You can add another upstart to the swelling list of gene therapy biotechs hitting the industry radar around the world. Sofinnova stepped in to lead the $22 million A round for Paris-based Lysogene, which is already in the clinic with a new therapy for rare cases of Sanfilippo syndrome, with plans to branch out into other neurodegenerative conditions. ...
It's not over yet. Another one of AstraZeneca's big investors appears to have joined the rebel group demanding that the board get to the bargaining table and see where it can take Pfizer's latest $120 billion offer. Citing sources, The Wall Street Journal reports that Legal & General, AstraZeneca's 6 th largest shareholder with a 3.5% stake in the company, wrote a letter to the...
Ardelyx retained U.S. co-promotion rights for tenapanor when it did its deal with AstraZeneca back in 2012. ...
69 percent of healthy American adults are infected with one or more of 109 strains of human papillomavirus (HPV). This is the conclusion of a study that is believed to be the largest and most detailed genetic analysis of its kind. Researchers say that while most of the viral strains so far appear to be harmless and can remain dormant for years, their overwhelming presence suggests a delicate balancing...
A substance that comes from pine bark is a potential source for a new treatment of melanoma, according to researchers. Current melanoma drugs targeting single proteins can initially be effective, but resistance develops relatively quickly and the disease recurs. In those instances, resistance usually develops when the cancer cell's circuitry bypasses the protein that the drug acts on, or when the cell...
The scientific progress that has made it possible to dream of a future in which faulty organs could be regrown from stem cells also holds potential as an ethical and greener source for meat. So say scientists who suggest that every town or village could one day have its very own small-scale, cultured meat factory. ...
A team of international researchers has sequenced the genome of the Nevada dampwood termite, providing an inside look into the biology of the social insect and uncovering new genetic targets for pest control. The genome could help researchers develop control strategies that are more specific than the broad-spectrum chemicals conventionally used to treat termite infestations. ...
Clinicians treating patients suffering from Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) currently have no drugs specifically targeted to the MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV), a virus first detected in humans in 2012. To address the urgent need for therapies, screened a set of 290 compounds already approved by the US Food and Drug Administration or far advanced in clinical development for other indications to...
Maternal intake of dietary methyl donors during the first trimester of pregnancy modulates the risk of developing childhood asthma at age 7, according to a new study. Methyl donors are nutrients involved in a biochemical process called methylation, in which chemicals are linked to proteins, DNA, or other molecules in the body. ...
A new genetic study has revealed that populations of humpback whales in the oceans of the North Pacific, North Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere are much more distinct from each other than previously thought, and should be recognized as separate subspecies. Understanding how connected these populations are has important implications for the recovery of these charismatic animals that were once devastated...
Can a fledgling biotech still plotting early-stage studies of its cutting-edge cancer drug technology mount a successful IPO by mapping a radically short trip to the FDA? ...
Now that AstraZeneca's board has nixed Pfizer's "final" offer, the proposed $119 billion megamerger would seem to be all but dead. Pfizer's already given up the option of going hostile, which is easier in the U.K. than it is in the U.S. And British M&A rules prevent Pfizer from topping a final bid. But signs of investor unrest have begun to surface at AstraZeneca. And the...
Clovis Oncology has joined the small group of biotech companies to pick up the FDA's coveted breakthrough therapy designation, an honor the drug developer believes will light the way to an early approval for its lung cancer candidate. ...
Now that the ovarian cancer drug vintafolide has crumbled in Phase III, Merck and its partner Endocyte have pulled their conditional marketing application in Europe and are moving to close down the study. ...
Two scientists avoided trading losses of more than $45,000 by selling off their GTx shares before the public got word of a clinical hold on the company's cancer drug, according to the SEC. ...
After running a gamut of regulatory challenges on vedolizumab's safety profile, Takeda has emerged on the other side with an agency approval to market the drug--as Entyvio--for inflammatory bowel diseases. ...
Venomous creatures usually conjure up images of hissing snakes or stinging scorpions. But for a team of scientists, an overlooked group -- centipedes -- are all the rage. Centipedes prey on bugs and other pests by stinging them with venom secreted from and injected from their first pair of pincer-like legs, called forcipules. ...
A lean “Supermodel” mouse type has revealed the potentially critical role played by a largely unknown gene that regulates metabolism, findings that could provide new insight into diseases ranging from diabetes to obesity. The Supermodel mouse's phenotype -- the physical characteristics that result from its gene makeup -- include being very small in size, with an unusual body form caused by abnormal...
A link between four common chronic pain syndromes has been found by researchers, suggesting that some people may be genetically predisposed to suffer from conditions of this type. The study examined identical and non-identical twins and established that IBS, musculoskeletal pain, pelvic pain and dry eye disease may have hereditary links. Migraine was shown, as previously, to have a degree of genetic...
A diet that combines unsaturated fats with nitrite-rich vegetables, such as olive oil and lettuce, can protect you from hypertension, suggests a new study. The findings help to explain why some previous studies have shown that a Mediterranean diet can reduce blood pressure. The Mediterranean diet typically includes unsaturated fats found in olive oil, nuts and avocados, along with vegetables like spinach,...