Novartis said the results of two Phase-3 studies of ACZ885 (canakinumab) indicate that the human monoclonal antibody can slow attacks of severe gouty arthritis by up to 68% when compared with the standard steroid treatment (triamcinolone acetonide TA).
A Phase 3 trial of a combination vaccine intended to protect children against six infectious diseases is being launched at multiple sites in the US according to its sponsors, Merck & Co and Sanofi Pasteur. The trial will involve 1,440 infants.
Transgene SA of France has entered into a collaboration with two other companies to evaluate a new therapeutic vaccine strategy against the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The partners are ChronTechPharma AB and Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc.
The nonprofit drug discovery affiliate of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is expanding a collaboration with Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc to develop new medicines called ‘correctors’ that aim to treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis.
It is something of a truism to say that money follows success. It is less easy to say why some companies are more successful than others, and how their successes can be repeated.
The AstraZeneca Plc unit, MedImmune, has entered into a three-year collaboration with the technology transfer arm of France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) to research disease and potential drug candidates.
A Phase-3 study of motesanib, a small molecule antagonist of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors, failed to meet its primary endpoint of improving the overall survival for patients with advanced, non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the sponsor said.
The Roche group said that its investigational hedgehog pathway inhibitor, vismodegib, which is being developed to treat advanced basal cell carcinoma, met its primary endpoint of overall response in a pivotal Phase 2 clinical study.
A Phase 2 study of a gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease has met its primary endpoint for efficacy and demonstrated safety. The results have been published on-line in The Lancet Neurology, according to the sponsor, Neurologix Inc.
Tolerx Inc and GlaxoSmithKline Plc announced that a Phase 3 trial of otelixizumab for patients with new-onset Type 1 diabetes did not meet the primary efficacy endpoint of change in C-peptide, a marker of beta cell function, at 12 months.