Boehringer Ingelheim

Evotec earns milestones from Boehringer

Maureen Martino — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:13:03 -0400

Evotec has garnered $6 million in milestones payments as part of its drug discovery deal with Boehringer Ingelheim. One milestone was achieved for the start of lead optimization for a specific target. The second was the result of a separate program for the selection of a compound by Boehringer Ingelheim for preclinical development. Evotec release

Boehringer R&D work booms in Connecticut

John Carroll — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:02:17 -0400

The Hartford Courant takes a close look at Boehringer Ingelheim's R&D work underway in Connecticut. While other Big Pharma companies have been cutting R&D efforts, Boehringer has been beefing up its research staff every year over the past three years. It currently has 1,300 staffers working in the state, and it plans to open a new building and hire even more in 2009.

"Being a private company, it is different," Phil Vickers, senior vice president and head of research for Boehringer in Ridgefield tells the Courant. "It allows us to implement longer-term strategies for research."

- read the report in the Hartford Courant

ALSO NOTED: Researchers testing stem cell therapy for CHF; Boehringer unveils new research center; and much more...

Tue, 27 May 2008 06:59:50 -0400

> Fifty-six of the nation's most creative biomedical scientists are being given the opportunity to tackle their most ambitious, risky research plans, as they become the newest class of Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigators. The Institute is committing more than $600 million over their first term of appointment. Report

> Researchers in Florida are beginning a small, early-stage human trial to test a new stem cell therapy for congestive heart failure. Stem cell report

> Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim has taken the wraps off its new, $36 million research center in Canada. About 40 scientists will be recruited to join the 150 researchers already at work at the center. Report

> Wisconsin is set to save $63 million on prescription drugs because it started buying directly--via a purchasing co-op--rather than paying HMOs to cover pharma costs. Report

> Daniel Vasella is riled. The Novartis CEO says its hometown officials are putting too much pressure on drug prices. Report

> Exploiting a competitor's weakness is a time-honored tradition in business, so it's probably no surprise that GlaxoSmithKline is injecting itself into the Chantix upheaval. GSK report

> It's easy to announce you're opening offices in China. It's not so easy to actually do it--especially when you're wrestling with Chinese red tape. That's what the FDA is discovering as it struggles to establish a presence in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. FDA report

And Finally... A strain of bird flu has adapted to create a new version which increases the chances of a human pandemic, according to CDC officials. Report

Boehringer boasts of late-stage drug potential

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:59:56 -0400

A new self-assessment from Boehringer Ingelheim comes with some considerable boasting about the potential for new therapies and new indications now in its pipeline. Pradaxa was recently approved for venous thromboembolism and four other indications are currently in the clinic. Late-stage trials are underway for two experimental cancer therapies, a substance for diabetes type II, and one substance in development for pre-menopausal women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder. R&D spending jumped about 10 percent last year to €1.7 billion.

"We are very optimistic as our financial basis is sound and our prospects are encouraging," says a supremely confident Boehringer Chairman Dr Alessandro Banchi. "And with the forthcoming new product launches and our products in the pipeline, we have once again proved our company's power of innovation and potential for success."

- check out the press release

Related Articles:
Boehringer wins approval in anti-clotting drug race. Report
Boehringer anti-clotting drug performs in Phase III. Report
Pfizer, BMS report Phase II clotting trial success. Report

Boehringer wins approval in anti-clotting drug race

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 07:59:56 -0400

Boehringer Ingelheim has stolen a march on arch rival Bayer, winning European marketing approval for a new anti-clotting agent--Pradaxa--that is likely to provide Lovenox with considerable competition. Boehringer's pill formulation is likely to be attractive compared to the injection of Lovenox, which earned €2.6 billion for Sanofi-Aventis last year. Bayer, meanwhile, has been advancing Xarelto for this market, which it forecasts will garner more than $2 billion a year. Pradaxa gets its first rollout in Germany and the UK in the next few weeks.

This first license for Pradaxa "marks an important advance and milestone in anticoagulation therapy and the prevention of potentially fatal thrombi," says Boehringer R&D chief Andreas Barner.

