A bioinformatics company with a focus on biomarker discovery has received seed funding from two UK venture funds in order to carry out its work identifying markers suitable for helping investigators select patients for clinical trials.
Researchers at Newcastle University in the UK have reported the successful treatment of eight patients suffering from an eye disease known as limbal stem cell deficiency with the patients’ own stem cells. The treatment was administered in a clinical trial.
NicOx SA of France said it has raised €100 million in a two-step capital increase giving it the financial means to set up a sales force in the US to help commercialise its lead anti-inflammatory drug, naproxcinod, which is being reviewed by the FDA.
Health ministers of the European Union have asked regulatory authorities to provide scientific support for developers of antibiotics to replace those that are no longer effective. However, no money was put on the table
The value to Big Pharma of novel antibiotics has been underscored by AstraZeneca’s decision to acquire Novexel SA of France for a total cash consideration of up to $505 million. Novexel currently has two anti-infectives in Phase 2 development.
Innate Pharma SA, a pioneer in the field of cancer immunotherapies, has raised €24.3 million gross in a share placement supported by France’s Fonds Stratégique d’Investissement and existing investors, Novo Nordisk A/S and Alta Partners.
The European Medicines Agency has given a negative opinion to a proposed gene therapy developed by Ark Therapeutics Group Plc for malignant brain cancer, saying the product failed to show efficacy. Ark said it will appeal against the decision.
Researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in the UK have completed the first complete genomic analysis of lung cancer and melanoma, revealing all of the genetic mutations that are present in the two diseases.
Silence Therapeutics Plc, a company that has moved quickly to capitalise on the new science of ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi), has announced plans to merge with the privately-owned Intradigm Corp of the US, which is in the same business.
Merck Serono has entered into a research collaboration in multiple sclerosis with the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Mass, US, aimed at identifying new biomarkers and possible drug targets. Financial details were not disclosed.