News

FDA turns down diabetes drug from Biodel

Country
United States

The US Food and Drug Administration has issued a ‘complete response letter’ to Biodel Inc of Danbury, Connecticut rejecting its new drug application for Linjeta, a rapid-acting injectable regular human insulin for Types 1 and 2 diabetes.

US researchers generate hepatic tissue

Country
United States

Researchers from the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University’s Baptist Medical Center have seeded human liver cells in a laboratory and reportedly maintained them in a specialised bioreactor for up to one week.

FDA approves everolimus for benign brain tumour

Country
United States

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the Novartis cancer drug, Afinitor (everolimus), for a new indication which is to treat patients with a benign brain tumour but who are not candidates for surgery.

MorphoSys increases proprietary R&D spending

Country
Germany

MorphoSys AG increased its proprietary research and development spending by 40% in the first nine months of 2010 – an indicator of the growing importance of its portfolio of internally-generated therapeutic antibodies.

FDA approves new indication for Sprycel

Country
United States

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new indication for the cancer drug, Sprycel (dasatinib), enabling it to be administered to patients with a rare blood cancer when it is first diagnosed.

Biocompatibles International in talks with potential offeror

Country
United Kingdom

The UK drug-device company, Biocompatibles International Plc, is in advanced talks with another party which may or may not lead to an offer being made for the company. The talks were disclosed on 28 October to the London Stock Exchange.

New approach for treating brain disease gets VC backing

Country
Switzerland

Index Ventures, the Geneva-based venture capital company, is providing the initial funding of €1.5 million for a company that has been set up to exploit a new technology for treating serious brain diseases.