- here's the release on the approval
- read the story in PharmaTimes

Related Articles:
Boehringer anti-clotting drug performs in Phase III. Report
Pfizer, BMS report Phase II clotting trial success. Report
Sanofi loses Lovenox patent protection. Report
Lovenox reduces cardio risks but can cause bleeding. Report
Bayer buoyed by success in late-stage clotting trial. Report

Mystery suitor spurs spike in CeNeS stock

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 06:59:58 -0500

Shares of UK biotech CeNeS Pharmaceuticals rocketed up almost 70 percent after the developer confirmed that it's engaged in talks with a mystery suitor. CeNeS had little to offer to enlighten investors, though, playing its cards close to its vest. Analysts were quick to look to CeNeS' lead product--the painkiller M6G--for a clue to who might be interested in acquiring the company.

One possible buyer is chairman Alan Goodman, who runs Avlar Bioventures. CeNeS shares have been weak, spurring some analysts to speculate it could be just as easy to buy the company as in-license M6G. Big in the pain field: Purdue Pharma, Abbott Laboratories and Boehringer Ingelheim.

- read the report from Dow Jones

Related Article:
CeNeS licenses promising sedative to Ono. Report
Dealmaking stays big even as the markets tremble. Report

Biotech nonprofit to make meds with donated IP

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 06:59:56 -0500

The Connecticut biotech group CURE has set up a nonprofit subsidiary and staffed it with a couple of experienced R&D specialists out to turn the drug development world's cast-offs into low-cost therapies. Peter Farina and Denice Spero, two Boehringer Ingelheim vets, want biopharma companies to donate research and patents that were relegated to the back shelf for economic reasons. A host of therapies for ring fever, malaria, tuberculosis and more could be available at low cost.

Right now it's just two people with a dream to better the world. But Farina and Spero--operating as Developing World Cures--are hoping to pattern their work on The Institute for OneWorld Health in San Francisco, a nonprofit which has been developing a variety of new therapies--in part with more than $100 million in funds from the Gates Foundation.

- read the report from the Hartford Courant

Related Articles:
Gates backs vaccine tech for developing countries. Report
Nonprofit develops pipeline in fight against TB. Report

A race to the finish for blockbuster blood thinners

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:59:55 -0500

Several big developers will take the stage at the American Society of Hematology meeting to provide updates on a string of new blood thinners that are in the clinic. Johnson & Johnson, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Boehringer Ingelheim and Portola are all testing drugs that may claim a portion of the multibillion-dollar market for blood thinners, according to the Wall Street Journal. Atrial fibrillation is the biggest clinical target with the most money at stake, say analysts. Developers want to provide an alternative to warfarin, a drug with a history of serious side effects that limit its use to about half of all prospective patients.

- read the article from The Wall Street Journal

ALSO: Shares of Germany's Bayer rose on data for its blood thinner. Release

PLUS: Seattle Genetics revealed positive, early-stage data for SGN-33, an experimental therapy for AML. Release

AND: Shares of Celgene plunged 15 percent on disappointing Revlimid data. Report

Related Articles:
Pfizer partners with BMS in $1B deal. Report

ALSO NOTED: CMC to boost production at Bothell facility; Eisai buys antibody; Vectura pockets milestone, equity pay; and much m

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 06:59:50 -0500

> The Copenhagen-based CMC Biopharmaceuticals says it plans to increase production of therapeutic proteins after buying the former Icos's plant in Bothell. Icos was acquired at the beginning of the year by Eli Lilly. Report

> Japan's Eisai has acquired the rights to an antibody therapy for Alzheimer's from Sweden's BioArtic Neuroscience. Report

> Skystar BioPharmaceutical has established a new research and development center in Shanghai. Release

> Vectura Group has picked up €15 million from a milestone payment and equity investment by Boehringer Ingelheim. Report

> Biomarin Pharmaceutical and IGAN Biosciences have started to develop an IgA protease for treating kidney disorder. Report

> Blocking a single critical protein reversed the effects of aging on the skin of mice, suggesting that researchers may be on to a short-term therapy that could help older people heal from an injury. Report

> Scientists at Johns Hopkins were able to damaged skulls by transplanting human embryonic stem cells directly to the site of massive injuries. Report

> Merck issued its initial earnings outlook for 2008 today, and in it specifies Fosamax sales at $1.1 billion to $1.4 billion, down from $2.9 billion to $3.1 billion in 2007. Report

> Look, world--our house-cleaning is working. That's what China's drug regulators are saying today with a new, statistics-filled report. Report

And Finally... In one of the most closely watched research programs at a biotech company, Sirtris has unveiled three new chemicals that could play a big role in fighting the effects of aging and resisting diabetes. Report

ALSO NOTED: Cipla, Akorn in development deal; No charges in Sepracor probe; Vectura raises funds; and much more...

