briefing papers for the meeting next week of the FDA’s Allergenic Products Advisory Committee suggest that the panel will green-light the sublingual ragweed allergy therapy from Alk-Abello A/S and Merck and Co. Inc., just as the grass-pollen allergy tablet sailed through last month. Read More
To biopharma folks, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is best known as a synthetic lethal gene in BRCA-mutated cells. But scientists at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine have shown that PARP-1 plays a role in a very different disease, namely addiction. Read More
Taking advantage of a strong share price performance over the past 12 months, Genmab A/S added DKK998 million (US$183 million) to its coffers in an accelerated book-build involving selected institutional investors. Read More
As always, the 32nd Annual J.P. Morgan (JPM) Healthcare Conference offered an unparalleled partnering playground for pharmas and biotechs. Although the big players generated most of the headlines, hundreds of smaller companies looked to JPM as the setting where they might punch their ticket to success. Read More
Sex organs are controlled by sex hormones, to nobody’s surprise – that’s their point. But now, researchers have shown that blood, too, is affected by sex hormones. Read More
On the heels of encouraging FDA feedback for a multiple sclerosis program and the possibility of profitability for marketed drug Horizant (gabapentin enacarbil) by the end of 2015, Xenoport Inc. is padding its coffers with a $72 million bumped-up public offering. Read More
Endocyte Inc., of West Lafayette Ind., provided an update regarding the review of the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) on the pending European Union conditional marketing authorization applications for vintafolide, etarfolatide and intravenous folic acid. Read More
Emergent Biosolutions Inc., of Rockville, Md., said it priced its offering of $215 million aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes due 2021 in a private placement to qualified institutional buyers. Read More
E-Therapeutics plc, of Oxford, UK, said patient recruitment into Phase I trials of ETS2101 in brain cancer and in solid tumors was halted temporarily due to a drug supply issue. Read More
Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc., of Laval, Quebec, completed the previously announced transaction in which a wholly owned subsidiary of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International would acquire Solta Medical Inc. at a price of $2.92 per share in cash. Read More