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YM BioSciences to acquire Cytopia

Cytopia Limited has today announced that Cytopia and Toronto-based YM BioSciences Inc. ("YM") have signed an exclusive and binding Implementation Agreement ("Agreement") in which it is proposed that YM will acquire all of the issued shares and options in Cytopia.

6 Oct 2009

ArQule completes patient enrollment in ARQ 197 Phase 2 trial for non-small cell lung cancer

ArQule, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQL) today announced that patient enrollment in a Phase 2 trial with ARQ 197 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been completed.

5 Oct 2009

Baxter launches HYLENEX recombinant for pediatric rehydration at the 2009 ACEP

Baxter International Inc. today announced the commercial launch of HYLENEX recombinant (hyaluronidase human injection) for use in pediatric rehydration at the 2009 American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) scientific assembly (Boston). HYLENEX, an enzyme, allows fluids to be administered under the skin (subcutaneously) rather than through a vein.

From Baxter International Inc. 5 Oct 2009

Preclinical study results of AVL-181 protease inhibitor presented

Avila Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company developing novel covalent drugs that treat diseases through protein silencing, presented results of preclinical studies on its highly selective, pan-genotype, small molecule Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) protease inhibitor, AVL-181.

5 Oct 2009

avVaa World Health Care Products launches Neuroskin Psoriasis Relief DRTV media test campaign

avVaa World Health Care Products Inc. a global biotechnology company, manufacturer and distributor of nationally branded therapeutic, natural skin and health care products, announced the launch of its two week Neuroskin(R) Psoriasis Relief DRTV media test campaign.

5 Oct 2009

Sigma-Aldrich and Sangamo Biosciences extend license agreement for ZFP technology

Sigma-Aldrich Corporation and Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGMO) today announced a major expansion of their existing license agreement to include the exclusive rights to develop and distribute zinc finger DNA binding protein (ZFP)-modified cell lines for commercial production of protein pharmaceuticals.

5 Oct 2009

Seattle Genetics discontinues its SeaGen MARINER clinical trial for large B-cell lymphoma

Seattle Genetics, Inc. announced today that it has discontinued the SeaGen MARINER clinical trial based on a determination that the trial would be unlikely to meet its primary endpoint of superior complete response rate in the dacetuzumab combination arm as compared to the placebo combination arm.

5 Oct 2009

Jefferies expands its global Healthcare Investment Banking Group

Jefferies today announced the expansion of its global Healthcare Investment Banking Group with the hiring of five senior professionals. Henry Elphick, Tommy Erdei and Probir Rao join as Managing Directors, Gil Bar-Nahum as a Senior Vice President, and Andrew Clayton as a Vice President. Henry Elphick, Tommy Erdei and Gil Bar-Nahum are based in London, Probir Rao is based in Mumbai, and Andrew Clayton in Hong Kong.

5 Oct 2009

Theraclone and Zenyaku Kogyo sign multi-year research and development agreement

Theraclone Sciences, Inc., a Seattle-based biotechnology company, and Zenyaku Kogyo Co., Ltd., a pharmaceutical company based in Tokyo, today announced that they have entered into a multi-year research and development agreement.

5 Oct 2009

Genentech is again the world's most respected biopharmaceutical employer

Science annual survey of Top Employers polls employees in the biotechnology, biopharmaceutical, pharmaceutical, and related industries. Respondents to the web-based survey are asked to rate companies based on 23 driving characteristics, including financial strength, easy adaptation to change, and a research-driven environment.

5 Oct 2009

Genzyme named to the 2009 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index

Genzyme Corporation announced today that it was included on both the 2009 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and North American Index. This marks the fifth consecutive year Genzyme has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability North American Index and the first year the company has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index.

5 Oct 2009

Research confirms that probiotic bacteria promotes health and boosts immune system

Functional food is the food industry's fastest-growing product group, its leading products including dairy products which contain probiotics, that is, bacteria promoting health. Valio's Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG®) is the most frequently studied and used probiotic.

5 Oct 2009

Pharma and biotech companies to assess new FDA REMS guidance

Yesterday, the FDA issued very important draft guidance for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for formatting, assessing and modifying Risk Evaluation & Mitigation Strategies (REMS) to ensure the safe use of pharmaceutical products.

5 Oct 2009

Diagnocure signs agreement with Lab21 for marketing its Previstage test

DiagnoCure Inc., a life sciences company commercializing high-value cancer diagnostic tests and delivering laboratory services, announced that it signed an exclusive agreement with a new partner, Lab21, a global provider of diagnostic products and services, for the promotion, marketing and selling of its Previstage(TM) GCC Colorectal Cancer Staging Test in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

5 Oct 2009

Genentech announces two Phase III study results of Lucentis

Genentech, Inc., a wholly-owned member of the Roche Group, today announced results from two Phase III studies of Lucentis (ranibizumab injection) in macular edema due to retinal vein occlusion (RVO), which showed, on average, patients given either of two doses of Lucentis had a clinically and statistically significant improvement in vision as measured by the primary endpoint of mean change from baseline in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at six months compared to patients receiving sham injections.

5 Oct 2009

The Lewin Group issues recommendations to overcome barriers obstructing the lupus drug development

Today, The Lewin Group, a national health care consulting firm, issued recommendations on ways to overcome the barriers that have obstructed lupus drug development resulting in no new drug approval for this disease in more than 50 years - since the Eisenhower Administration.

From CSL Ltd 5 Oct 2009

Researchers engineer antidotes for blood-thinner aptamers

Imagine a surgical patient on a blood-thinning drug who starts bleeding more than expected, and an antidote that works immediately - because the blood thinner and antidote were designed to work together. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have engineered a way to do this for an entire, versatile class of drugs called aptamers and published their findings in Nature Medicine.

4 Oct 2009

The EURORDIS and NORD rare disease organizations form a partnership

The leading advocacy groups for Americans and Europeans with rare diseases -- the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) and the European Organization for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS) -- have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to join forces on several key strategic initiatives on behalf of rare disease patients and their families.

3 Oct 2009

CHI announces its speaker lineup for the 2009 California Healthcare Policy Forum

California Healthcare Institute today announced its speaker lineup for the 2009 California Healthcare Policy Forum to be held Nov. 5, at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco Hotel, from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

3 Oct 2009

JBAIDS approved by the military for H1N1 virus detection tests

Idaho Technology’s Joint Biological Agent Identification and Diagnostic System (JBAIDS) has been approved by the military to run tests for the H1N1 virus. Deployed across the globe, including in Iraq and Afghanistan, by all four branches of the military, the JBAIDS instrument will be used to test military personnel and their families for Influenza A, swine flu A and H1 swine flu in less than an hour.

3 Oct 2009