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 06:59:50 -0500

> The FDA has warned GSK that its marketing for the breast cancer drug Tykerb is out of hand. Report

> GlaxoSmithKline bought over-the-counter marketing rights to Merck's statin drug Mevacor for an undisclosed price. Report

> India's Cipla and Akorn has signed a pact to develop an inhalation drug product. Report

> The feds have wrapped up their stock-option probe at Sepracor without taking any action. The SEC began looking into the way that Sepracor granted stock options in the summer of 2006. Report

> Vectura Group has received a €10 million milestone payment from Boehringer Ingelheim along with a five million euro equity investment. Report

> A new economic development initiative in Indiana hopes to offer more work for the companies providing services to the state's life sciences industry. Report

> Trimeris announced that it is the target of a patent infringement suit Novartis has brought relating to Fuzeon. Report

> Sosei has announced good progress in its collaboration to advance the early-stage SD118. Release

> Researchers have created a new breed of mice that are resistant to the most aggressive forms of cancer. Report

> A team of researchers blitzed the C. elegans roundworm with tens of thousands of chemicals and found 115 that prolonged their short lives. But one, the antidepressant mianserin, is now commanding all of their attention. Report

> Scientists have transplanted stem cells that create new blood into the bone marrow of mice, advancing a new process that could eventually cure autoimmune and genetic blood disorders. Report

And Finally… Officials in Brazil have finalized a $23 billion plan to support science and innovation, with biotechnology playing a leading role. Report

Schering-Plough: A good company to work for

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 06:59:54 -0400

You may have a tough time finding a job at Amgen, but Science magazine's latest survey places the biotech company as the third best biopharma in the world to work for. Genentech, which ruled the number one spot for six years running, has had to bow out and let Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim take the lead position. But perhaps the biggest surprise of the year belonged to Schering-Plough, which jumped from 17th last year to fourth this year. Why the big change? Schering-Plough puts its poll vault down to its emphasis on acting like a small company. Participants, meanwhile, say that a new spirit of openness, ethics and honesty can help transform the drug industry's shoddy public reputation.

- here's the report for more

Related Articles:
Biochemists fetch highest salaries in life sciences. Report
Pfizer pursued Genentech employee for R&D spot. Report

Read more on: Amgen | Genentech | Boehringer Ingelheim | Schering-Plough

DEALS: Isis, Alnylam form RNAi company

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 06:59:52 -0400

Isis, Alnylam form RNAi company

DEALS
WHO	WITH	WHAT	SCOOP
Alpharma	IDEA	$202 licensing deal	Alpharma has agreed to pay Germany's IDEA up to $202 million in upfront fees and milestones for the U.S. rights to the late-stage pain drug Diractin, a prescription topical NSAID.
Nabi Biopharmaceuticals	Biotest	$185M sale	Nabi Biopharmaceuticals plans to sell its biologics unit to Germany's Biotest for $185 million.
Boehringer Ingelheim	Ablynx	$103.5M partnership	Boehringer has signed a second agreement with Ablynx to develop and commercialize up to 10 different Nanobody therapeutics.
Medivation	Azimuth Opportunity	$100M stock deal	VC firm Azimuth Opportunity will purchase $100 million of Medivation's stock over the next 18 months as the drug developer pushes through a late-stage trial of an experimental Alzheimer's drug.
Meda	BioDelivery Sciences	$90M licensing deal	Meda will pay BioDelivery up to $90 million in exchange for a licensing deal covering the North American rights to BEMA Fentanyl, a new pain patch for cancer patients.
Ventana Medical Systems	Spring BioScience	$31M acquisition	Ventana Medical Systems has inked a deal to acquire Spring BioScience, which makes rabbit monoclonal antibodies and other reagents.
Isis Pharmaceuticals	Alnylam Pharmaceuticals	Company formation	Isis and Alnylam have teamed up to form Regulus Therapeutics, a company that will focus on developing new drugs based on micro-RNA.

Boehringer, Ablynx team up on nanobodies

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 06:59:57 -0400

Boehringer Ingelheim must be happy with its previous partnership with Ablynx. Boehringer has signed a second agreement with the company to develop and commercialize up to 10 different Nanobody therapeutics. Ablynx expects to receive €75 million during the research term of the collaboration. Ablynx will also receive development milestone payments for each Nanobody that is developed-- up to €125 million as well as royalties.

