BioSpace News Archive

Drug Development

Tiburio Launches With $31 Million and Two Compounds From Ipsen Targeting Rare Endocrine Diseases

New biotech Tiburio has surged onto the scene with $31 million in financing and two novel Phase II-ready assets licensed from Ipsen Pharma. The new company, spun out of orphan drug accelerator Cydan is focused on rare endocrine diseases.

January 3, 2019
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3 min read
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Alex Keown
Drug Development

AstraZeneca Spinoff Viela Bio Reports Positive Phase IIb Trial in Rare Disease

Viela Bio, based in Gaithersburg, Md., announced that N-MOmentum, its Phase IIb pivotal trial of inebilizumab, met both primary and key secondary endpoints in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD).

January 3, 2019
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2 min read
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Mark Terry
Business

BioSpace Movers and Shakers: Jan. 4

Biopharma companies begin 2019 with a flurry of hiring to fill executive leadership spots, including Dermavant, UroGen, Melinta, Translate Bio, and more.

January 3, 2019
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7 min read
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Alex Keown
Deals

2019 Begins With a $74 Billion Bang as BMS Buys Celgene

Bristol-Myers Squibb will acquire Celgene Corporation to create a pharma giant with a significant pipeline focused on oncology, inflammatory and immunologic diseases, and cardiovascular disease.

January 3, 2019
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4 min read
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Alex Keown
Job Trends

Pfizer Initiative Leads to Second Career for Former Employee

In 2013 Pfizer launched its Dare to Try initiative, a project designed to foster internal innovation at the pharma giant. It was an effort that encouraged employees to not be afraid to fail as they reached for the sky.

January 3, 2019
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2 min read
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Alex Keown
Pharm Country

Cybrexa Therapeutics Selects Lead Clinical Candidate CBX-11, Combining its alphalex™ Technology with an Approved PARP Inhibitor to Treat Various Solid Tumors in Combination with Chemotherapy

CBX-11 selected based on robust efficacy and safety in combination with chemotherapy demonstrated in preclinical models Positive pre-IND Meeting with FDA supports on track plan to file IND in Q4 2019

January 3, 2019
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2 min read
Business

Merck Licenses NASH Compound From NGM Biopharma for $20 Million

MK-3655 is a monoclonal antibody agonist of the b-Klotho/FGFR1c receptor complex. The drug is being studied to treat nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and type 2 diabetes.

January 3, 2019
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3 min read
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Mark Terry
Business

Locus and Janssen Ink Potential $818 Million Deal to Develop CRISPR-Based Antibacterials

Under the terms of the deal, Janssen is paying Locus $20 million up front. Locus will be eligible for up to a total of $798 million in development and commercial milestones, as well as royalties on any product sales.

January 3, 2019
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3 min read
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Mark Terry
Business

UroGen Taps Oncology Veteran Elizabeth Barrett as Its New CEO

Novartis and Pfizer veteran Elizabeth Barrett will take over as the new president and chief executive officer of UroGen Pharma Ltd. Barrett, who most recently helmed Novartis Oncology, will take over as Ron Bentsur steps down from his role as CEO.

January 3, 2019
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2 min read
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Alex Keown
Deals

Ohr Pharma and NeuBase Merge to Push NeuBase’s Rare Disease Tech Platform

Ohr Pharmaceutical is merging with NeuBase Therapeutics to create a public company working to advance NeuBase’s peptide-nucleic acid (PNA) antisense olignonucleotide (PATrOL) tech platform.

January 3, 2019
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2 min read
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Mark Terry