@FierceBiotech: Sanofi sharpening budget ax in ongoing R&D restructuring effort. News | Follow @FierceBiotech
@JohnCFierce: Nabi has now proved conclusively that NicVAX is worthless. Second PhIII data batch bad as the the first. Release | Follow @JohnCFierce
@RyanMFierce: Speaking of Karate Kid, I think this was the FDA's crane kick in the face of its critics: Item | Follow @RyanMFierce
> Ariad Pharmaceuticals offered investors an early peak at some promising pivotal data for the leukemia drug ponatinib, but its shares ($ARIA) slid 10% this morning nevertheless. CEO Harvey Berger set the stage, telling TheStreet's Adam Feuerstein that the efficacy data and reassuring safety data on the study, which wraps next year, looked "striking." There was a low rate of pancreatitis in the study, 3.7%, which should also reassure analysts. But the careful campaign to get the word out did nothing to improve its stock price, leaving some to scratch their heads over the market response. Story
> Vertex shares slid this morning despite the biotech's new release showing that VX-509 hits its endpoints in a Phase IIb study for rheumatoid arthritis. Article
> Mid-stage data for Jennerex's genetically altered smallpox virus demonstrated a 60% drop in the risk of death for advanced liver cancer patients. The arm given high doses of JX-594 lived a median 13.4 months compared to 6.7 months for patients given a fraction of the top dose. Report
> Tony Evans, the new CEO of Cambridge Enterprise--the university's commercialization division--says he wants to get more involved in financing late-stage work. Story
> Nabi Biopharmaceuticals surprised no one this morning when it announced that a second Phase III study for its once promising NicVAX failed to hit its primary endpoint, mirroring the data seen in round one for the smoking cessation vaccine. The company is reviewing all options, including a possible sale. Release
Pharma News
@FiercePharma. Bayer boosts liquid assets to weather euro crisis, including unpaid bills from Italy, Spain, Portugal. News | Follow @FiercePharma
> Lilly prevails in Zyprexa patient lawsuit. Item
> Fed up investors sue KV over Makena projections. Story
> Bayer, J&J's Xarelto wins key FDA nod, with warning. Report
Medical Devices News
> Could BD be ripe for pick-up? More
> Termeer participates in $20M round for NanoString. Piece
> IntraPace gets CE Mark for new abiliti lead. News
> J&J unit completes SterilMed buy. Story
Biotech IT News
> Pfizer to pay big bucks for scouring databases for trials subjects. Article
> Selventa and Linguamatics team on mining details in journals. Item
> Scientists building 'computer operating system' for synthetic biology. More
And Finally... Investigators at Scripps Research in La Jolla say they have made a key breakthrough in their quest to come up with an efficient method for producing taxanes, opening the drug class to a whole new discovery approach that could lead to a number of new cancer drugs. Release