Ablynx has been developing "nanobodies" for a number of ailments and has other pacts with drug developers such as Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Centocor, and Procter and Gamble Pharmaceuticals. These nanobodies are fragments of antibodies that are small enough to enable easier delivery that circumvents the need for injections common to antibodies.

- check out the release

Related Articles:
Ablynx inks $265M 'nanobody' development deal. Report
Biota inks $102M collaboration for Hep C program. Report
Ablynx inks licensing deal for nanobodies. Report
Ablynx pockets $50M in third round. Report

ALSO NOTED: CRO market hits $14B; Merck ends BioXell pact; and much more...

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 06:59:50 -0400

> Merck has ended its collaboration with BioXell on its sepsis drug TREM-1. BioXell says it will seek another company with which to partner on the drug. Report

> Shire is expanding its U.S. operations, adding 360 jobs in Pennsylvania. Release

> According to a new report, pressure to reduce costs and time-to-market has lead to a rapid growth in the CRO market, which was valued at $14 billion in 2006 and is predicted to balloon to $24 billion by 2010. Release

> Galapagos has gained a milestone payment in its collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim. Release

And Finally... The biotech and technology industries are at odds over a new bill designed to revamp the patent process. Article

Boehringer anti-clotting drug performs in Phase III

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 06:59:56 -0400

The race for a new anti-clotting therapy turned even hotter today as Boehringer Ingelheim announced that a late-stage study of its once daily pill dabigatran showed that the therapy is as effective as Lovenox injections for preventing blood clots after hip surgery. Boehringer has positioned the drug against Bayer's rivaroxaban, which demonstrated superiority to Lovenox after knee surgery. The clotting development race began after AstraZeneca failed to gain an approval for Exanta in 2004.

- see the release for more

Related Articles:
Pfizer, BMS report Phase II clotting trial success. Report
TransTech inks deal with Boehringer. Report
Boehringer wins Aptivus OK. Report

Press Release: Ablynx and Boehringer Ingelheim sign $265M to develop new Alzheimer’s treatments

Maureen Martino — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 11:30:30 -0500

Ablynx and Boehringer Ingelheim sign $265 million research and licensing agreement to develop new Alzheimer’s treatments

Ghent/Belgium, Ingelheim/Germany, 8 January 2007 - Boehringer Ingelheim, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, and Ablynx, the pioneer in the discovery and development of Nanobodies® have jointly announced an exclusive worldwide collaboration and licence agreement worth almost $265 million to discover and develop new therapies for Alzheimer’s disease using Ablynx’ Nanobodies®, a novel class of therapeutic proteins.

In addition Boehringer Ingelheim will commence a joint research programme including Ablynx scientists. Boehringer Ingelheim will be solely responsible for the development,manufacture and commercialisation of any products resulting from the collaboration. The deal includes an upfront fee, development and commercial milestones. Ablynx will also receive undisclosed royalties based on net sales.

Ablynx’ Nanobodies® could be particularly important in developing new Alzheimer’s disease treatments, as researchers believe they could solve the problems faced by other drugs or conventional treatments. Due to their special characteristics, Nanobodies® may cross the blood-brain barrier more readily than conventional antibodies.

Dr Edwin Moses, Chief Executive Officer of Ablynx, said: “Boehringer Ingelheim have developed considerable expertise in the field of neurological diseases including Alzheimer’s disease and combined with their biologic biopharmaceutical capabilities we believe they are the ideal partner to ensure that we maximize the therapeutic potential of Nanobodies®. There is a growing serious unmet medical need to treat Alzheimer’s disease which urgently requires new and innovative approaches. We are delighted that Boehringer Ingelheim have determined that Nanobodies® represent such an approach.”

Dr Andreas Barner, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors and Head of Corporate Board Division Pharma Research, Development and Medicine added: “We look forward to working with Ablynx to discovery new Nanobodies®. We are very excited about the opportunity to develop new biological entities for treating Alzheimer’s disease based on this powerful and unique technology”.

Ablynx’ strategy is to build a diverse and broad portfolio of therapeutic Nanobodies® based on strategic partnerships as well as on its own internal discovery pipeline. It has ongoing research collaborations and significant, multi-target partnerships with several other major pharmaceutical companies, including Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Centocor (J&J), Kirin Brewery and Procter and Gamble Pharmaceuticals.

