Reata raises $78M round to back pivotal kidney drug trial

With the backing of Novo A/S, Irving, TX-based Reata Pharmaceuticals has raised a whopping $78 million round to finance a final pivotal program for a new therapy for chronic kidney disease and Type 2 diabetes. The new money brings Reata's total venture funding to $180 million. Reata's eggs have been clustered in the bardoxolone basket, a drug which activates the Nrf2 gene and improves the filtration rate of the kidneys, a physical signpost that deteriorates quickly in the face of CKD...

New diabetes data highlights promising drug class

Aside from the closely-watched taspoglutide data, a slew of new reports came out of the ADA meeting on experimental diabetes drugs. Here's a sampling of the top news stories: Boehringer Ingelheim laid out data from five trials of its diabetes drug linagliptin, demonstrating lowered blood glucose compared to a placebo. Boehringer is hopeful that the therapy can compete against Januvia and Onglyza after proving that the DPP-4 inhibitor works effectively without having to adjust the dose to...

Analysts turn bearish on Roche’s taspoglutide prospects

After initially tapping taspoglutide as the latest in a string of likely blockbusters-to-be from Roche, analysts are turning sour on the drug's prospects after gaining a close look at the side effect data presented by researchers over the weekend. The once highly touted diabetes drug prospect was put through the ringer earlier in the month when Roche said that it needed to amend trials to watch for side effects like vomiting and nausea, delaying any app for up to 18 months. But a look at...

Sanofi inks $375M deal with Metabolex for diabetes target

Hayward, CA-based Metabolex is on a roll, inking its second deal this week. The developer has secured an undisclosed upfront payment and up to $375 million from Sanofi-Aventis for rights to an experimental diabetes treatment. The two companies will collaborate on MBX-2982, a potent selective orally active GPR119 agonist which has completed three Phase I clinical studies and is currently a Phase II clinical study in patients with Type 2 diabetes. The drug helps boost both insulin...

Roche faces long delay for diabetes drug taspoglutide

Roche has delayed development of its potential blockbuster type 2 diabetes drug taspoglutide for up to 18 months due to hypersensitivity problems observed in trial subjects, including skin reactions and digestive symptoms. Heart and respiratory events were also observed in some patients. Roche will use the additional time to identify patients who are sensitive to the treatment and remove them from clinical trials. The Swiss drugmaker, which is developing the once-weekly injection in conjunction...