Two years ago the renowned Mayo Clinic opened its first overseas research center in Brno, the second-largest city in the Czech Republic. The city is also home to several universities, including Masaryk University and the Brno University of Technology, and city officials credit the universities for contributing to the area's rich [...]

Abraxis has signed a $295M licensing deal with ProMetic Life Sciences to develop and market four biotech drugs. The companies didn't say which programs they woud be collaborating on, only that the drugs address "underserved medical conditions." Abraxis will make a $7 million investment in ProMetic and has the option [...]

The FDA is taking a critical look at Pfizer and Ligand's Fablyn, an osteoporosis drug the companies developed together that has been submitted to the FDA. Ahead of Monday's advisory panel meeting, the agency released data that showed women taking Fablyn had an increased chance of stroke and cancer-related death. [...]

> We all know that one of the most valuable resources in the clinical research industry is experienced staff. Yet it is commonly accepted that a clinical monitor will only stay with a company for about three years. So what can companies do to attract and retain senior staff that [...]

Bothell, WA-based Acucela has inked co-development deals for two of its eye therapies with Japan's Otsuka Pharmaceuticals. One pact covers the development of ACU-4429 for dry AMD and the late-stage therapy Rebamipide, which is in a late-stage study for dry eye. ACU-4429 is in a Phase I trial for dry AMD. [...]

Bayer Schering Pharma is handing back the worldwide commercialization rights to Epix's Vasovist, an MRA agent that has yet to win FDA approval. Their deal ends on March 1, 2009 and Bayer Schering will continue to supply Vasovist to the 19 countries where it is marketed. The FDA had rejected [...]

Belgium's Ablynx is pocketing $14.5 million (€10 million) from Merck Serono as a down payment for their new collaboration to find new 'nanobodies' for oncology and immunology. The milestones are worth up to €325 million. But the CEO has been quick to boast to reporters that the tie-up--which includes a [...]

Troubled Oxford BioMedica has been roiled by several twists and turns in the last few days. Last week, newly named CEO Mike McDonald departed after only a month in the top job. That sent company shares down. And yesterday the stock slid again when GeneThera announced that it was no [...]

Waltham, MA-based Histogenics has rounded up $13.1 million in its second round. Boston Millennia Partners, which originally backed the biotech in 2006, led the round. Foundation Medical Partners, a venture firm, and Stryker Corporation participated. Histogenics has been focused on advancing cartilage repair technology that originated in the work of [...]

San Francisco-based Osprey Pharmaceuticals has landed $11 million in its first round of venture funding. Burrill & Company led the round. Novo Nordisk Biotech Fund, Yasuda Enterprise Development, GeneChem Therapeutics Venture Fund, BDC Venture Capital and Western Technology Seed Investment Fund also participated. Osprey will use the funding to finance a [...]

The experimental heart drug Multaq, being developed by Sanofi-Aventis, reduced the risk of stroke by a third among elderly patients suffering from atrial fibrillation. The trial pitted Multaq against a placebo. "These are extraordinarily impressive trial results," said John Cam, professor of clinical cardiology, at St George's Hospital Medical School. [...]

Anesiva is axing its preclinical development program as well as other "non-core positions" and reducing its head count by 20 percent as it restructures to focus on late-stage products and sales as the company makes its transition to a specialty pain management company. The South San Francisco biotech is also [...]

Andy Reddick has resumed full responsibilities as president and CEO of Acura Pharmaceuticals following his medical leave of absence initiated in February of this year. Patrik De Haes, MD, currently COO, has been appointed to succeed Professor Desire Collen as ThromboGenics' new CEO. Zealand Pharma announced that Dr. David H [...]

Palo Alto may have to say goodbye to as many as 3,000 jobs. According to the San Francisco Business Times, Roche is planning to move its inflammation business from Palo Alto to Nutley, NJ and its virology ops--also at Palo Alto--to South San Francisco. The company will also move U.S. pharmaceutical [...]

Shares of Austin-based Introgen Therapeutics plunged 26 percent this morning after investors learned that the FDA has rejected its BLA for the cancer therapy Advexin. According to Introgen, regulators had rejected the BLA as incomplete. Introgen was seeking approval to use the drug--a p53 tumor suppressor therapy--to treat head and neck [...]

Novacea is being taken over by Transcept Pharmaceuticals in an all-stock deal that will leave Novacea shareholders holding 40 percent of the combined operation. The new company will be called Transcept and will be run by Transcept executives. For Transcept, the merger deal gives the company added resources to launch [...]

Noted UK biotech investor Sir Christopher Evans has analyzed what ails the country's development business and has come up with a cure. Comparing Great Britain's recent success in the Olympics with past failure, he says that a major investment made all the difference. And he's suggesting that the government join with private investors [...]