Nanobody®-based therapeutics represent a major commercial opportunity as they combine the beneficial features of conventional antibodies, with desirable properties of small-molecule drugs. Because they are derived from naturally-occurring heavy-chain antibodies, Nanobodies® have unparalleled stability and can be administered in a variety of ways (injected, orally, in sprays or creams), thus overcoming the delivery issues associated with full-sized antibodies, that can only be delivered by injection. In addition, because of their unique structure they can also address therapeutic opportunities that are beyond the reach of conventional antibodies or their fragments, for example targeting epitopes such as receptor clefts, enzyme active sites and viral canyon sites. Nanobodies® manufactured in micro-organisms also presents a significant cost advantage in comparison to production methods for conventional antibodies.

About Ablynx

Ablynx is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of Nanobodies®, a novel class of therapeutic proteins based on single-domain antibody fragments, for a range of serious and life-threatening human diseases. Ablynx is developing a portfolio of Nanobody®-based therapeutic programs in a number of major disease areas, including inflammation, thrombosis, oncology and Alzheimer’s disease. Already Ablynx has generated Nanobodies® against more than hundred different disease targets. The company and its collaborators have obtained positive in vivo efficacy data from animal studies in five major therapeutic programs in four disease areas. Importantly, Ablynx has shown the absence of any detectable immunogenicity for its Nanobody® development candidates in advanced primate studies. Today, three of these programs are in advanced preclinical development, and Ablynx expects to have progressed its first program into clinical trials by first part of 2007.

Ablynx has ongoing research collaborations and significant, multi-target partnerships with several major pharmaceutical companies, including Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Centocor (J&J), Kirin Brewery and P&G Pharma. Ablynx is building a diverse and broad portfolio of therapeutic Nanobodies® through these collaborations as well as through its own internal discovery programs.

Ablynx holds the dominant patent position in the field of Nanobodies®. It has exclusive and worldwide rights to more than forty families of granted patents and pending patent applications, including the patents covering the basic structure, composition, preparation and uses of Nanobodies® (the ‘Hamers patents’) which have been granted in major territories including the US, Europe and Japan. All products, including therapeutics, that contain Nanobodies® are covered by these patents.

Headquartered in Ghent, Belgium, Ablynx has raised over €70 million (over US$ 87.5 million) from a strong investor consortium including Abingworth Management (UK), Alta Partners (USA), Biotech Fund Flanders (Belgium), Gilde Investment Management (The Netherlands), GIMV (Belgium), KBC (Belgium), Sofinnova Partners (France), and SR One (USA). Basic Nanobody® patents were contributed by its founding institutions VIB and VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel).

About Boehringer Ingelheim

The Boehringer Ingelheim group is one of the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, it operates globally with 143 affiliates in 47 countries and almost 37,500 employees. Since it was founded in 1885, the family-owned company has been committed to researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing novel products of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.

In 2005, Boehringer Ingelheim posted net sales of 9.5 billion euro while spending almost one fifth of net sales in its largest business segment Prescription Medicines on research and development.

Ablynx inks $265M 'nanobody' development deal

Sun, 07 Jan 2007 19:01:37 -0500

Boehringer Ingelheim is teaming up with Germany's Ablynx to develop a "nanobody" program that targets Alzheimer's. The companies pegged the value of the worldwide licensing deal at a total of $265 million, but didn't detail how the money would be paid out. The pact includes a joint research program and leaves Boehringer Ingelheim in charge of development and commercialization of any products that are advanced. Ablynx has been developing "nanobodies" for a number of ailments and has other pacts with drug developers such as Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, Centocor, Kirin Brewery and Procter and Gamble Pharmaceuticals. These nanobodies are fragments of antibodies that are small enough to enable easier delivery that circumvents the need for injections common to antibodies.

