New CEO picked to run Theraclone; XenoPort suspends investment in Parkinson's drug; Peregrine shares spike on tumor data;

 @FierceBiotech: Biogen Idec signs up with Samsung on $300 million biosimilars venture. News | Follow @FierceBiotech

 @JohnCFierce: Sustained release levodopa/carbidopa (xenoport) fails Ph2 Parkinson's study. Does anyone really understand this field? Report | Follow @JohnCFierce

 @RyanMFierce: Sanofi's GLP-1 drug yields upbeat data in pivotal study in T2DM. GLP-1 class growing beyond Byetta/Bydureon, Victoza. Item | Follow @RyanMFierce

 @FierceMedDev: Randox's new molecular diagnostic test permits quick selection of colorectal cancer patients for Anti-EGFR therapy. Release | Follow @FierceMedDev

> It may have taken a bit longer than initially expected planned, but Theraclone Sciences founder Steve Gillis has found a CEO to helm the company. Clifford Stocks was named CEO of the biotech, a 2011 Fierce 15 company. Stocks is the former chief business officer at Calistoga, which was acquired earlier this year by Gilead in a $600 million deal. Release

> XenoPort said it would suspend any further investments in its experimental Parkinson's drug until the company had a chance to find out what went wrong in the latest study. Investigators report that the drug--XP21279, a sustained release form of the standard therapy Sinemet--performed only slightly better than Sinemet in the study. Story

> Peregrine Pharmaceuticals' badly battered shares spiked 40% this morning after the biotech announced new data demonstrating that its bavituximab antibody combined with chemo improved the tumor response rate in lung cancer patients. Story

> Gilead Sciences ($GILD) says that cobicistat--an HIV therapy booster added to several new cocktail treatments--performed at least as well as Abbott's ($ABT) Norvir in a 96-week study. Report

> Cell Therapeutics says that the FDA has given itself an April 24 deadline to complete its second look at the experimental cancer drug pixantrone. The FDA rejected the drug last year after roasting the Seattle biotech's clinical trial data. Story

> Numerate has signed a pact with Boehringer Ingelheim to use its drug design technology to find new drug candidates for an undisclosed infectious disease target. Release

Pharma News

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Biotech Research News

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Manufacturing News

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And Finally... After decades spent in disrepute, investigators are once more attempting to learn the therapeutic benefits offered by hallucinogens. Article