News

4SC reports on vidofludimus

Country
Germany

The German biotech company, 4SC AG, has reported preliminary Phase 2a data for its small molecule drug for inflammatory bowel disease that showed a total response rate of 88.5% in patients who had been dependent on corticosteroids.

New German CNS company created

Country
Germany

A new German company with a pipeline of early central nervous system assets and a phosphodiesterase enzyme inhibitor platform, has been spun out of Biotie Therapies Corp of Finland. Called Biocrea GmbH, it has start-up capital of €4.8 million.

Wilex to acquire antibody-drug conjugate platform

Country
Germany

Wilex AG as become the latest company to invest in antibody-drug conjugate technology with the proposed acquisition of Heidelberg Pharma AG, a privately-held German company with a conjugate platform.

Lundbeck gives medium-term forecast

Country
Denmark

H. Lundbeck A/S has taken the unusual step of issuing minimum revenue and profit forecasts for the period 2012 to 2014, a time during which it will face increased generic competition and higher product sales and promotion costs.

Antibodies said to attack viruses within cells

Country
United Kingdom

Researchers funded by the UK Medical Research Council have reported that the human body has a system of intracellular immunity by which antibodies can fight viruses from within infected cells.

Gain in market share boosts Shire’s Q3 results

Country
United Kingdom

Shire Plc reported strong third quarter results, partly because it was able to nearly triple sales of two drugs that compete directly with products that Genzyme Corp is having trouble supplying.

GSK to invest $60 million in US orphan developer

Country
United Kingdom

GlaxoSmithKline Plc is to pay approximately $60 million upfront for a licensing agreement and equity investment in the US-listed biopharmaceutical company, Amicus Therapeutics Inc, which is developing a product for Fabry disease.

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.