asthma

SPOTLIGHT: Anesiva inks $114M licensing deal

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 06:59:53 -0400

Transcription Factor Therapeutics has licensed the worldwide rights to Anesiva's NF-kB Decoy program, which includes the clinical drug candidate Avrina. NF-kB Transcription Factor Decoy inhibits NF-kappa B, a protein implicated in the inflammatory cascade in diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), eczema, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma. Anesiva gets an upfront fee and up to $114 million in milestone payments if two products are developed. Release

EmergingMed matches patients with clinical trials

Wed, 14 May 2008 06:59:55 -0400

Recruiting the right number of the right patients for any clinical trial can be a tough prospect. Now there are a host of new efforts to match a patient with a clinical trial, including a service offered by the for-profit company EmergingMed. Analysts note that only about a quarter of the 200,000 eligible U.S. patients diagnosed with cancer participate in clinical trials each year. And while there are a number of reasons cited, the primary cause appears to be simple ignorance about what's going on.

The Wall Street Journal notes that there are a number of new outreach efforts that are being launched, but one of the most intriguing is operated by EmergingMed, which helps coordinate a patient's search for the right trial.

"We need to explain to the American public that the drugs we are benefiting from today did not come out of thin air," says Armin Weinberg, director of Baylor College of Medicine's Chronic Disease Prevention and Control Research Center in Houston. "Their participation in trials is the thing that is going to help us advance in all these battles against cancer, asthma, diabetes and hypertension."

- check out this release on the matching service
- read the article from the Wall Street Journal

Critical Therapeutics, Cornerstone to merge

Fri, 02 May 2008 06:59:54 -0400

Critical Therapeutics is merging with Cornerstone BioPharma Holdings, a specialty pharmaceutical company that develops treatments for respiratory disorders. Critical Therapeutics is also developing respiratory drugs, along with inflammatory and critical care treatments. Trevor Phillips, Critical's CEO, said the new company would be focused on respiratory diseases.

"After reviewing alternatives during a strategic review process over the past six months, we believe that the product synergies created by a merger with Cornerstone offer the best opportunity to drive stockholder value," said Phillips. The stock-for-stock transaction is targeted to close in the fourth quarter of 2008.

- here's the merger release

GSK, Amira sign $425M licensing pact

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 06:59:56 -0500

GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to pay Amira Pharmaceuticals up to $425 million for the exclusive worldwide rights to its FLAP inhibitors, including AM103 and other compounds within the current development program. Glaxo will first focus on AM103, an experimental asthma therapy that has successfully completed a Phase I trial.

"With their experience and expertise in this area we hope that AM103 will become the first FLAP inhibitor available to patients worldwide to treat symptoms of asthma and possibly other inflammatory diseases," says Peppi Prasit, CSO and co-founder of Amira.

- check out the release for more info

Related Articles:
GSK shakes up R&D. Report
Behind the scenes of GSK's overhaul. Report

DEALS: Teva buys CoGenesys for $400M

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:59:52 -0500

Teva buys CoGenesys for $400M

DEALS
WHO	WITH	WHAT	SCOOP
Pfizer	Washington University	$25M	Washington University and Pfizer researchers will identify, design and execute projects focused on immuno-inflammatory disorders such as arthritis, asthma and diabetes.
Forest Laboratories	Novexel's	$109.6 million	Forest gains development rights to Novexel's intravenous beta lactamase inhibitor, NXL 104, in combination with Forest's ceftaroline.
Teva	CoGenesys	$400 million	Teva says the buyout will give it a better position to compete in the fledgling biogeneric field.

Pfizer inks $25M research deal

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 06:59:58 -0500

Continuing the hot trend of biopharma companies partnering with research institutions, Pfizer has signed a $25 million, five-year deal with St. Louis-based Washington University. The move extends a previous relationship between the two that stretches back to 1982. As part of the deal, Washington University and Pfizer researchers will identify, design and execute projects focused on immuno-inflammatory disorders such as arthritis, asthma and diabetes. In addition, a fellowship program will allow students and post-docs to experience corporate life.

