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Japan
Latest Headlines
Latest Headlines
Ocera pockets $14.5M in first round, prepares drug trial
San Diego-based Ocera Therapeutics has wrapped a $14.5 million first round of venture capital and announced that it has in-licensed a drug from Japan's Kureha for gastrointestinal and liver diseases in North America and Europe. Ocera has filed an IND for the drug with safety data from Japan on more than 200,000 patients. A clinical trial for the therapy is expected to get underway in the first half of this year. "Ocera Therapeutics is building upon a significant body of clinical …
Care Capital closes third venture fund with $300M
Care Capital has closed its third life sciences fund with $300 million. The Princeton-based venture group exceeded its original target by $75 million. Care Capital has a particular focus on late stage biopharma companies. Its portfolio includes Anadys, Inotek and Tercica.- read this release for more information PLUS: Tioga Pharmaceuticals has raised an impressive $24 million in its first …
SPOTLIGHT: Novartis, Senju develop glaucoma treatment
Novartis announced that it has signed a deal with Senju Pharmaceutical to develop and market Senju's glaucoma treatment Y39983. Glaucoma represents the largest portion of ophthalmic diseases and a potential $3.7 billion market. The deal excludes development and commercialization in Japan, where Y39983 is currently in phase I studies. Release
Dems criticize Bush admin for slow response to flu threat
Senate Democrats have introduced a bill that would dramatically increase spending on preparations for a possible avian flu pandemic while criticizing the Bush administration for dragging its heels on the subject. Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) said that a number of other countries, including Japan and the UK, were much further ahead in the field. Money would go to stockpiling drugs and increased surveillance work overseas.- read this report from AFX for more
GSK halts Phase III trials of AIDS therapy
GlaxoSmithKline halted all Phase III trials of the experimental AIDS therapy aplaviroc after a patient developed an elevation of liver enzymes and total bilirubin. Japan's Ono Pharmaceutical, which licensed the drug to GSK, announced the suspension of trials. GSK is the world's biggest maker of HIV drugs, but is facing strong competition from Pfizer.- read this report from ShareCast for more information
SPOTLIGHT: Takeda outsources Rozerem sales
Takeda Pharmaceutical, Japan's largest drug maker, will partly outsource its sales of Rozerem, a new insomnia treatment to be launched in the US in September, according to a Japanese news report. Story
Lilly signs licensing deal for early-stage diabetes therapy
Eli Lilly has inked a licensing deal with Taisho Pharmaceutical for a Phase I drug for type 2 diabetes. Lilly gained marketing rights for the drug outside of China and Japan. Financial details were not disclosed.- read this press release for more
