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Other News To Note
(BioWorld Today Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) , of Keele, UK, signed an agreement with ViroMed Co. Ltd., of Seoul, Korea, to produce VM206RY, a plasmid DNA treatment for tumors expressing Her2/neu (breast, ovarian, pancreatic and stomach cancers) in Korea. Under the agreement, Cobrabio will produce ViroMed's Master Cell Bank and GMP-grade VM206RY for clinical trials to be held in Korea and in the U.S.
? Forbes Medi-Tech Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, said that the Nasdaq Hearings Panel has granted the company an extension through June 30 to demonstrate compliance with the minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on Nasdaq.
? Lipid Sciences Inc., of Pleasanton, Calif., said results of a proof-of-concept study that demonstrated a positive therapeutic effect with the company's autologous virus vaccine in SIV-infected nonhuman primates was published in in the journal Experimental Biology and Medicine. Vaccination of four animals with autologous SIV, delipidated by Lipid's process, led to an average 8.6 times viral load reduction in the treated animals. The viral load change, pre-vaccination vs. post-vaccination, was statistically significant, indicating that autologous delipidated viral vaccination lowered viral loads. The treatment also enhanced survival, and the animals exhibited fewer symptoms of AIDS post-vaccination.
? Memory Pharmaceuticals Corp., of Montvale, N.J. received a letter from Nasdaq saying it has not regained compliance with the $1 bid price requirement, and its securities are subject to delisting. The company said it will request a hearing.
? Molecular Sensing Inc., of Montara, Calif., entered into an extensive Life Science Early Access Program agreement with Merck KGaA, of Darmstadt, Germany, acting on behalf of its division for innovative prescription pharmaceuticals, Merck Serono, to evaluate MSI Back-Scattering Interferometry technology. The cooperation will evaluate BSI technology and MSI instrumentation related to drug discovery, development and research applications. Financial details were not disclosed.
? Ore Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Gaithersburg, Md., said DioGenix, its molecular diagnostics subsidiary, identified sets of genes that it believes will form the basis of a new assay to diagnose multiple sclerosis. DioGenix plans to refine those gene sets and to further confirm their disease association before developing an assay and is seeking strategic alternatives to fund product development efforts.
? Radius Health, of Cambridge, Mass., has selected the first lead candidate, RAD140, from its internal nonsteroidal selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) discovery program for full preclinical development as a potential therapy for the treatment of age-related muscle loss and other musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoporosis. Radius selected RAD140 after it demonstrated exceptional selectivity for anabolic activity in well-validated in vivo models. Radius expects to begin human clinical trials in the first half of 2009.
? Raptor Pharmaceuticals Corp., of Novato, Calif., said the FDA has granted orphan drug designation for cysteamine bitartrate for the treatment of Huntington's disease (HD). There is currently no drug available that targets the unique molecular defect that is believed to cause HD. Cysteamine currently is approved by in the U.S. and Europe to treat nephropathic cystinosis.
? Repros Therapeutics Inc., of the Woodlands, Texas, released initial findings from evaluation of gross necropsies conducted upon completion of the in-life portion of a six-month mouse study conducted to satisfy a portion of the FDA requirements to demonstrate the lack of carcinogenic potential for new chemical entities. In the positive- and negative-controlled study, Proellex showed no gross potential for tumor induction as compared to both controls. Proellex was tested at 10, 40 and 100 times the human dose. A final determination of carcinogenic potential is pending. A two-year rat carcinogenicity study of Proellex also is nearing an end and results of gross findings are expected in July.
? Stellar Pharmaceuticals Inc., of London, Ontario, received approval from the TSX Venture Exchange for the delisting of its common shares effective June 16.
? Sucampo Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Bethesda, Md., said its wholly owned subsidiary Sucampo Pharma Europe Ltd. filed a marketing authorization application in Switzerland for Amitiza (lubiprostone) for chronic idiopathic constipation in adults. The submission is part of the ongoing development of Amitiza 24 mcg, which was first launched in the U.S. in 2006.
? TapImmune Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia, executed an exclusive option agreement with the University of British Columbia for three follow-on technologies related to the original Transporters Associated with Antigen Processing technology acquired last year. TapImmune is preparing GLP-manufactured materials for the commencement of toxicology studies on the AdhTAP vaccine, leading to the initiation of a Phase I trial.
? Targanta Therapeutics Corp., of Cambridge, Mass., submitted a marketing authorization application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency for its lead candidate oritavancin, a semi-synthetic lipoglycopeptide antibiotic candidate with bactericidal activity against a broad spectrum of Gram-positive bacteria. The MAA seeks approval of oritavancin for the treatment of complicated skin and soft tissue infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
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