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Ligand Pharmaceuticals' total revenues for Q4 2013 increase 8% to $14.7 million

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today reported financial results for the three and 12 months ended December 31, 2013, and provided an operating forecast and program updates.

11 Feb 2014

UCLA researchers awarded $6M grant to explore new therapies for spinal-cord injuries

The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering has awarded UCLA researchers Dr. Daniel Lu (Brentwood) and Dr. Reggie Edgerton (Bel Air) a $6 million, five-year grant to explore new therapies for the approximately 273,000 Americans living with spinal-cord injuries. Some 12,000 Americans suffer such injuries each year.

10 Feb 2014

Researchers identify new subgroup of patients suffering from schizophrenia with motor disorders

Researchers led by Marta Barrachina, Institute of Neuropathology of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) have identified a new subgroup of patients suffering from schizophrenia characterized by motor disorders.

29 Jan 2014

Prostate cancer patients treated with ADT experience mental, emotional well-being during treatment

A new study published in the Journal of Urology- reports that prostate cancer patients treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) experienced changes in mental and emotional well-being during treatment, although there was no meaningful decline in emotional quality of life two years after treatment.

24 Jan 2014

Forest Laboratories third quarter net sales increase 24.9% to $846.8 million

Forest Laboratories, Inc., a leading, fully integrated, specialty pharmaceutical company largely focused on the United States market, announced that reported diluted earnings per share equaled $0.07 in the third quarter of fiscal 2014, compared to a reported loss per share of ($0.58) in the third quarter of fiscal 2013. The third quarter of fiscal 2014 included a $45 million charge ($28.2 million net of tax) related to Project Rejuvenate.

21 Jan 2014

Erosive GERD treatments: an interview with Professor Joaquim Moraes-Filho, University of São Paulo Medical School

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a condition that develops when the reflux of stomach contents causes troublesome symptoms and/or complications.

20 Jan 2014

Aeterna Zentaris announces FDA acceptance for filing of macimorelin acetate NDA for AGHD

Aeterna Zentaris Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted for filing the Company's New Drug Application for its ghrelin agonist, macimorelin acetate, in Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency. The acceptance for filing of the NDA indicates the FDA has determined that the application is sufficiently complete to permit a substantive review.

7 Jan 2014

CF101 drug fails to meet primary efficacy endpoint in phase III study for Dry Eye Syndrome

Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd., a biotechnology company with a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs that address inflammatory and cancer diseases, announced today that its subsidiary OphthaliX Inc. released results from a 24 week, placebo-controlled phase III study involving 237 patients with moderate-to-severe Dry Eye Syndrome who were treated with its licensed drug CF101, an A3 adenosine receptor agonist.

30 Dec 2013

Rho-associated protein kinase regulates hippocampal neurite growth, microtubule formation

Rho-associated protein kinase is an essential regulator of cytoskeletal dynamics during the process of neurite extension. However, whether Rho kinase regulates microtubule remodeling or the distribution of adhesive proteins to mediate neurite outgrowth remains unclear.

28 Dec 2013

Can-Fite reports positive results from CF101 Phase IIb study for rheumatoid arthritis

Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd., a biotechnology company with a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs that address inflammatory and cancer diseases, announced results from a 12-week, placebo-controlled Phase IIb study involving 79 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis ("RA") for its proprietary drug CF101, an A3 adenosine receptor ("A3AR") agonist.

23 Dec 2013

Patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome at increased risk for aortic aneurysm

Patients with the connective tissue disorder Loeys-Dietz syndrome are at high risk for aortic aneurysm. LDS results in the presence of missense mutations within either of the genes encoding receptors for TGF-β. LDS-associated mutations are predicted to reduce TGF-β signaling; however, aortic tissue samples from LDS patients indicate that TGF-β signaling may be enhanced.

22 Dec 2013

Study links vitamin B12 deficiency to acid-suppressing medications

Long-term use of commonly prescribed heartburn and ulcer medications is linked to a higher risk of vitamin B12 deficiency, according to a new study published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

10 Dec 2013

Heptares starts HTL9936 Phase 1 study for improving cognitive function in Alzheimer's patients

Heptares Therapeutics, the leading GPCR structure-guided drug discovery and development company, announces that it has initiated a Phase 1 clinical study of HTL9936, the first fully selective muscarinic M1 receptor agonist to enter clinical development. HTL9936 is an orally available, small molecule drug candidate discovered using the Heptares GPCR structure-based drug design platform.

9 Dec 2013

Ligand announces data from preclinical studies on small-molecule oral G-CSF receptor agonist

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced that data from preclinical studies on its granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) receptor agonist program were featured in a poster presentation today at the 55th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology in New Orleans.

9 Dec 2013

Obese patients receive needless respiratory treatment

Research from the USA shows that a substantial proportion of obese patients are prescribed bronchodilators, even after spirometry indicates a lack of lung obstruction.

3 Dec 2013

EMD Serono's TocopheRx to focus on development of oral FSH agonists for infertility treatment

EMD Serono, Inc., a subsidiary of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced today the creation of TocopheRx, a Boston-based spin-off company resulting from the Entrepreneur Partnership Program launched by Merck Serono, the biopharmaceutical division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, in April 2012.

3 Dec 2013

Ascend, 3M partner to develop and evaluate novel immunotherapy treatments for cancer

Ascend Biopharmaceuticals today announces that is has entered into an agreement with 3M Drug Delivery Systems to evaluate 3M’s Toll-Like Receptor 7/8 (TLR7/8) agonist 3M-051 in combination with Ascend’s proprietary cancer vaccine technology. The collaboration will support the creation and preclinical assessment of novel immunotherapy treatments to be potentially used for a number of different solid tumor types.

29 Nov 2013

Novel drug combats psychosis in Parkinson’s disease

The non-dopaminergic drug pimavanserin reduces psychotic symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease without worsening motor function, shows a randomized trial.

22 Nov 2013

Synergy Pharmaceuticals starts first phase 3 clinical trial of plecanatide in CIC patients

Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced the start of the first of two planned phase 3 clinical trials to confirm the safety and efficacy of plecanatide, its lead GC-C agonist and once-daily oral treatment, in adult patients with chronic idiopathic constipation.

13 Nov 2013

Helsinn grants exclusive commercialization rights to Chugai Pharma Marketing for anamorelin drug

Swiss-based Helsinn group has granted Chugai Pharma Marketing Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., exclusive commercialization rights to their innovative ghrelin receptor agonist, anamorelin, for the three major European pharma markets.

12 Nov 2013