Sanofi SA has agreed to pay $10 million upfront to a venture-capital-led company in New Haven, Connecticut for access to ribosome-based technology to develop antibiotics for multi-drug resistant Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria.
A study published in Nature Medicine has suggested that inhibiting a receptor called death receptor-6 may represent a novel approach for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. The study was undertaken by researchers at Biogen Idec of the US.
Novartis AG said that its Phase 3 trial of Afinitor (everolimus) for women with advanced breast cancer has been stopped early after interim results showed that the primary endpoint of progression-free survival was met.
AstraZeneca Plc is to make an undisclosed up-front cash payment to PTC Therapeutics Inc for access to technology that regulates the rate and timing of protein production in the cell. The goal is to discover new small molecule drugs for cancer.
In separate announcements, Novartis AG said that its bronchodilator for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, indacaterol, has been approved by regulatory authorities in the US and Japan. The drug is a long-acting beta2-agonist.
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new anticoagulant for the prevention of deep vein thrombosis in patients undergoing knee or hip replacement surgery, according to the drug’s manufacturer, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc.
The Japanese regulator has approved a rotavirus vaccine developed by GlaxoSmithKline Plc to prevent gastroenteritis caused by rotavirus in infants. The vaccine contains a live, attenuated form of the human rotavirus, RIX4414 strain.
Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics Holding NV is to appeal against a negative opinion issued by the European Medicines Agency for its gene therapy to treat a protein deficiency linked to pancreatitis. The opinion was issued on 23 June 2011.
Nexium (esomeprazole magnesium), a treatment for acid-related conditions of the stomach, has received its first regulatory approval in Japan, according to AstraZeneca Plc, the drug’s developer. The approval is for use in adult patients.
A project aimed at developing tools to monitor the neurotoxic effects of environmental pollutants on developmental disorders in children has been funded by the European Commission under its 7th Framework programme for research.