Actelion (VTX:ATLN) and Sanofi (NYSE:SNY) are reportedly in talks to reach a takeover deal after Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) said yesterday that it has closed negotiations with the Swiss biotech. J&J and Actelion have been in informal talks for nearly 2 months and the US company has made an offer valued at 250 Swiss francs per share. J&J said yesterday […]
Rewired immune cells respond as targeted cancer therapy
Researchers from Northwestern University have developed a method to rewire immune cells by genetically modifying the cells to sense molecules secreted by tumors and respond by activating the immune system. The team’s work is described in a study published this month in Nature Chemical Biology. Although immunotherapy is growing in popularity among cancer researchers, tumors secrete […]
AcelRx seeks FDA nod for non-invasive sufentanil painkiller
AcelRx Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ:ACRX) said today that it submitted a new drug application to the FDA for its ARX-04 sublingual sufentanil tablet. The non-invasive compound has been studied as a treatment for patients experiencing moderate or severe acute pain and is administered in a medically supervised setting using a disposable, pre-filled, single-dose applicator. The Redwood City, Calif.-based […]
BioDelivery’s topical gel for diabetic neuropathy fails in phase IIb trial
BioDelivery Sciences International (NSDQ:BDSI) said today that its clonidine topical gel for pain relief in patients with diabetic neuropathy failed in a phase IIb clinical trial. Raleigh, N.C.-based BioDelivery will halt any further development of the painkiller. In the phase IIb clinical trial, BioDelivery’s topical gel did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference in pain relief […]
National cancer group recommends Sirtex’s microspheres for metastatic colorectal cancer
Sirtex Medical (ASX:SRX) said yesterday that the National Comprehensive Cancer Network has recommended the company’s radioactive microspheres in its Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for colon cancer and rectal cancer. The NCCN panel uniformly agreed that selective internal radiation therapy with yttrium-90 microspheres is an option for patients with metastatic, chemotherapy resistant colorectal cancer. The recommendation was […]
Novocure touts positive TTFields data for pancreatic, ovarian cancer
Novocure (NSDQ:NVCR) shares were up 6% after hours yesterday after the company released positive data for its “tumor treating fields” combined with chemotherapy for pancreatic and ovarian cancer. The St. Helier, N.J.-based company’s TTFields are low-intensity, alternating electric fields meant to inhibit cancer cell replication and cause cell death. Novocure presented data from its phase II […]
Pediapharm wins Health Canada nod for antibiotic, steroid combo ear drop
Pediapharm Inc. (CVE:PDP) said today that it won regulatory approval from Health Canada for its Otixal eye drop solution for the treatment of acute otitis media with tympanostomy tubes in pediatric patients. The Quebec-based company touts Otixal as the 1st antibiotic and steroid combination ear drop available in single, sterile unit-dose packaging. Otitis media, or […]
Phillips-Medisize to build drug delivery manufacturing facility in Wisconsin
Phillips-Medisize said today that it plans to open an 80,000 square foot drug delivery manufacturing facility at its Menomonie, Wisconsin campus. The facility, which is expected to open in 2017, will manufacture high volume, prefilled drug delivery systems. It will employ at least 100 people, the company said, and is funded by the signing of […]
Adherium’s smart inhaler tech chosen for EU mobile health program
Adherium Ltd. (ASK:ADR) said today that its Smartinhaler was chosen for the myAirCoach program as a part of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework for Research and Innovation. The Horizon 2020 program is the largest EU research and innovation program ever established, with €80 billion (nearly $85 billion) of funding available from 2014 until 2020. The […]
Flexion seeks FDA nod for osteoarthritis steroid injection
Flexion Therapeutics (NSDQ:FLXN) said today that it submitted a new drug application to the FDA for its extended-release steroid injection Zilretta. The Burlington, Mass.-based company won Fast Track status from the watchdog for its osteoarthritis injection last year. The new drug application is based on data from a pivotal phase III clinical trial evaluating Zilretta in […]