News

ECJ strikes down proposed patent court

Country
Belgium

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has struck down a proposal from member states of the European Union to create a new, unified jurisdiction for the litigation of patent disputes saying the proposal is incompatible with the EU treaties.

Symphogen receives US patent on cancer compound

Country
Denmark

The US Patent and Trademark Office has awarded a patent to the privately-owned Symphogen A/S of Denmark for an oncology compound that is based on a mixture of two anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibodies.

AZ and BMS get label update for diabetes drug

Country
United Kingdom

AstraZeneca Plc and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co have won a label update in Europe and the US for their Type 2 diabetes drug, Onglyza (saxagliptin), for adults with Type 2 diabetes who have moderate or severe renal impairment.

Galápagos reports net profit while increasing R&D spend

Country
Belgium

Galápagos NV, the Belgian drug discovery and development company, achieved a net profit of €4.4 million in 2010 compared with €3 million the previous year while increasing its spending on research and development by 41% to €84.7 million.

Molecular switch for epidermal stem cells reported

Country
United States

Researchers at Children’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts have reported finding a regulator of gene activity that can instruct epidermal stem cells to grow or stop growing, a finding that may have use for cancer as well as regenerative medicine.

Renovo restructures following trial failure

Country
United Kingdom

The Renovo Group Plc is reducing its staff and the size of its board of directors in the wake of the failure of a Phase 3 trial of its wound-healing product, Juvista. Recruitment is also being stopped for a trial of a second tissue product.

Danish group to investigate cancer pathogens

Country
Denmark

A group of Danish researchers, backed by a DKK 90 million (€12 mln) grant from the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation, have joined forces to identify still-unknown pathogens that may cause cancer. Bavarian Nordic is a project partner.