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Amgen announces results of Phase 3 trial in the treatment of bone metastases

Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) today announced detailed results from a Phase 3 trial evaluating denosumab administered subcutaneously versus Zometa(R) (zoledronic acid) administered as an intravenous infusion in the treatment of bone metastases in 1,776 advanced cancer patients with solid tumors (not including breast and prostate cancer) or multiple myeloma. These results were presented today at the 2009 ECCO 15 - ESMO 34 European Multidisciplinary Congress in Berlin, Germany (Abstract Number: 20LBA).

21 Sep 2009

Bioniche Life Sciences' revenue increases by 21% for the fiscal year 2009

Bioniche Life Sciences Inc. (TSX: BNC), a research-based, technology-driven Canadian biopharmaceutical company, today announced financial results for its 2009 fiscal year ended June 30, 2009.

21 Sep 2009

SHP-2 protein molecule encourages placenta growth

Scientists funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) have shown that a common biological protein molecule called SHP-2 is crucial for encouraging placenta growth. The research is published today in Endocrinology.

21 Sep 2009

H1N1 infected people continue to shed live virus days after the symptoms

ABC News and other outlets are reporting that two studies released on Tuesday suggest that people infected with the H1N1 virus continue to shed virus after the point where current recommendations say they can resume their normal activities.

19 Sep 2009

Live webcast of Vertex's presentations at UBS Global Life Sciences Conference

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced that it will webcast its presentations at the UBS Global Life Sciences Conference on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 at 2:30 p.m. EDT and at the JMP Securities Healthcare Conference on Monday, October 5, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. EDT.

19 Sep 2009

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals to raise funds from institutional investors for general corporate purposes

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NasdaqGM:SPPI), a commercial-stage biotechnology company with a focus in oncology, today announced that it has received commitments from institutional investors to purchase $50 million of securities in a registered direct offering.

19 Sep 2009

Opinion poll reveals biotechnology is the way for Canada’s future prosperity

Nine out of ten Canadians believe biotechnology is important to Canada’s future prosperity and eight out of ten supported grants to emerging companies, according to BIOTECanada’s annual opinion poll, released at the launch of National Biotechnology Week.

19 Sep 2009

Wyeth and Ambrx collaborate to produce the next generation of biologic drugs

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth (NYSE: WYE) and Ambrx Inc. today announced the formation of a worldwide alliance to discover, develop, and commercialize protein drug candidates for three undisclosed targets in multiple therapeutic areas. The alliance will capitalize on Ambrx's recent breakthroughs in applying its protein medicinal chemistry platform to proteins produced in mammalian cells such as antibodies and antibody-toxin conjugates.

19 Sep 2009

Array Biopharma and Piper Jaffray enter into Equity Distribution Agreement

Array BioPharma Inc. (Nasdaq: ARRY) today announced it had entered into an Equity Distribution Agreement with Piper Jaffray & Co. The Equity Distribution Agreement provides that the Company may offer and sell shares of its common stock, par value $0.001 per share, having an aggregate offering price of up to $25,000,000 from time to time through Piper Jaffray, as sales agent.

19 Sep 2009

Rodman & Renshaw acted as exclusive placement agent for Spectrum’s transaction

Rodman & Renshaw Capital Group, Inc., today announced that its client Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a commercial-stage biotechnology company with a focus in oncology, has received commitments from institutional investors to purchase $50 million of securities in a registered direct offering.

19 Sep 2009

Bioniche announces fiscal 2009 year-end results

Bioniche Life Sciences Inc. (TSX: BNC), a research-based, technology-driven Canadian biopharmaceutical company, today announced financial results for its 2009 fiscal year ended June 30, 2009.

19 Sep 2009

Updated financial information released by avVaa World Health

avVaa World Health Care Products Inc. (Pink Sheets: AVVH), a global biotechnology company, manufacturer and distributor of nationally branded therapeutic, natural skin and health care products, announced the release of updated financial information.

19 Sep 2009

Industrial biotechnology can reduce greenhouse gas emissions

The WWF report Industrial biotechnology – more than green fuel in a dirty economy?, which has been published today, concludes that industrial biotechnology can provide dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and provide strong progress toward a green and sustainable economy.

18 Sep 2009

JANSSEN Alzheimer Immunotherapy acquires Elan

Johnson & Johnson and Elan Corporation plc today announced that JANSSEN Alzheimer Immunotherapy, a newly formed subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, has completed the acquisition of substantially all of the assets and rights of Elan related to its Alzheimer's Immunotherapy Program (AIP).

18 Sep 2009

Researchers to develop a safer and synthetic alternative to current heparin

With a $4.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (under the Bioengineering Research Partnership program), research led by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will make its important final steps toward the development of a safer, synthetic alternative to current heparin. The researchers believe that kilogram quantities of the new drug could be developed in under five years.

18 Sep 2009

Pharmacyclics announces financial results for fourth quarter and FY 2009

Pharmacyclics, Inc. today reported financial results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended June 30, 2009. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009 Pharmacyclics incurred a GAAP net loss of $5.4 million, or $0.20 per share, compared to a net loss of $4.6 million, or $0.18 per share for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008.

18 Sep 2009

Notice of Allowance issued by PTO for OSI's EGFR drug

OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office has issued a “Notice of Allowance” in OSI’s reissue application for U.S. Patent No.5,747,498 (the ‘498) composition of matter patent for Tarceva® (erlotinib). The reissued patent will replace the original ‘498 patent and have the same November 2018 expiration date.

18 Sep 2009

Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia are new regions for clinical trials

Aon Corporation, the leading global provider of risk management services, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and human capital consulting, today issued the findings of its 2009 Clinical Trials Risk Map to address the constantly changing environment in which biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device companies conduct business around the world.

18 Sep 2009

Juvaris BioTherapeutics completes first close on Series B equity financing

Juvaris BioTherapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company developing adjuvanted vaccines for infectious diseases, announced that it has completed the first close on its Series B equity financing of up to $25 million led by SV Life Sciences (SVLS) along with existing investor, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB).

18 Sep 2009

Study compares annual healthcare costs of diabetic and non-diabetic individuals

Risk factors for metabolic syndrome, such as obesity, high blood pressure, and elevated blood lipid levels, can increase a person's healthcare costs nearly 1.6-fold, or about $2,000 per year. For each additional risk factor those costs rise an average of 24%, according to an illuminating article in a recent issue of Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

18 Sep 2009