> Limerick BioPharma has ginned $11 million in venture funds and borrowed $4 million more to advance its work on the bioavailability of drugs. Arch Venture Partners, Sevin Rosen Funds and Altitude Funds are all listed as investors. Report
> Researchers have presented new data backing Cimzia over competitors for the rheumatoid arthritis category. Report
> Carl Icahn offered to pay up to $15 billion for Biogen Idec last October. Report
> Idenix reported positive phase I/II data on IDX899, which is being developed to treat HIV-1. Report
> Neogen says it intends to double its research and development efforts for its new fiscal year by hiring 23 additional R&D personnel by early fall. Neogen release
> Opexa Therapeutics announced favorable safety and efficacy data for Tovaxin, a T-cell vaccination therapy for multiple sclerosis, in the second year of open-label clinical re-treatment studies in patients with MS. Opexa release
> OPKO Health has acquired exclusive worldwide rights in the field of ophthalmology to a novel small molecule agent in Phase II clinical development for the treatment of viral conjunctivitis and other viral infections. OPKO release
> Vical has received $6.3 million from AnGes under a previously announced collaborative agreement for continued funding of the company's ongoing Allovectin-7 Phase III metastatic melanoma trial. Vical release
> Cell Therapeutics has sold $23 million in senior convertible notes. Report
And Finally... Baxter International says that a human trial of its Celvapan bird flu vaccine demonstrated that it spurred an immune response against three strains of the lethal virus. This is the first time that researchers have developed a flu vaccine using a virus grown in cell cultures rather than eggs. Vaccine report