Category Archives: Business of Biotech

Targacept, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRGT) presented data from its Phase 2b clinical trial of TC-5214 as an augmentation (add-on) treatment in subjects with major depressive disorder who did not respond adequately to first-line treatment with the representative SSRI citalopram hydrobromide.  In the trial, the add-on TC-5214 arm (TC-5214 + citalopram) outperformed the add-on placebo arm (placebo + citalopram) on the primary outcome measure, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression-17, or HAM-D, and all of the secondary Read More >

We recently spoke with Loïc Maurel, M.D., president of ExonHit Therapeutics’ Management Board, one of the companies presenting at the Eighth Annual BIO Investor Forum: Can you describe the top priorities or upcoming milestones for your company? This year will be the first year of product commercialization for ExonHit with the launch of EHT Dx21, a blood-based diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s disease. The Company is also focused on the outlicensing of EHT 0202, ExonHit’s lead Read More >

Inovio Biomedical Corporation (NYSE Amex: INO) and the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) initiated a phase I clinical study of Inovio’s PENNVAX™-B preventive DNA vaccine delivered using electroporation technology. The multi-center study will be conducted at several HVTN clinical sites under a protocol designated HVTN-080. The study will enroll healthy volunteers to assess the safety of and immune responses to this DNA-based vaccine delivered via in vivo electroporation. Read the release.

MethylGene Inc. (TSX: MYG) agreed to issue 3,686,182 common shares to Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. as part of a research collaboration and license agreement for the development of  small molecule kinase inhibitors for ocular diseases excluding cancer. Otsuka will acquire newly issued common shares of MethylGene at a purchase price of approximately $0.43 per share for gross proceeds of $1,500,000. In September 2009, MethylGene announced that Otsuka had extended the research portion of the collaboration Read More >

Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCBB: PVCT) expanded its compassionate use program for PV-10, making the agent, which is being developed as a therapeutic agent for a broad spectrum of cancers, available for select cancer patients in the United States. The program is already in progress in Australia, where it was initiated in June 2009. The program for PV-10 is being implemented under the FDA’s guidelines covering compassionate use of an investigational new drug. Read the release.