Shares in Dicerna Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ:DRNA) jumped 19% to $3.20 apiece today after the company said it raised $70 million in a convertible stock purchase deal and posted its 4th quarter results. Bain Capital Life Sciences led the investment round, joined by EcoR1 Capital, Cormorant Asset Management, RA Capital, Domain Associates, Skyline Ventures and others. Bain […]
Clearside inks clinical development deal with EyeKor
Clearside Biomedical (NSDQ:CLSD) said today that it landed a deal with EyeKor Inc. to support its clinical trials. The companies did not disclose any financial details of the agreement. Clearside is conducting a Phase III trial of suprachoroidally administered CLS-TA, its suspension formulation of triamcinolone acetonide, in patients with macular edema associated with non-infectious uveitis. The […]
RenovoRx wins label expansion for RenovoCath device
RenovoRx said yesterday that it won label expansion for the RenovoCath dual-balloon infusion catheter to include the delivery of chemotherapeutics. The device isolates segments of the peripheral vasculature, allowing doctors to deliver therapeutics in a more targeted fashion, according to the Los Altos, Calif.-based company. “This additional FDA indication marks yet another milestone for RenovoRx as […]
Researchers develop polymer capsules for targeted drug delivery
Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have developed cancer-fighting polymer capsules that they suggest could be used for targeted drug delivery of chemotherapeutics. The team’s work was published in ACS Nano. The multi-layer capsules feature good imaging contrast, as well as efficient encapsulation of doxorubicin, according to the researchers. The vessels are triggered by […]
Johnson & Johnson’s tender offer for Actelion snares 78% stake
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) said today that it controls nearly 78% of voting rights in its $30 billion acquisition of Swiss biotech firm Actelion (VTX:ATLN). Janssen, J&J’s Swiss subsidiary, declared the tender offer successful. The company added that based on regulatory approval proceedings, the offer is expected to settle in the 2nd quarter of this year. J&J will have […]
Study: Why even targeted lung cancer therapies eventually fail
Even when patients are treated with targeted cancer therapies, many lung cancer patients suffer a recurrence. Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory wanted to uncover how some cancers escape the power of targeted treatment. Their work was published in the journal eLife this week. The team of scientists, lead by Raffaella Sordella, found that a tiny subset […]
Merck, Avillion ink development deal for nanobody psoriasis treatment
Merck KGaA and Avillion inked a clinical co-development deal today for Merck’s anti IL-17 A/F Nanobody therapy for plaque psoriasis. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The investigational treatment underwent Phase I development and the group plans to initiate Phase II trials this year. According to the terms of the agreement, Avillion […]
Biotronik touts doctors’ survey responses for Magmaris drug-eluting scaffold
Biotronik touted data today from its Magnesium 1,000 program, which provided doctors with an early post-market opportunity to evaluate the company’s new resorbable Magmaris magnesium scaffold. More than 98% of physicians reported that the scaffolds successfully deployed, according to the data, and that it performed well compared to the leading polymeric scaffold, Biotronik said. The program […]
SteadyMed reels in losses with Q4 earnings
Shares in SteadyMed (NSDQ:STDY) rose yesterday after the pharmaceutical company reported its 4th quarter results. The San Ramon, Calif.-based company posted losses of -$2.4 million, or -12¢ per share, on sales of $400,000 for the 3 months ended Dec. 31, for bottom-line growth of 63.1% on sales loss of -25.6% compared with the same period last year. […]
Capsugel expands into late-stage inhalation delivery
Capsugel said today that it expanded its late-stage inhalation formulation capabilities to move dry powder inhalation concepts through late-stage clinical trial and into commercial production. The company installed a new Harro Hofliger Modu-C MS encapsulation unit at its Oregon-based facility. The machinery features specialized drum-dosing tech for use in dry powder inhalation development projects with […]