@FierceBiotech: $SHPG nabs NPS's rare disease drug portfolio in $5.2B buyout. News | Follow @FierceBiotech
@JohnCFierce: $JNJ steps in with a $509M-plus deal to partner on a tau vaccine for Alzheimer's. Report | Follow @JohnCFierce
@DamianFierce: And so now Roche owns 56% of Foundation Medicine. Story | Follow @DamianFierce
> AstraZeneca ($AZN) beefed up its immuno-oncology pipeline effort with a new collaboration involving oncolytic viruses. The AstraZeneca subsidiary MedImmune will start to pair its IO drugs with Omnis Pharmaceuticals' lead oncolytic virus program, currently in Phase I for hepatocellular carcinoma and other cancers that have metastasized to the liver. "Oncolytic viruses combine potent tumor cell killing with increasing the visibility of the tumor cell to the immune system. Our immunotherapy molecules offer the prospect of boosting the cancer-killing abilities of these viruses by enhancing the anti-cancer effect," noted Edward Bradley, who heads up MedImmune's Oncology Innovative Medicines Unit. Release
> Novato, CA-based Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical ($RARE) plans to seek conditional approval from the European Medicines Agency for the use of six grams per day of sialic acid extended-release (SA-ER; UX001) tablets in the treatment of hereditary inclusion body myopathy (HIBM; also known as GNE myopathy). Release
> Retrophin says it has acquired the exclusive right to by Asklepion's cholic acid for the treatment of bile acid synthesis defects, if approved by the FDA. Under the terms of the agreement, Retrophin will pay Asklepion an upfront payment of $5 million and up to $73 million in milestones based on approval and net product sales. Release
> Kymab says it will work with Stephen Gillies, who the biotech refers to as a "pioneer in the field of cancer immunotherapy and inventor of immunocytokine platforms from which several molecules are currently in clinical development." Release
Medical Device News
@FierceMedDev: ICYMI: Qiagen exceeds 2014 placement goals for molecular Dx, hedges its bets on continued success. FierceDiagnostics story | Follow @FierceMedDev
@StacyALawrence: ICYMI: PureTech bumps its early life science funds up to $107M. Article | Follow @StacyALawrence
@EmilyWFierce: Roche shells out $1B plus milestones for a majority share in Foundation Medicine. Release | Follow @EmilyWFierce
> JP Morgan: Qualcomm Ventures, Novartis co-fund joint investment company to tune of $100M. More
> Wright releases positive prelim Q4 and FY 2014 results; progress on Augment. Story
> Swiss researchers develop bendable implant to tap into the spinal cord. Article
Pharma News
@FiercePharma: AmerisourceBergen storms into animal health with $2.5B purchase of MWI. FierceAnimalHealth story | Follow @FiercePharma
@CarlyHFierce: Off to #JPM15! Picture | Follow @CarlyHFierce
> Pharma calls for NICE overhaul as special cancer drugs fund nixes meds. Report
> Ambitious Actavis joins JPMorgan news fray with Street-beating EPS. Story
> Bristol-Myers scores lung cancer survival data on Opdivo as Merck preps for Keytruda filing. Article
Biotech IT News
> Adaptive buys Sequenta to pool immune sequencing capabilities. Story
> FDA to publish guidance on social media and clinical trial e-consent in 2015. More
> Novartis picks Qualcomm tech to enable remote collection of trial data. Article
> 23andMe strikes $60M Genentech deal to continue pivot to database-driven R&D. Report
> Biogen Idec inks $30M genetic R&D alliance with Columbia University. Item
CRO News
> Evotec extends a biotech deal with $13M on the line. Report
> Quintiles' Novella partners up for cardio device R&D. Story
> PPD's in-house biotech pairs up with J&J. Article
> AMRI spends $60M to beef up its manufacturing heft. More
> WuXi buys big into genomics with NextCODE deal. News
Animal Health News
> New strain of virulent PEDv found on Minnesota hog farm. Article
> Catterton offloads PetVet hospital network to Canadian pension plan for $440M. More
> Petco banishes China-made treats from shelves. Item
> Nexvet plans $60M IPO to advance pipeline of pet therapeutics. Story
> Aratana scores a 'first' with USDA approval for canine lymphoma drug. Report