BioSpace News Archive

Business

Proniras Launches with $89.5 Million BARDA Contract to Treat Chemical Weapons

Proniras Corporation launched from Accelerator Life Science Partners to treat nerve agents. The company recently received a contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) for $89.5 million.

April 30, 2018

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2 min read

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Mark Terry

Deals

United Therapeutics Strikes Deal for SteadyMed to Bolster PAH Pipeline

Shares of SteadyMed Ltd. have skyrocketed more than 77 percent in premarket trading today after United Therapeutics announced it will acquire the company for a total of $216 million, including $75 million in contingent consideration.

April 30, 2018

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2 min read

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Alex Keown

Drug Development

FDA Clears Pluristem Therapeutics’ Application for Emergency Radiation Exposure Treatment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared Haifa, Israel-based Pluristem Therapeutics’ Investigational New Drug (IND) application for PLX-R18 to treat acute radiation syndrome (ARS).

April 30, 2018

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3 min read

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Mark Terry

Business

Regeneron and Sanofi Eye October for FDA Review of Skin Cancer Drug Cemiplimab

Regeneron and its longtime development partner Sanofi are keeping their proverbial fingers crossed that their profitable collaboration will yield yet another approved treatment this year.

April 30, 2018

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2 min read

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Alex Keown

Drug Development

Uh-oh: Another Biotech Calls Off an IPO at the Last Minute

Only days after UK-based Mereo BioPharma canceled its plans for an initial public offering (IPO) on the Nasdaq Global Market, Framingham, Massachusetts-based Alzheon dropped its IPO plans.

April 30, 2018

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2 min read

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Mark Terry

Business

Merck Looks to Snag Another FDA Approval for Keytruda in Lung Cancer

Merck appears to be on the way to securing an additional approval for Keytruda, its blockbuster checkpoint inhibitor. The company is seeking new regulatory approval for Keytruda, an anti-PD-1 therapy, in combination with Eli Lilly’s Alimta and platinum chemotherapy as a first-line lung cancer treatment.

April 30, 2018

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2 min read

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Alex Keown

Pictured: Pile of money/iStock, Ihor Lukianenko

Biotech Beach

Synthorx Raises $63 Million to Advance Next-Gen Immuno-Oncology Therapy

San Diego-based Synthorx announced it had completed a Series C financing round worth $63 million.The monies raised will be used to advance its pipeline of Synthorin cytokines.

April 30, 2018

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3 min read

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Mark Terry

What Brent Saunders Thinks About a Possible Allerg

Drug Development

Allergan CEO Committed to Company’s Business Strategy Despite Concerns of Some Investors

Allergan Chief Executive Officer Brent Saunders delivered a rosy review of the first quarter for 2018, including a 3 percent growth in revenue to $3.67 billion over the past three months. However, investors are not terribly pleased and shares have fallen nearly 4 percent this morning.

April 30, 2018

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3 min read

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Alex Keown

3d illustration of a cancer cell and lymphocytes

Drug Development

Are All Cancers Rare Cancers?

Biopharmaceutical companies are focusing their drugs for smaller and smaller and more clearly delineated patient populations. No longer is a drug for lung cancer or even non-small cell lung cancer, but a much smaller segment.

April 30, 2018

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4 min read

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Mark Terry

Business

NYU’s Leena Gandhi to Join Eli Lilly’s Immuno-Oncology Program

Eli Lilly and Company announced that Leena Gandhi will lead its immuno-oncology medical development program.

April 30, 2018

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2 min read

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Mark Terry