Ligand News and Research

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The Lancet journal publishes XGEVA Phase 3 study results against prostate cancer, bone metastases

Amgen today announced the publication of results from a Phase 3 head-to-head trial that compared XGEVA to Zometa in preventing bone complications called skeletal-related events in 1,901 men with prostate cancer and bone metastases.

25 Feb 2011

Trevena commences TRV120027 Phase 2a trial in patients with acute heart failure

Trevena Inc., the leader in G-protein coupled receptor biased ligand drug discovery, today announced the initiation of a Phase 2a clinical trial with its lead program, TRV120027, a beta-arrestin biased angiotensin II type 1 receptor ligand, the first biased ligand designed to treat patients with acute heart failure.

23 Feb 2011

Amgen announces publication of XGEVA Phase 3 study results against solid tumors in Journal of Clinical Oncology

Amgen today announced the publication of results from a pivotal Phase 3 study of 1,776 advanced cancer patients with different types of solid tumors or multiple myeloma, which compared XGEVA to Zometa in preventing skeletal-related events.

23 Feb 2011

Researchers identify CD19-L protein that facilitates recognition, destruction of leukemia cells

Scientists at the Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases and The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles today announced a breakthrough discovery in understanding how the body fights leukemia.

18 Feb 2011

Scientists unravel mystery about how new tumors in individuals with breast cancer take root

In a discovery that may lead to a new treatment for breast cancer that has spread to the bone, a Princeton University research team has unraveled a mystery about how these tumors take root.

4 Feb 2011

Targeted delivery combination crosses brain protecting barrier and homes in on tumors

A targeted delivery combination selectively crosses the tight barrier that protects the brain from the bloodstream to home in on and bind to brain tumors, a research team led by scientists from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported in the January issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

2 Feb 2011

CyDex stockholders approve merger with Ligand

CyDex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that its stockholders have voted to approve an Agreement and Plan of Merger between CyDex and Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated and that closing of the transaction has taken place. CyDex will continue its business operations, based in Lenexa, Kansas, as a wholly owned subsidiary of Ligand.

27 Jan 2011

Ligand announces acquisition of CyDex Pharmaceuticals

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced it has acquired privately held CyDex Pharmaceuticals, for a combination of cash and contingent payments.

26 Jan 2011

New investigative tool may explore intracellular processes with unprecedented clarity

Nongjian Tao and his colleagues at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University have pioneered a new technique capable of peering into single cells and even intracellular processes with unprecedented clarity.

25 Jan 2011

Salk Institute uncovers presenilin's productive side

Mutant presenilin is infamous for its role in the most aggressive form of Alzheimer's disease-early-onset familial Alzheimer's-which can strike people as early as their 30s. In their latest study, researchers at the Salk Institute uncovered presenilin's productive side: It helps embryonic motor neurons navigate the maze of chemical cues that pull, push and hem them in on their way to their proper targets.

19 Jan 2011

Ligand, Chiva Pharmaceuticals enter strategic relationship to develop multiple Ligand assets, technology

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced today that it has entered into a strategic relationship with Chiva Pharmaceuticals, to develop multiple Ligand assets and technology in China and potentially worldwide.

7 Jan 2011

Choosing between EGFR therapeutic options in metastatic colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in men and women in the USA, with a new diagnosis made every 3.5 minutes and an associated death every 9 minutes.

6 Jan 2011

Symphogen closes €100 million stock to a group of investors

Symphogen, a private biopharmaceutical company developing superior antibody therapeutics to treat cancer, infectious and autoimmune diseases, announced today that it closed a €100 million placement of Preferred Stock to a group of investors.

6 Jan 2011

Pfizer's sublicensing of Tanaproget triggers $1 million upfront payment to Ligand

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated announced today that its partner Pfizer, Inc. has granted a sublicense to a multi-national pharmaceutical company for Tanaproget, also known as NSP-989. As a result, Ligand will receive an upfront payment of $1 million from Pfizer. Ligand is entitled to clinical and regulatory milestone payments from Pfizer as Tanaproget advances through the development process, as well as tiered royalties on net sales.

23 Dec 2010

Researchers discover recycling mechanism of signaling receptors

An international team of researchers led by Carnegie Mellon University's Manojkumar Puthenveedu has discovered the mechanism by which signaling receptors recycle, a critical piece in understanding signaling receptor function. Writing in the journal Cell, the team for the first time describes how a signaling receptor travels back to the cell membrane after it has been activated and internalized.

23 Dec 2010

cFLIP protein makes breast cancer cells resistant to TRAIL-induced apoptosis

Researchers at the Andalusian Institute for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine and the University of Granada found that cFLIP -an inhibitor of death ligand-induced apoptosis- is not only essential in breast tumor cells resistance to TRAIL treatments (a death ligand with a potent therapeutic potential against cancer), but this protein is also key to the survival of such cancer cells.

14 Dec 2010

Anchor Therapeutics announces publication describing pepducin technology as novel approach to target GPCR

Anchor Therapeutics today announced the publication of new research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. The paper describes the identification and characterization of a pepducin-based allosteric agonist that targets CXCR4, a chemokine G protein-coupled receptor found on hematopoietic stem cells and other bone marrow-derived cells.

9 Dec 2010

Ligand Pharmaceuticals reports preclinical study data on erythropoietin receptor agonists

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ: LGND) announced data from a preclinical study on the erythropoietin (EPO) receptor agonist LG5640 at the upcoming 52nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting being held in Orlando, Florida at the Orange County Convention Center, December 4 - 7, 2010.

6 Dec 2010

Merck to present multiple clinical studies of dinaciclib at ASH Annual Meeting

Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced that multiple clinical studies of dinaciclib (SCH 727965) will be presented by Merck at the upcoming 52nd American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting being held in Orlando, Florida at the Orange County Convention Center, December 4-7, 2010.

4 Dec 2010

Argonne researchers awarded 65 million hours of computing time on Blue Gene/P supercomputer

Four researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory lead projects that have been awarded a total of 65 million hours of computing time on Argonne's energy-efficient Blue Gene/P ("Intrepid") supercomputer. The researchers will conduct advanced simulation and analysis, performing virtual experiments that would be almost impossible and impractical in the natural world. They will also develop scalable system software needed to fully harness the power of supercomputers.

2 Dec 2010