FDA Approves Generic Ferrlecit

MORRISTOWN, N.J.—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved GeneraMedix Inc.’s generic version of sanofi aventis’ iron drug Ferrlecit. ...

Diabetes Surgery Studied As Potential Treatment For Type 2

Physicians at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have begun enrollment for a pilot study on a promising surgical approach for the management of Type 2 diabetes. The procedure being tested is designed for adults who have Type 2 diabetes and who are overweight or obese but not morbidly obese. Millions of Americans have Type 2 diabetes and most are...

Self-Test Kits Could Do More Harm Than Good, UK Consumer Report

Self-test kits could do more harm than good, said the independent UK consumer watchdog Which? today, after they recently reviewed six widely available home health kits and concluded they could be a waste of time, effort and money since they lacked important information and used misleading or baffling...

U.S. biotechs look to bullish Tel Aviv exchange for IPOs

Over the last few years the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange loosened up on its rules for tech companies looking to go public, and new life science companies from around the world are knocking on its doors as they hunt out fresh capital at a time venture funding has shriveled. As the Wall Street Journal points out in its in-depth feature, the country already has a reputation as the home for a large number of up-and-coming biotech companies. In the first quarter four life science companies have gone...

Acacia Pharma rounds up $10M in Series A

The UK's Acacia Pharma has raised $10 million in its first round. New investor Lundbeckfond Ventures joins Gilde Healthcare in this Series A financing, which is being earmarked for the Phase II development of its two lead products: APD421 for the prevention of nausea & vomiting in post-surgical patients and APD515 for the treatment of xerostomia (dry mouth) in advanced cancer patients. Acacia...

Two new hep C drugs garner rave reviews ahead of approval

There are no sure things in drug development, but physicians across the country are clearly waiting in expectation of the near-term approval of two new hepatitis C drugs--telaprevir and boceprevir--which promise to revolutionize treatment of the disease. And that bodes well for Vertex and Merck, which developed two of the hottest drug prospects now up for an approval. While most developers facing an FDA decision go through a nail-biting episode of extreme uncertainty, Vertex and Merck are...

Generex maps plan for immunotherapy spinoff, reverse stock split

Claiming a multimillion-dollar appraisal for one of its immunotherapeutic drugs, Generex ($GNBT) is laying plans to spin off Antigen Express into an independent, publicly-traded company. The biotech--with an OTC stock trading at 22 cents this morning--has simultaneously announced its first-string executive lineup, with interim CEO Mark Fletcher staying at the helm. "The transformation of Antigen Express into a separate, publicly traded entity is the centerpiece of the Generex...

Valeant vows to restructure Cephalon as it moves in for the kill

Cephalon's aggressive strategy of snapping up smaller biotech companies has left the company with a much bigger and more diversified pipeline, but that only seems to be adding to the doubts about its future among some analysts who have been studying Valeant's $5.7 billion bid. And those doubts, they add, will play right into Valeant's hands as the fast-moving pharma player executes its hostile takeover strategy. Christopher Rowane, portfolio manager at Huntington Funds,...

RNAi pioneer RXi lands Ph3 cancer vax in Apthera buyout

With its lead therapy not yet in the clinic, RNAi pioneer RXi has engineered the takeover of Apthera for a chunk of stock and replaced its CEO with one of its board members. And the merger--which buoyed its shares by about 10 percent this morning--immediately puts the expanded company on the threshold of a long-delayed Phase III study for an experimental immunotherapy for breast cancer. RXi ($RXII) managed to complete the deal with 4.8 million shares and the promise of undefined development and...

As Summer Temperatures Rise, So Do Risk Factors For Patients With Diabetes

Scorching spring and summer temperatures can cause potential problems for people with chronic diseases such as diabetes. "An increased risk of dehydration and damage to diabetes medications and equipment are some of the challenges patients may face during hot weather," says Adrienne Nassar, M.D., consultant in the department of internal medicine, and Curtiss Cook,...