"This innovative model of partnership intimately links the scientific talent of Washington University with the extraordinary expertise of a pharmaceutical company like Pfizer," said Washington University Chancellor Mark Wrighton. "We believe it will serve as a new paradigm for other academic-industry collaborations." Recently, Pfizer also signed a large research pact with the Scripps Research Institute, and other drug developers have followed suit.

- here's the release on the deal
- see this article for more

Related Articles:
Scripps inks $100M research pact with Pfizer. Report
Ipsen halts study on new drug formulation. Report
Pfizer's future rests with biotech. Report

Topigen adds $25M in new venture funds

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 06:59:57 -0400

Canada's Topigen Pharmaceuticals has gained $25 million in venture support for its clinical programs in respiratory disorders. The round brings the biotech's total financing to $71 million to date. The investment is earmarked for Phase II clinical programs relating to its lead products, TPI 1020, a small-molecule drug in development for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and TPI ASM8, its RNA-inhibiting therapeutic for asthma.

In this round, new investors NovaQuest and MMV Financial join the existing venture investors: BDC Venture Capital, Desjardins Venture Capital, Caisse de Dépot et Placement du Québec, T2C2/BIO 2000 and Lothian Partners 27 SICAR. Additional funds and investors may be added to this financing.

- see the release for more information

ALSO: Quaker BioVentures has led a $13 million Series C round for EKR Therapeutics. Launched last summer, EKR markets a pain drug. Release

Press Release: AtheroGenics to Present at JPMorgan Healthcare Conference

Maureen Martino — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 11:28:47 -0500

AtheroGenics to Present at JPMorgan Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, January 10, 2007

ATLANTA, GA -- January 04, 2007 -- AtheroGenics, Inc., a pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases, today announced that Russell M. Medford, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, will be presenting a company overview and update at the 25th Annual JPMorgan Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, January 10, 2007, at 10:30 a.m. Pacific Time at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, Calif.

A live audio webcast of the presentation will be available on the AtheroGenics Investor Relations Events website at http://www.atherogenics.com. A replay of the presentation will be available on the Company's website approximately twenty-four hours after the presentation and will be archived for thirty days.

About AtheroGenics

AtheroGenics is focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases, including heart disease (atherosclerosis), rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. The Company has two drug development programs currently in the clinic. AtheroGenics' lead compound, AGI-1067, is being evaluated in the pivotal Phase III ARISE clinical trial as an oral therapy for the treatment of atherosclerosis, in collaboration with AstraZeneca. AGI-1096 is a novel, oral agent in Phase I that is being developed for the prevention of organ transplant rejection in collaboration with Astellas. AtheroGenics also has preclinical programs in rheumatoid arthritis and asthma utilizing its proprietary vascular protectant® technology. For more information about AtheroGenics, please visit http://www.atherogenics.com.

SPOTLIGHT: Isis to sell $75M in stock

Tue, 30 May 2006 20:01:33 -0400

Isis Pharmaceuticals has made a deal to sell $75 million in common stock to fund its clinical development programs. Azimuth Opportunity will buy the stock over 18 months at a slight discount. Much of that money will go to fund preclinical trials in diabetes, asthma and cardiovascular conditions. Report

SkyePharma gets long-awaited Flutiform partner

Sun, 07 May 2006 20:01:38 -0400

The UK's SkyePharma has inked a $165 million licensing deal ($25 million of which is up front) with Kos Pharmaceuticals for the U.S. marketing rights to Flutiform for asthma, its lead drug candidate. It's good news for SkyePharma, which has been seeking a partner on the drug for three years. The biotech company saw its shares surge on the news, even though some analyst's enthusiasm for the deal was tempered by the fact that SkyePharma hadn't landed a larger partner for the drug. Flutiform is in Phase III trials and SkyePharma believes it has the potential to earn a billion dollars a year in revenue.

- here's the Telegraph's report on the licensing deal

Sirna, GSK ink$700M RNAi development pact

Sun, 02 Apr 2006 20:01:36 -0400

Sirna Therapeutics has inked a drug development pact with GSK to develop RNAi therapies for respiratory diseases. In the deal, Sirna gains $12 million up front and up to $700 million in additional milestone payments.