- here's the release on the deal

Related Articles:
Biota inks $102M collaboration for Hep C program. Report
Ablynx inks licensing deal for nanobodies. Report
Ablynx pockets $50M in third round. Report

DEALS: Bayer sells H.C. Starck to investors for $1.57B

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 19:01:32 -0500

Bayer sells H.C. Starck to investors for $1.57B

DEALS
WHO	WITH	WHAT	SCOOP
Bayer	Investors	$1.57B sale	Bayer has struck a deal to sell its material sciences division, H.C. Starck, to a group of investors for €1.2 billion.
Illumina	Solexa	$600M buyout	Solexa specializes in whole genome sequencing.
Actelion	CoTherix	$420M buyout	Through the acquisition of CoTherix, Actelion will further its PAH therapy.
Biota	Boehringer Ingelheim	$102M collaboration deal	Australia's Biota will collaborate with Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim on a new therapy for Hepatitis C.
Vectura	Innovata	$243M buyout	Vectura has inked a deal to buy Innovata for $243 million, exchanging one Vectura share for every three shares of Innovata.
Merck	Advinus	$74.5M deal	India's Advinus has been brought on by Merck to handle drug research projects.
Pharmion	Cabrellis Pharmaceuticals	$59M deal	Pharmion has acquired a mid-stage lung cancer therapy--amrubicin--in its deal to buy Cabrellis Pharmaceuticals for $59 million up front.
Hospira	Stada Arzneimittel	$55M development deal	The companies announced plans to develop a biosimilar version of erythropoietin, which is used to treat anemia in dialysis and cancer patients.
Crucell	3i and SEB	$51.8M acquisition	Dutch biotech Crucell announced that it will acquire Sweden-based SBL Vaccin from 3i and SEB for €39.4 million.
GlaxoSmithKline	NeuroSearch	$39M buyout	NeuroSearch will be responsible for development work on some drug candidates through Phase IIa, with Glaxo taking over late-stage development.
Bradley Pharmaceuticals	BioSante	$14M licensing deal	Bradley Pharmaceuticals has agreed to license BioSante's experimental gel for hot flashes for $3.5 million up front and up to $10.5 million in milestones.
Neurogen	Wyeth	$3M licensing deal	Neurogen has paid $3 million as an initial licensing fee for Wyeth's Applindore. Neurogen will focus on the drug as a treatment for Parkinson's disease.
Kiadis	Celmed BioSciences	Merger	The companies will focus on new oncology therapies.
Eli Lilly	Applied NeuroSolutions	Development deal	Applied NeuroSolutions will work with Eli Lilly to develop new Alzheimer's drugs.
Merck KGaA	Chi-Med	Deal	Merck KGaA has inked a deal that gives the German drug company access to Chi-Med's large Shangha research center as well as its library of botanical compounds.
Merieux Alliance	Shantha Biotechnics	Acquisition	The deal gives Merieux a new development center for vaccines, therapeutic proteins and monoclonal antibodies.

Biota inks $102M collaboration for Hep C program

Sun, 26 Nov 2006 19:01:34 -0500

Australia's Biota has signed a $102 million pact to collaborate with Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim on a new therapy for Hepatitis C. The agreement covers Biota's nucleoside analogues product for hep C and other diseases. Biota gains immediate research support in the deal along with milestones and future royalties. Exact terms were not disclosed.

- here's the report on the pact from The Age

ALSO NOTED: Cancer vaccine market to soar; Point Therapeutics cuts staff; and much more...

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 19:01:30 -0500

> Analysts say that the cancer vaccine market will soar to $8 billion by 2012. Report

> Fledgling Point Therapeutics has cut its workforce by 15 percent, with most of the cuts focused on its preclinical development group. "In our ongoing efforts to further talabostat's clinical development, particularly our Phase III program, it became necessary for Point to undertake measures to reduce our costs," said CEO Don Kiepert. The company announced positive preclinical data on talabostat at the end of October. Release

> Australia's pSivida has inked a deal with an investment fund for $33.7 million in funds to advance its macular edema therapy. Report

> Dendreon is touting positive preliminary data from a new trial of Provenge that demonstrated its effect in boosting the immune response to fight prostate cancer. Almost half of the patients in the study benefited from the drug. Report

> The wrinkle treatment company Thermage raised $42 million in its IPO, significantly under its original expectations. Report

> Cambridge, MA-based Immunogen says its Phase I trial of its anticancer therapy huN901-DM1 shows it was well tolerated and produced evidence of efficacy that included a complete remission for one of the patients enrolled. Release

> Boehringer Ingelheim has received the FDA's approval to market Mirapex for restless leg syndrome. Mirapex has long been on the market as a therapy for Parkinson's symptoms. Release

> Alnylam has filed a shelf registration with the SEC to periodically sell up to $150 million in stock. Alnylam is focused on RNAi, a hot prospect in the biotech world. Report

And Finally… A new class of sirtuin activators are being pursued by biotechs who see big potential in the anti-aging therapies. Article