Privately-owned Biocartis SA of Switzerland and bioMerieux of France have entered into a strategic collaboration to co-develop assays for use in a number of healthcare-associated infections, sepsis and oncology.
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new indication for Cymbalta (duloxetine hydrochloride) to treat chronic musculoskeletal pain, including discomfort from osteoarthritis and chronic lower back pain.
The German biotech company, 4SC AG, has reported preliminary Phase 2a data for its small molecule drug for inflammatory bowel disease that showed a total response rate of 88.5% in patients who had been dependent on corticosteroids.
A new German company with a pipeline of early central nervous system assets and a phosphodiesterase enzyme inhibitor platform, has been spun out of Biotie Therapies Corp of Finland. Called Biocrea GmbH, it has start-up capital of €4.8 million.
Wilex AG as become the latest company to invest in antibody-drug conjugate technology with the proposed acquisition of Heidelberg Pharma AG, a privately-held German company with a conjugate platform.
H. Lundbeck A/S has taken the unusual step of issuing minimum revenue and profit forecasts for the period 2012 to 2014, a time during which it will face increased generic competition and higher product sales and promotion costs.
Researchers funded by the UK Medical Research Council have reported that the human body has a system of intracellular immunity by which antibodies can fight viruses from within infected cells.
Shire Plc reported strong third quarter results, partly because it was able to nearly triple sales of two drugs that compete directly with products that Genzyme Corp is having trouble supplying.
GlaxoSmithKline Plc is to pay approximately $60 million upfront for a licensing agreement and equity investment in the US-listed biopharmaceutical company, Amicus Therapeutics Inc, which is developing a product for Fabry disease.
The US Food and Drug Administration has issued a ‘complete response letter’ to Biodel Inc of Danbury, Connecticut rejecting its new drug application for Linjeta, a rapid-acting injectable regular human insulin for Types 1 and 2 diabetes.