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Synergy expands GC-C agonist technology to lower cholesterol

Synergy Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a developer of new drugs to treat gastrointestinal (GI) disorders and diseases, announced today that it has successfully completed preclinical in vitro research demonstrating the inhibition of bile acid uptake by GC-C agonists and that it plans to commence animal studies shortly. Synergy believes this is the first time that GC-C agonists have been shown to potentially lower cholesterol.

18 May 2011

Pharma Two B plans to initiate P2B001 Phase II study in Parkinson's disease

Pharma Two B announced today it is planning a Phase II study of its new combination therapy, P2B001, in development as a treatment for the early stages of Parkinson's disease. Assuming regulatory approval and the necessary financing, the company plans to commence the Phase II trial in Q4 2011.

18 May 2011

Anacor Pharmaceuticals initiates AN2728, AN2898 Phase 2 trial in mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis

Anacor Pharmaceuticals announced today that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 2 trial of AN2728 and AN2898 to determine safety, tolerability and efficacy of the two compounds for the topical treatment of mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis.

18 May 2011

Anavex comments on new Alzheimer’s disease diagnostic guidelines

Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (“Anavex”) (OTCBB: AVXL) today commented on new diagnostic criteria and guidelines for Alzheimer’s disease published recently by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the Alzheimer’s Association, which have been updated for the first time in more than 25 years. The new guidelines discuss the importance of new technologies, including brain imaging and biomarker analysis, in research and clinical diagnosis. They describe Alzheimer’s disease at a preclinical stage, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia due to Alzheimer’s pathology.

18 May 2011

Excaliber subsidiary merges with VistaGen

Excaliber Enterprises, Ltd. announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary has merged with VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc., a private biotechnology company focused on stem cell-based drug rescue and drug development. As a result of the Merger, VistaGen is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Excaliber.

17 May 2011

CytRx sells global rights of molecular chaperone assets to Orphazyme

CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in oncology, today announced that it has sold the worldwide rights to its molecular chaperone assets to privately-held, Copenhagen, Denmark-based Orphazyme ApS.

17 May 2011

Benitec raises AU$8 million for gene silencing therapeutics

Benitec Ltd (ASX:BLT), a world leader in RNA-based gene silencing for human therapeutics, today announced its fully underwritten AU$8 million renounceable rights issue, incorporating an entitlement offer and a shortfall offer, had successfully closed oversubscribed.

17 May 2011

Histogenics announces acquisition of ProChon Biotech

Histogenics Corporation, a privately held regenerative medicine company, announced today that it has acquired ProChon Biotech, Ltd. in a stock-for-stock exchange.

17 May 2011

InVivo Therapeutics reports net loss of $1,278,000 for first quarter 2011

InVivo Therapeutics, a medical device company focused on the development of groundbreaking technologies for the treatment of spinal cord injuries, today reported financial results for the first quarter 2011.

16 May 2011

Karo Bio symposium to discuss research on ER-beta and therapeutic applications

Karo Bio AB is organizing a symposium in Stockholm on May 16-17, where key researchers from the industry and the academic community present and discuss the frontier of research in the field of estrogen receptor beta (ER-beta) and its therapeutic applications.

16 May 2011

AgenoLAB acquires Roche´s RTCA Cardio Instrument

AgenoLAB, the Stuttgart-based service provider, is the first company in Germany to expand its service offering with the latest cell analysis technology from Roche. The company will use the RTCA Cardio Instrument to complement their analytical service portfolio for drug development.

13 May 2011

Pro-Pharmaceuticals reports net loss of $2.7 million for first quarter 2011

Pro-Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the leading developer of therapeutics that target galectin proteins to treat fibrosis and cancer, today reported its financial results for the first quarter, ended March 31, 2011.

13 May 2011

ZIOPHARM submits IND with FDA for Ad-RTS-IL-12 Phase I study in cancer

ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc., a drug development company employing small molecule and synthetic biology approaches to cancer therapy, today announced that it has submitted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to begin clinical study of Ad-RTS-IL-12, a novel DNA-based therapeutic candidate.

13 May 2011

Trillium raises $1 million to advance TTI-1612 into clinical trials for interstitial cystitis treatment

Trillium Therapeutics Inc., a privately-held biopharmaceutical company, announced today that it has raised $1 million from a new undisclosed investor. The funds will be used to advance its lead program, TTI-1612, into clinical trials for the treatment of interstitial cystitis, also known as bladder pain syndrome. The first trial is projected to start in the second half of this year.

12 May 2011

New clinical data affirms safety profile of PolyMedix's PMX-30063 in treatment of Staph infections

PolyMedix, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company focused on developing new therapeutic drugs to treat life-threatening infectious diseases and acute cardiovascular disorders, presented new clinical and pre-clinical data related to the safety and efficacy of its novel, lead defensin-mimetic antibiotic, PMX-30063.

12 May 2011

Amira to present AM152 preclinical data in fibrotic disease at ATS Annual Meeting

Amira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it will present preclinical data on AM152, an LPA1 receptor antagonist, during the Annual Meeting of the American Thoracic Society in Denver, Colorado.

12 May 2011

Reprogrammed herpes virus can improve early cancer diagnosis

Scientists have used a genetically re-engineered herpes virus that selectively hunts down and infects cancerous tumors and then delivers genetic material that prompts cancers to secrete a biomarker and reveal their presence.

12 May 2011

Santaris Pharma advances SPC4955 into Phase 1 trial for high cholesterol treatment

Santaris Pharma A/S, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of mRNA and microRNA targeted therapies, today announced that it has advanced a second drug from its cardiometabolic program, SPC4955 into Phase 1 clinical trials, for the treatment of high cholesterol.

11 May 2011

Naurex announces completion of $18 million Series A financing

Naurex Inc., a clinical-stage company developing innovative treatments to address unmet needs in psychiatry and neurology, today announced the completion of an $18 million Series A financing led by Adams Street Partners and Latterell Venture Partners.

11 May 2011

Pacira Pharmaceuticals reports net loss of $9.8 million for first quarter 2011

Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an emerging specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2011, provided an update on the execution of its pre-commercial and launch strategies for EXPAREL, and reiterated 2011 financial guidance.

11 May 2011