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Sharing Miracles: A TV program that features inspirational stories of real patients

Major League Baseball slugger Aaron Boone will be featured on January's episode of Sharing Miracles - a 30-minute public affairs television program that tells the compelling and inspirational stories of real patients. Sharing Miracles airs every week on more than 300 television stations nationwide.

31 Dec 2009

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada named one of the top employers in Quebec

For the sixth time, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. has been named one of the top employers in Quebec, according to the newly released 2010 annual report of Hewitt's 50 Best Employers in Canada. This is due in large part to the high level of engagement of its 750 employees across Canada, including 350 at its head office in Dorval.

31 Dec 2009

Final results of Maxygen's modified "Dutch Auction" tender offer announced

Maxygen, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of improved versions of protein drugs, today announced the final results of its modified "Dutch Auction" tender offer, which expired at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on December 23, 2009.

31 Dec 2009

FDA evaluates Phase III randomized trial in acute myeloid leukemia

VION PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") had responded to its Special Protocol Assessment ("SPA") request to evaluate the Phase III randomized trial HOVON AML 92 sponsored by the Dutch-Belgian Cooperative Group for Hematology Oncology ("HOVON") of its lead product Onrigin(TM).

31 Dec 2009

FDA accepts NDA review for new anticonvulsant drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the New Drug Application (NDA) seeking marketing approval for Retigabine. In addition, the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) confirmed on November 17, 2009 that the MAA (Marketing Authorization Application) was successfully validated thus enabling the MAA review to commence.

30 Dec 2009

J&JPRD receives FDA Complete Response Letter for ceftobiprole

Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C. (J&JPRD) today announced it received a Complete Response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for ceftobiprole. The New Drug Application (NDA) was originally submitted to the FDA in May 2007 for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI), including diabetic foot infections.

30 Dec 2009

Santarus submits rifamycin SV MMX IND to the FDA

Santarus, Inc., a specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced that it has submitted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting approval to begin a Phase III clinical program evaluating rifamycin SV MMX® in patients with travelers’ diarrhea.

30 Dec 2009

Significant limitations in new Ginkgo biloba study published in JAMA, says ABC

New research findings published this week on a standardized Ginkgo biloba extract are very limited and the public should focus on the well-documented cognitive and cardiovascular benefits of ginkgo, said the American Botanical Council (ABC), an independent nonprofit research and education organization.

30 Dec 2009

Pharmacists can reduce treatment costs and improve outcomes if given the chance

The role of pharmacists hasn't received much attention in the debate on the cost of health care. But national and regional studies show that when pharmacists directly participate in patient care, they significantly reduce treatment costs and improve outcomes.

30 Dec 2009

Tarantula venom protein promising for MD

University at Buffalo biophysicists have found a protein in tarantula venom that shows promise as a potential therapy for muscular dystrophy (MD). They have formed a start-up biotech company in Buffalo -- Rose Pharmaceuticals -- to advance the drug to clinical trials.

30 Dec 2009

U.S. PTO grants reissue patent concerning OSI Pharmaceuticals’ Tarceva

OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) has granted reissue patent RE41,065, replacing Tarceva’s® (erlotinib) composition of matter patent (formerly No.5,747,498). The Company had applied for the reissue patent in February 2008, and on September 17, 2009 the Company had announced that the PTO had issued a “Notice of Allowance” accepting the Company’s application to correct certain errors relating to the claiming of compounds, other than Tarceva, which had fallen outside of the scope of the main claim of the patent.

30 Dec 2009

Americans willing to consider significant changes in Medicare program, finds report

Although Americans see Medicare as a key part of the country's social contract and want to preserve it in some recognizable form, they are willing to consider significant changes in the program to hold down its costs as the U.S. population ages.

30 Dec 2009

Advances in development of “lipidoid” formulations for systemic delivery of RNAi therapeutics

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, and collaborators from the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) today announced the publication of new data in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) describing further advancements in discovery and development of novel “lipidoid” formulations for the systemic delivery of RNAi therapeutics.

30 Dec 2009

VIVUS submits a NDA to the FDA for obesity drug Qnexa

VIVUS, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative, next-generation medical therapies to address unmet needs in obesity, diabetes and sexual health, announced today that a New Drug Application (NDA) has been submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval of Qnexa, its investigational drug for the treatment of obesity, including weight loss and maintenance of weight loss, in patients who are obese or overweight with co-morbidities such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia or central adiposity.

30 Dec 2009

NeurAxon closes the sale of $8.75 million of unsecured subordinated convertible debentures

NeurAxon, Inc., a development-stage pharmaceutical company that is designing and developing next-generation pain therapeutics targeting neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), today announced that it has closed the sale of approximately $8.75 million of unsecured subordinated 2.0% convertible debentures that are convertible under specified circumstances into existing class B preferred shares.

29 Dec 2009

VIA Pharmaceuticals receives NASDAQ delisting notice

VIA Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the development of compounds for the treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic disease, today announced that on December 29, 2009, it received a written notice from the listing qualifications staff of the NASDAQ Stock Market ("NASDAQ") informing the Company that trading of the Company's common stock would be suspended prior to the open of business on January 4, 2010 and that NASDAQ would initiate procedures to delist the Company's common stock.

29 Dec 2009

Xin Aoxing Oleanolic Acid Capsules for treatment of Hepatitis B to be launched

Biostar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Biostar" or "the Company"), a Xianyang-based developer, manufacturer and supplier of pharmaceutical products and medical nutrients addressing a variety of diseases and conditions, today announced it has completed preparation to launch its flagship Xin Aoxing Oleanolic Acid ("Xin Aoxing") Capsules for the treatment of Hepatitis B in Beijing and Shanghai in early January 2010.

29 Dec 2009

Luna Innovations acquires intellectual property assets of Tego Biosciences

Luna Innovations Incorporated has acquired certain intellectual property assets of Tego Biosciences, its main competitor in developing medicines based on carbon nanomaterials.

29 Dec 2009

Results from Bionovo's study on BN107 published

Bionovo, Inc. announced today the publication of results from its study on the anti-tumor mechanism of BN107. The results of the study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, describe the potential molecular mechanisms mediating the selective pro-apoptotic (cell death) effect induced by BN107 on estrogen receptor negative (ER-) breast cancer cells.

29 Dec 2009

Affomix to generate antibodies against proprietary targets chosen by Kalgene

Affomix Corporation, a pioneer in the development of automated, high-throughput monoclonal antibody selection technology, announced today that Kalgene Pharmaceuticals Inc. has signed a commercial agreement to have Affomix utilize its Y2HExpress™ technology to select antibodies with potential diagnostic and therapeutic utility in breast cancer. Kalgene Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a private company focused on the development of oncology therapeutics and companion diagnostics.

29 Dec 2009