Executives news from FierceBiotech

VaxGen and Raven Biotechnologies are backing out of their proposed merger after "stronger than anticipated opposition" from shareholders. The companies say that while they initially thought Read more...

Shares of SGX Pharmaceuticals were sliding this morning on the news that its lead cancer therapy Read more...

There's another big loser in the inhaled insulin game. Shares of Novo Nordisk were trimmed more than four percent after the Danish developer announced it was dropping its short-acting AERx insulin Read more...

Lately, not a week passes without China's trumpeting a new drug-safety initiative, and this week is no exception. Now, the country says Read more...

At this week’s Bear Stearns Healthcare Conference, Pfizer discussed its plans for the future with analysts. As we all know, Pfizer is facing a major loss of sales when its best-selling drug Read more...

Pharming says that its Phase III trial for Rhucin--a human protein developed to treat acute attacks of hereditary angieoedema--has hit its targets, opening the way to European and U.S. markets as Read more...

The FDA has turned thumbs down on IDM Pharma's mifamurtide, which was developed to treat a rare form of bone cancer. The agency is looking for more clinical data, says IDM, adding that company Read more...

Ception Therapeutics has rounded up $63 million in its third round of venture capital, with Essex Woodlands Health Ventures leading the way. Ception, which is based in Malvern Hill, PA, says that much of that money will be used to advance a late-stage biologic compound in clinical development for multiple inflammatory conditions, a small molecule anti-TNF program and other discovery programs. Investor Growth Capital, MDS Life Sciences Technology Fund II, New Science Ventures and Aperture …

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The FDA has issued a nonapprovable letter to Japan's Astellas Pharma for a new formulation of its drug Prograf for heart transplant patients. But the agency also said that the drug was approvable for liver and kidney patients while asking for additional information before a final decision is made. That delay sent shares of Astellas down more than five percent, although company officials said they had not given up hope of an approval. The patent on Prograf, which earned $1.4 billion last …

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Genaera will cut its staff by 30 percent as it shutters its development program for Evizon, an experimental therapy that has been in mid-stage trials for wet age-related macular degeneration. Genaera reported disappointing results from the most recent mid-stage study. Company officials announced that Genaera now plans to shift its focus to trodusquemine (MSI-1436), a new obesity drug in Phase I as Banc of America Securities is brought on to explore "strategic alternatives."

"This …

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