News

Evotec to collaborate with Takeda on CNS discovery

Country
Germany

Evotec AG has announced plans to collaborate with Takeda Cambridge Ltd, a unit of Japan’s largest pharmaceutical company, to identify small-molecule modulators against GPCR and protease targets involved in neurological and metabolic diseases.

GSK to take 2010 fourth quarter legal charge

Country
United Kingdom

GlaxoSmithKline Plc has announced that it expects to take a 2010 fourth quarter charge of £2.2 billion relating to additional provisioning for a US investigation of its US sales practices and for product liability cases regarding Avandia (rosiglitazone).

Abbott withdraws drug application from the EMA

Country
United Kingdom

Abbott Laboratories Ltd has decided to withdraw its European marketing authorisation application for Ozespa (briakinumab) which was intended to be used for moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis in adults, according to the EMA.

Merck stops trial of cardiovascular drug

Country
United States

Merck & Co has stopped a late-stage clinical trial of its anti-clotting drug, vorapaxar, and restricted a second study on the advice of an independent data and safety monitoring board. A regulatory filing for the drug had been planned in 2011.

UK scientists to study cancer stem cells

Country
United Kingdom

A group of prominent UK scientists has been assembled to carry out a two-year research project to investigate the role of cancer stem cells in the development, growth and spread of tumours in breast, prostate and head and neck cancers.

GSK invests in epigenetic enzyme therapy

Country
United States

GlaxoSmithKline Plc has agreed to pay $20 million upfront to Epizyme Inc of Cambridge, Massachusetts for access to technology that targets histone methyltransferases (HMT), a class of epigenetic enzymes. The goal is to develop small molecule drugs against cancer and other diseases.

Qiagen gets access to biomarkers from German start-up

Country
Germany

The Netherlands-based diagnostics company, Qiagen NV, has acquired a minority stake in a German start-up company, Alacris Theranostics GmbH, which has a genome sequencing technology that can be used to generate biomarkers.