News

A proposal to create a single jurisdiction for the litigation of patent disputes in the European Union is gathering political support.

Exiqon A/S, a Danish supplier of gene expression analysis products, has disclosed details of its planned acquisition of Oncotech Inc., a privately-held US company that develops and sells diagnostic tests to optimise treatments for cancer patients.

Stem Cell Sciences Plc (SCS) has entered into a collaboration agreement with the Myelin Repair Foundation (MRF) of Saratoga, California, to produce specific types of human brain cells from stem cell lines derived from foetal tissue.

Ipsen SA of France has signed a memorandum of understanding with The Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, to carry out basic research on proliferative and degenerative diseases.

Circassia Holdings Ltd, a spin out from Imperial College London, has completed a second financing round with an £11 million equity placement, which will be used in part to finance its Phase 2 clinical testing programme for a candidate vaccine for cat allergy.

Pharming Group NV said that its appeal against a rejection by the European regulator of Rhucin, its proposed treatment for patients with acute attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE), is underway and a final decision is expected in the second quarter of 2008

Pharmexa A/S is testing the stock market’s appetite for risk at a time when risk-taking has become unfashionable.

The UK Medical Research Council (MRC) is planning to spend £12 million over five years to create regional academic centres to investigate new methodologies for clinical trials.

Shares of Genmab A/S, which specialises in developing human antibodies for disease, retreated 6.8% to DKK 315 in early trading on the Nordic Stock Exchange on 29 January 2008 following a spike in the price a day earlier. The stock rose on rumours of a possible takeover bid by a large pharmaceutical or biotechnology company.

Medicines indicated for diabetes and containing rosiglitazone will be required to display a new warning on their labels stating that they should not be taken by patients with ischemic heart disease and/or peripheral arterial disease.