"By combining GSK's pulmonary drug delivery expertise with Sirna's advanced application of RNAi technology, this alliance will expedite the development of novel therapeutics with potential use in a number of respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD," said Dr. Garth Rapeport, senior vice president, respiratory and inflammation CEDD, at GSK.

- check out the release for more

Domantis pockets $29M in new venture funds

Sun, 11 Dec 2005 19:01:36 -0500

Domantis has raised $29 million in new venture funds. New investors Novo Nordisk and MC Life Science Ventures--a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation--led the round. "Domantis' twelve lead programs are based on novel dAb products for treating major diseases including COPD, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and colorectal cancer," said Domantis CEO Robert Connelly. "This financing, together with the growing revenue stream from our nine partnerships, provides sufficient resources to fund the clinical development of these programs." Domantis is based in Waltham, MA and the UK.

- read this release for more information

Altana stock slides after European Daxas application pulled

Mon, 14 Nov 2005 19:01:39 -0500

Altana pulled its application for European marketing approval for Daxas--a drug for smoker's lung and asthma--after deciding to wait on more clinical data to back up the medication. The decision on one of Altana's key drug hopes sent its stock price into a dive. Altana has been hoping that Daxas would prove a blockbuster and help transform the drug developer into a major player in the respiratory drug field.

- read this report from AFX for more

Trial: Zyflo flunks mid-stage study for severe acne

Wed, 13 Jul 2005 20:01:38 -0400

Despite reducing lesions among patients with moderate to severe acne, Critical Therapeutics says that its mid-stage trial of Zyflo for acne failed to make a high enough grade to gain FDA approval. In the run-up to a fourth-quarter re-release of Zyflo for asthma, Critical Therapeutics had hoped that the drug could prove effective against severe acne. In a trial involving 600 subjects, people taking Zyflo for 12 weeks had an average reduction of 11.5 lesions compared to 9.1 among subjects taking a placebo. Zyflo is designed to block an enzyme that causes inflammation that leads to asthma and acne. Critical Therapeutics bought the drug last year from Abbott. It was originally approved in 1996.

- read this story from the AP for more

Pfizer abandons two drugs that disappointed in trials

Thu, 30 Jun 2005 20:01:39 -0400

Pharma giant Pfizer is abandoning the development of two key drugs, saying that neither are demonstrating real benefits for patients. Pfizer turned over all rights to Daxas to Germany's Altana. Intended as a treatment for COPD and asthma, the drug - once picked as a potential blockbuster - has been a disappointment in trials. The news hit Altana's share price hard, sending its stock down 13% in early trading. The HIV drug capravirine also got the ax after two Phase II trials failed to nail down superior therapeutic benefits for patients compared to standard treatments. Capravirine's rights were returned to Japan's Shionogi.

The move to dump the two drugs was seen as a blow to Pfizer, which is looking to develop a new generation of drugs to replace big sellers like Bextra, which has been beset by safety questions.

- read this story from TheStreet.com for more

PLUS: Frankfurt-based Altana, though, said it still believed that Daxas can be successfully launched. CEO Nikolaus Schweickart said Altana has the cash to continue development alone. Story

Novartis to collaborate with Hybridon

Tue, 31 May 2005 20:01:36 -0400

Novartis has inked a collaboration deal with Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Hybridon to develop immune modulatory compounds for asthma and allergies. In the deal, Novartis will fund research into the IMOs and pay up to $136 million in milestones and other fees for a successful product launch. The compounds are intended to act as agonists for Toll-like receptor 9 to produce an immune response capable of warding off asthma and allergy.

"There is a pressing need to develop more effective methods of treating asthma and allergies, both of which are large and growing medical problems," said Sudhir Agrawal, CEO and chief scientific officer of Hybridon. "We believe that our IMO technology can be used to develop immune modulatory compounds to address the underlying conditions of these diseases and result in novel treatments for these serious unmet medical needs. We are optimistic that our DNA chemistry expertise coupled with Novartis' strength in research and development plus their track record of bringing new products to market can contribute substantially to the success of this program."

- read this press release for more