Pharmaceuticals News and Research

RSS

Agios Pharmaceuticals presents data on cancer-associated IDH1 mutations at 101st AACR meeting

Agios Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel drugs in the field of cancer metabolism, today announced multiple presentations at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 101st Annual Meeting that highlight cancer metabolism as an approach to identify new ways to treat cancer, opening the potential for a new class of cancer drugs targeting metabolic enzymes.

22 Apr 2010

AFP reflects on WHO's response to H1N1

Agence France-Presse examines the WHO's response to H1N1 (swine flu) one year since the virus was first reported in Mexico and the U.S. "A year on, questions linger as to whether a decision by the World Health Organization to declare swine flu a pandemic, thereby unleashing the slew of health measures, was over-dramatic or even tainted by commercial interests," the news service writes.

22 Apr 2010

Nuon Therapeutics advances NU1618 into phase 2b development for chronic hyperuricemia in gout patients

Nuon Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, announced that the company is advancing its lead program, NU1618, into phase 2b development for the treatment of chronic hyperuricemia in patients with gout. Nuon anticipates releasing topline data from a completed proof-of-principle, phase 2a study of NU1618 in the second quarter of 2010.

22 Apr 2010

NPS Pharmaceuticals closes public offering of common stock shares

NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the closing of a public offering of 10,350,000 shares of its common stock, including 1,350,000 shares sold pursuant to the full exercise of an overallotment option previously granted to the underwriters. All of the shares were offered by the Company. Net proceeds were approximately $53.3 million after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions, and estimated offering expenses. Canaccord Adams acted as sole book-running manager and Needham & Company, LLC acted as co-manager for the offering.

22 Apr 2010

Infinity Pharmaceuticals initiates Phase 1b/2 trial of IPI-926 Hedgehog pathway inhibitor for pancreatic cancer

Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an innovative drug discovery and development company, today announced that it has initiated a randomized Phase 1b/2 clinical trial evaluating IPI-926, its novel, oral Hedgehog pathway inhibitor, in combination with gemcitabine in patients with pancreatic cancer.

22 Apr 2010

Stopping smoking may be harder than quitting heroin

An addiction is an addiction and it may be tougher to quit smoking cigarettes compared to beating a heroin addiction. An Australian study found that many long term smokers have tried to quit 7.4 times but are still unable to do so. Sydney GP Raymond Seidler actually feels that people do not realize that quitting smoking is just as bad as kicking heroin out of your life.

22 Apr 2010

DDW2010 Investor Event to provide update on TARGET 1 and TARGET 2 Phase 3 trials

Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. today announced that the Company will host a DDW2010 Investor Event on Monday, May 3 2010 from 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Central Time (10:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET).

22 Apr 2010

Delcath Systems' trial meets primary endpoint of extended hPFS in patients with melanoma metastases

Delcath Systems, Inc., a development stage, oncology-focused, specialty pharmaceutical and medical device company, announced that its Phase III National Cancer Institute (NCI)-led multi-center clinical trial has successfully met the study's primary endpoint of extended hepatic progression-free survival (hPFS) in patients with melanoma metastases to the liver based on an independently corroborated intent-to-treat analysis.

22 Apr 2010

Cook Medical enrolls first patient in Formula PTX Balloon Expandable Renal Stent trial

Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced Cook Medical, a license holder of Angiotech's paclitaxel technology, has enrolled the first patient in its landmark Formula PTX clinical trial. The trial is the first of its kind to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a paclitaxel-eluting stent to treat renal artery disease, the narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the kidneys.

22 Apr 2010

Access Pharmaceuticals to present MuGard clinical data at 2010 MASCC conference

ACCESS PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., a biopharmaceutical company specializing in products for cancer and supportive care, announced today that it will present data from the ongoing work involving its lead product, MuGard, and host an oral mucositis symposium at the MASCC conference being held in Vancouver, B.C. on June 24-26, 2010. MuGard is Access Pharma's FDA-approved product for the management of oral mucositis, a debilitating side effect of many anticancer treatments.

22 Apr 2010

Simcere's diosmectite API in generic drug Biqi passes EU-GMP inspection

Simcere Pharmaceutical Group, a leading pharmaceutical company specializing in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of branded generic and proprietary pharmaceuticals in China, today announced that its diosmectite, the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) in Simcere's branded generic drug Biqi, has passed EU-GMP inspection. This enables Simcere to market diosmectite in the European Union countries.

22 Apr 2010

FDA approves Akorn's ANDA supplement for Erythromycin

Akorn, Inc. a niche generic pharmaceutical company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval of the Company's Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) supplement for Erythromycin Ophthalmic Ointment USP 3.5 g. The company intends to begin shipping the product immediately.

22 Apr 2010

Abbott acquires Facet Biotech

Abbott has completed its acquisition of Facet Biotech Corporation, strengthening its pharmaceutical pipeline in immunology and oncology.

22 Apr 2010

Labopharm launches INTELLITAB abuse and misuse-deterrent technology platform

Labopharm Inc. today introduced INTELLITAB(TM), the brand name for its proprietary abuse and misuse-deterrent technology platform. The INTELLITAB(TM) platform, which can deliver one or more therapeutic drugs in combination over periods of up to 24 hours, has the potential to provide a patient with a controlled release medication while minimizing the risk of intentional abuse or accidental misuse.

21 Apr 2010

HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals closes $12M Series B financing

HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage biotechnology company developing compounds to treat sickle cell disease, beta thalassemia and EBV-related cancers, announced today the closing of a $12M Series B financing led by new investor, Aberdare Ventures. HemaQuest's investor syndicate includes Aberdare Ventures, De Novo Ventures, Forward Ventures and Lilly Ventures.

21 Apr 2010

Catabasis Pharmaceuticals to advance program targeting type 2 diabetes with $39.6 million Series A financing

Catabasis Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of inflammatory and metabolic diseases, today announced it has completed a $39.6 million Series A financing led by SV Life Sciences, Clarus Ventures, and MedImmune Ventures. Also participating in the round is Advanced Technology Ventures.

21 Apr 2010

CDI's iCell Cardiomyocytes named to MIT Technology Review's Annual 10 Emerging Technologies List

Cellular Dynamics International (CDI) today announced that CDI's development and commercialization of human cardiomyocytes for drug discovery and toxicity testing, based on the work of CDI co-founder and chief scientific officer, James A. Thomson, Ph.D., on induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs) technology, have been named to the MIT Technology Review's Annual 10 Emerging Technologies List.

21 Apr 2010