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Other News To Note
(BioWorld Today Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) , of Markham, Ontario, said preclinical data showed that mice treated with Zysolin, a tobramycin compound encapsulated in the company's nano-drug-delivery platform, achieved a 60 percent survival rate, compared to a 40 percent survival rate in the tobramycin treatment group in a model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia. Zysolin is intended for the treatment of cystic fibrosis and as an adjunctive treatment of Gram-negative pneumonia in intubated and mechanically-ventilated patients.
? Bavarian Nordic A/S, of Kvistgard, Denmark, said it exercised its option to extend the EBx embryonic stem cell line research license signed with Vivalis, of Nantes, France, in 2007. During the last 12 months, Bavarian Nordic produced positive data demonstrating that its recombinant vaccines platform, MVA-BN, can efficiently and consistently manufacture the EBx cell line. The company is evaluating the EBx cell line as a potential alternative production technology to its existing CEF process for the manufacturing of several vaccine candidates.
? CellCyte Genetics Corp., of Bothell, Wash., selected the Cardiovascular Phenotyping Core at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis to perform a study to further evaluate CellCyte's glycoprotein products. The goal of the study is to investigate the efficiency of CellCyte's glycoprotein products in a preclinical model of myocardial infarction.
? Clinical Data Inc., of Newton, Mass., said its Cogenics subsidiary signed an agreement to develop solutions enabling large-scale crop SNP discovery projects with 454 Life Sciences, of Branford, Conn., and Limagrain Verneuil Holding, of Chappes, France. Limagrain aims to improve certain feed crops through the selection and cross-breeding of desirable characteristics that occur in natural variants of each species. Under terms of the agreement, Cogenics and 454 Life Sciences will provide a solution for the discovery of genomic variations enabling the selection procedure. A first large-scale application will focus on wheat, with additional crop species to follow.
? GeneGo Inc., of St. Joseph, Mich., said Merck & Co. Inc., of Whitehouse Station, N.J., extended its global enterprise agreement to provide Merck with access to GeneGo's content through MetaBase, the company's original computational MetaDiscovery platform that allows integration and analysis of different kinds of experimental data (mRNA expression, proteomics, metabolomics, microRNA assays and other phenotypic data) and relevant bioactive chemistry (metabolites, drugs and other xenobiotics) within the framework of curated biological pathways and networks. Under terms of the agreement, Merck also gains access to GeneGo's MetaCore and MetaDrug content and the company's internal database of disease biomarkers.
? Immtech Pharmaceuticals Inc., of New York, reported positive results with a prototype compound against the hepatitis C virus. The prototype compound belongs to an expanding class of compounds that has previously demonstrated activity against a related surrogate virus, bovine viral diarrhea virus. The compound was found to have significant activity against HCV under assay conditions designed to demonstrate inhibition of the virus entry process, using a newly available in vitro cell culture system that employs infectious and replicating virus.
? Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc., of The Woodlands, Texas, received fast-track status from the FDA for development of LX1032, an oral, small-molecule drug candidate for managing gastrointestinal symptoms associated with carcinoid syndrome. LX1032 is one of four programs in human trials as part of Lexicon's 10TO10 program. Lexicon will initiate a multidose Phase Ib trial to evaluate the safety and tolerability of LX1032 in about 40 healthy volunteers in June. Lexicon expects data from the Phase Ib trial before the end of the year.
? Nabi Biopharmaceuticals, of Rockville, Md., received a $2.5 million payment from Fresenius USA Manufacturing Inc., of Walnut Creek, Calif., for the completion of another milestone governing the company's 2006 sale of PhosLo (calcium acetate) and the product's related assets to Fresenius for total consideration of up to $150 million. The latest payment was contingent upon publication of information related to the CARE-2 (Calcium Acetate Renagel Evaluation-2) study in the June 2008 issue of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases. Data in that article demonstrated that when lipid levels are kept constant in both treatment groups, there is no difference in cardiovascular clarification between patients treated with PhosLo and those treated with Renagel (sevelamer hydrochloride, Genzyme Corp.) (See BioWorld Today, April 5, 2006.)
? NexMed Inc., of East Windsor, N.J., said an article on its topical treatment for onychomycosis (nail fungus) licensed to Novartis AG, of Basel, Switzerland, was published in the May 2008 issue of Mycoses. The article is titled, "Determination of the Efficacy of Terbinafine HCl Nail Solution in the Topical Treatment of Dermatophytosis in a Guinea Pig Model." NM100060 is a topical application of Lamisil (terbinafine hydrochloride), formulated with terbinafine and NexMed's patented NexACT technology. The company entered an exclusive, worldwide agreement with Novartis in September 2005, under which Novartis assumed all clinical development, regulatory, manufacturing and commercialization responsibilities for NM100060. (See BioWorld Today, Sept. 16, 2005.)
? OPKO Health Inc., of Miami, said a study published in Molecular Vision demonstrated that its gene-silencing agent, bevasiranib, is distributed throughout the eye, including extensive uptake into the retina. In two tissue distribution and pharmacokinetic studies in rabbits, results showed that bevasiranib was present in the retina and in targeted retinal pigment epithelium cells following intravitreal injection.
? Proteomika SL, of Zamudio, Spain, said an option agreement with Auguron Biosciences Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., will give Proteomika exclusive access to use Auguron's Nucleic Acid Programmable Protein Array (NAPPA) technology in two autoimmune disease areas. NAPPA technology was developed at the Harvard Institute of Proteomics and is licensed exclusively to Auguron. The agreement allows Proteomika to manufacture and use NAPPA technology at Proteomika's facilities for Proteomika's internal purposes and the performance of services to partners. At any time during the period, Proteomika may exercise the option to negotiate an exclusive license to NAPPA within the field of biomarker discovery pertaining to inflammatory bowel disease and lupus. No financial terms were disclosed.
? Sartorius Stedim Biotech, of Goettingen, Germany, entered an agreement with WuXi AppTec Inc., a wholly owned operating subsidiary of WuXi PharmaTech, of St. Paul, Minn., to cooperate on viral clearance studies. Under the agreement, WuXi AppTec will provide the relevant viruses, materials and methodologies to Sartorius Stedim for use in non-GLP viral clearance testing of its technologies with customer products and for supporting its own research and development activities.
? Sepracor Inc., of Marlborough, Mass., completed its acquisition of specialty pharma firm Oryx Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Mississauga, Ontario. Under the terms reported in early May, Oryx's shareholders received $50 million and might be entitled to subsequent payments of up to $20 million upon accomplishment of various Canadian regulatory milestones. (See BioWorld Today, May 2, 2008.)
? ViroDefense Inc., of Rockville, Md., said it chose to advance a compound licensed by Schering-Plough Corp., of Kenilworth, N.J., into investigational new drug application-enabling preclinical studies for the prevention and treatment of poliovirus infections. The license was provided in exchange for the purchase of compound-testing supplies and potential future royalties on sales. The lead antipoliovirus compound, V-073, has been shown to have broad-spectrum antipoliovirus-specific activity, favorable pharmacologic and pharmacokinetic attributes and a safety and tolerability profile suitable for advancement as a preclinical candidate.
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