Industry news

20 October 2016

Tobira Therapeutics Announces Late-Breaking Oral Presentation of CENTAUR Phase 2b Trial Results at the American Academy for the Study of Liver Diseases Annual Meeting

Tobira Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: TBRA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapies for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and other liver diseases, today announced the acceptance of the company’s late breaking abstract as an oral presentation at the American Academy for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Annual Meeting (the Liver Meeting®), being held in Boston, MA from November 11-15, 2016.

Study Demonstrates Potential Method for Treating Congenital Diseases In Utero

Caroline Hroncich / BioPharm International

A team of researchers have demonstrated a potential method for treating congenital diseases in utero. In a new study published on Sept. 28, 2016 inNucleic Acids Research, scientists from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Oregon Health & Science University demonstrate the drug delivery of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to amniotic fluid in utero to treat genetic defects in mice.

Those risk disclosures on drug websites? People don't read them, study says

Beth Snyder Bulik / FiercePharmaMarketing

Consumers don’t always read the risk information on branded drug websites--even though they say they do, according to new eye-tracking research from the University of Tennessee. Risk disclosures are a hot-button issue in pharma marketing, with some critics accusing brands of downplaying the risks and marketers contending that they follow the rules laid out by the FDA.

19 October 2016

Allergan and Tobira Therapeutics Announce Early Termination of Hart-Scott-Rodino Waiting Period for Allergan's Proposed Acquisition of Tobira

Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN), a leading global pharmaceutical company, and Tobira Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: TBRA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapies for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and other liver diseases, today announced that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") has granted early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended ("HSR"), with respect to Allergan's pending acquisition of Tobira.

19 October 2016

Ganaxolone Phase 1 Data Supports Progressing to Phase 2 in Patients with Status Epilepticus

Marinus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:MRNS), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of innovative therapeutics to treat epilepsy and neuropsychiatric disorders, today announced that in its Phase 1 dose-escalation study, ganaxolone intravenous (IV) achieved dose levels targeted for efficacy in patients with status epilepticus (SE) and other indications. Status epilepticus is a life-threatening medical emergency associated with high mortality and limited treatments. Typically, single or combination IV antiepileptic drugs are used in an attempt to break the seizures, however there are approximately 45,000 patients in the U.S. who do not respond to first-line treatment.

19 October 2016

Chairman highlights 2016 industry highlights at OIS

Healio

The past year has seen a number of important approvals and promising study progress in both biotechnology and ophthalmic devices, Emmett T. Cunningham Jr., MD, PhD, MPH, told the more than 900 attendees at the Ophthalmology Innovation Summit in his “Chairman’s 2016 Year in Review.”

19 October 2016

Liquid biopsy open database created under Cancer Moonshot, as pharma joins the fray

Stacy Lawrence / Fierce Biotech

Twenty stakeholders, including major biopharmas, diagnostic players and academic institutions, have committed to creating what they expect will be the largest liquid biopsy open database for cancer genomic profiling data. It’s part of the broader ongoing Cancer Moonshot effort led by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.

19 October 2016

White House To Announce Big Push For Cancer Blood Tests

Matthew Herper / Forbes

The White House, as part of the Cancer Moonshot effort being run by Vice President Joe Biden, is announcing a major push to develop blood tests that can detect and monitor cancer, that aims to unite makers of diagnostic tests, drugs, and other cancer-related products.

New report highlights impact of intellectual property on U.S. economy

Mark Grayson / PhRMA

In late September, the U.S. Department of Commerce released a comprehensive report that found intellectual property (IP) intensive industries contribute more than $6 trillion (38.2 percent) to U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). What’s more, IP-intensive industries are the source – directly or indirectly – of 45 million jobs, roughly 30 percent of all the jobs in the United States.

Overdosing on VC: Lessons from 71 IPOs

Eric Paley, Joseph Flaherty / TechCrunch

Venture capital is a hell of a drug. Used properly, it’s like adrenaline energizing many of the greatest companies of the past fifty years. Used incorrectly, it creates toxic dependencies. The conventional wisdom in the startup community is that when building the very best companies, more capital can be leveraged to accelerate even greater growth. But does this “go big or go home” approach stand up to scrutiny? In the best case scenarios, do companies that load up on venture capital actually outperform those that more efficiently deploy capital? We looked at 71 tech IPOs from the last five years to find out.