> Kiadis Pharma (AMS:KDS) committed to starting a Phase III trial of its lead candidate ATIR101 in patients with acute leukemia. The Dutch drugmaker made the decision after getting a look at data from a Phase II trial, in which ATIR101 was given to 23 leukemia patients who were eligible for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation but were unable to find a matching donor quickly enough. Kiadis thinks the data suggest ATIR101 can improve overall survival in this population. Release
> Biofrontera (FRA:B8F) said the FDA has issued proposed labeling for BF-200 ALA, its treatment of mild to moderate actinic keratosis on the face and scalp. The German skin disease specialist expects the label to be finalized in the coming weeks. A PDUFA date awaits in May. And, while the FDA has asked additional questions regarding Biofrontera's quality-management system and drug-activating lamp, it has yet to request extra data. Statement
> MolMed and Japan's Takara Bio terminated their agreement. Takara picked up the Asian rights to MolMed's thymidine kinase cell therapy Zalmoxis in 2003. Since then, "Takara has not been able to produce the results planned by MolMed," the Italian company said in a statement. MolMed is now looking for a partner that can get the job done. "Our search for a new experienced and committed partner that could contribute to the successful clinical development and to the commercialization of Zalmoxis in the Asian markets is already underway," MolMed CEO Riccardo Palmisano said. Release (PDF)
> Medigene (FRA:MDG1) kicked off a Phase II trial of its dendritic cell vaccine in acute myeloid leukaemia. The start of the second part of the Phase I/II trial follows the completion of patient enrollment in the first stage and a nod from the data and safety monitoring board. In advancing the program, Medigene has triggered a milestone payment relating to its acquisition of Trianta Immunotherapies. Release
> Bayer spinoff AiCuris Anti-infective Cures began a clinical trial of a topical formulation of pritelivir. The formulation of the small molecule helicase-primase inhibitor is being developed as a treatment for herpes simplex virus. AiCuris will administer the drug via a patch and collect data on the safety of the product as compared to controls. "Very promising results from preclinical studies with topical pritelivir … encourage us to further exploit the potential of pritelivir for the topical treatment of recurrent labial herpes," CEO Holger Zimmermann said in a statement. Release
> Heptares landed a $3.3 billion (€2.9 billion) deal with Allergan ($AGN) on the strength of its work in neurology. The agreement, which includes an upfront fee of $125 million, gives Allergan global rights to small molecule agonists targeting muscarinic M1 and M4 receptors. Heptares has worked on the targets for years in an attempt to sidestep problems faced by other companies that have pursued the receptors in Alzheimer's programs, notably Eli Lilly ($LLY). And, while the failure rate in Alzheimer's means the ultimate success of the work is far from certain, the deal provides further evidence of the attractiveness of Heptares' structure-based drug discovery capabilities to big-name drugmakers. FierceBiotech