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Vitrolife receives FDA approval for RapitVit Blast and RapidWarm Blast vitrification products

Vitrolife has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, the equivalent of the Swedish Medical Products Agency, for the products RapitVit™ Blast and RapidWarm™ Blast. So-called 510(k) clearance has been obtained for these products, which are used for so-called vitrification, the rapid freezing and thawing of blastocysts (embryos days 5-7 after fertilization). Vitrolife has since before approved products for vitrification of embryos in an earlier stage of the fertilization (embryos day 2-3 after fertilization).

22 Dec 2010

Biovest issues FAQ update on BiovaxID personalized cancer vaccine

Biovest International, Inc. today issued the following update in the form of a "Frequently Asked Questions" report in response to the high volume of inquiries received following the Company's recent presentation at the 2010 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting (ASH 2010) in Orlando, Florida.

21 Dec 2010

Genzyme provides information on peak sale of alemtuzumab for multiple sclerosis

Genzyme Corporation today provided an extensive briefing on the market potential of alemtuzumab for multiple sclerosis at an event for investors and analysts in New York.

21 Dec 2010

ExonHit awarded QTDP grants for AclarusDx and EHT 107 programs

ExonHit Therapeutics today announced that the Company was awarded two grants to support two of its Research & Development projects under the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Program: AclarusDx™ in Alzheimer's disease and the EHT 107 program in oncology.

21 Dec 2010

Silence provides year-end update on trading and offer-period

Silence Therapeutics plc, a leading global biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery, development and delivery of targeted, systemic RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics for the treatment of serious diseases, today provides a year-end update on trading and the offer-period.

21 Dec 2010

Auspex, Teva Pharmaceutical to develop deuterium-containing drug

Auspex Pharmaceuticals, announced today that it has signed a deal involving a promising deuterium-containing drug with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries.

21 Dec 2010

New research sheds light on complex regulatory pathways for effective innate immune system

New research by scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences reveals that the immune system has an effective backup plan to protect the body from infection when the "master regulator" of the body's innate immune system fails.

21 Dec 2010

Royal DSM to acquire Martek for $1,087 million

Royal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company, and Martek Biosciences Corporation today announce that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which DSM will acquire all the outstanding shares of common stock of Martek for US$31.50 in cash per share for total consideration of US$1,087 million.

21 Dec 2010

Biomet Biologics completes enrollment in Recover Kit clinical trial for chronic tennis elbow

Biomet, Inc., a global leader in the manufacture of orthopedic and biotechnology products, announced today that its subsidiary, Biomet Biologics, LLC, has completed the required 230 subject enrollment for its Recover® Kit clinical trial. This clinical trial studies the use of the Recover® Kit device, which produces autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to treat chronic tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis).

21 Dec 2010

Biogen Idec acquires Neurimmune subsidiary

Biogen Idec and Neurimmune Holding AG today announced that Biogen Idec has acquired a subsidiary of Neurimmune, which includes the world-wide rights to three pre-clinical immunotherapy programs. The three programs are focused on the discovery and development of novel human antibodies that address three central nervous system (CNS) targets: alpha-synuclein, tau and TDP-43.

21 Dec 2010

Ambit commences Phase I advanced solid tumor trials for AC430 and AC480 inhibitors

Ambit Biosciences, today announced that it has initiated separate Phase I trials for two products AC430, a selective Janus Kinase 2 (JAK2) inhibitor, and AC480, a pan-HER inhibitor.

20 Dec 2010

VistaGen reports successful completion of AV-101 Phase 1 safety study for neuropathic pain

VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc., a stem cell technology company focused on drug discovery and development, today announced the successful completion of its initial Phase 1 safety study of AV-101, the Company's novel orally available prodrug candidate for treatment of neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain, a serious and chronic condition causing pain after an injury or disease of the peripheral or central nervous system, affects approximately 1.8 million people in the U.S.

20 Dec 2010

Bristol-Myers Squibb, Oncolys complete license agreement for festinavir

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Oncolys BioPharma Inc., a privately held biotechnology company based in Japan, announced today that the companies have signed a definitive agreement under which Bristol-Myers Squibb will acquire exclusive worldwide rights to manufacture, develop and commercialize festinavir, a once-a-day, orally available nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) in Phase II development for HIV.

20 Dec 2010

Oncothyreon commences combination PX-866/cetuximab Phase 1/2 trial in cancers

Oncothyreon Inc. today announced enrollment of the first patient in a Phase 1/2 trial of PX-866 in combination with the chimeric monoclonal antibody cetuximab (Erbitux®). PX-866 is a small molecule compound designed to inhibit the activity of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI-3K), a component of an important cell survival signaling pathway.

20 Dec 2010

Gilead to acquire Arresto

Gilead Sciences, Inc. and Arresto Biosciences, Inc., a privately-held, development-stage biotechnology company focused on medicines to treat fibrotic diseases and cancer, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement pursuant to which Gilead will acquire Arresto. Under the terms of the agreement, Gilead will acquire Arresto for $225 million and potential future payments based on achievement of certain sales levels.

20 Dec 2010

Fibrocell Science submits response to FDA CR letter for azficel-T BLA

Fibrocell Science, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the development of autologous cell therapies for aesthetic, medical and scientific applications, announced today that it has submitted its complete response to the Complete Response (CR) letter issued by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the Company's Biologics License Application (BLA) for azficel-T, proposed brand name laViv®, for the treatment of moderate to severe nasolabial folds and wrinkles.

20 Dec 2010

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals to be traded on NASDAQ Global Select Market

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company with fully integrated commercial and drug development operations with a primary focus in oncology, announced today that effective January 3, 2011, it will begin trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. The NASDAQ Global Select Market is the highest NASDAQ listing tier based on financial and liquidity criteria. Prior to the effectiveness of this change in the New Year, shares of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals will continue to be traded on the NASDAQ Global Market.

20 Dec 2010

NanoLogix enters collaboration with Advanced Medical German Company of Kuwait

NanoLogix, an innovator in the accelerated detection and identification of microorganisms, is pleased to announce its collaboration with Advanced Medical German Company of Kuwait (AMGKWT). This alliance will support NanoLogix's market penetration goals for the Middle East, North and East Africa with the international marketing focus of Advanced Medical German Company stretching from the Middle East through Africa.

20 Dec 2010

Progress report on 'Strategy for Europe on nutrition, overweight and obesity'

December has been a busy month for the European Commission, and Despina Spanou, Principal Adviser at the Directorate General for Health and Consumers, talks to EUFIC, about Europe's Nutrition Strategy mid-term progress report, the evaluation of the EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, the OECD/EC report "Health at a Glance: Europe 2010", and the Belgian Presidency/EC Conference on Monitoring and Evaluation of EU and Member States' strategies on nutrition, overweight and obesity-related health issues.

20 Dec 2010