Clarient announces acquisition of Applied Genomics

Clarient has announced that it has acquired Applied Genomics in an all-stock merger valued at up to $17.6 million. As a result of the merger, AGI has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Clarient.

Sanofi-Aventis buys Chattem for $1.9 billion

Sanofi-Aventis has agreed to buy health-care company Chattem for about $1.9 billion in cash. Chattanooga is a maker of consumer health-care products such as Gold Bond skin care creams and Icy Hot pain relief medecine.

Roche and Takara Bio sign licensing agreement

Roche Diagnostics and Takara Bio have entered into a licensing agreement for use of the melting curve analysis technology and SYBR Green techniques in their kits and instruments for real time polymerase chain reaction, or PCR. Under the terms of the agreement, Takara will obtain from Roche a non-exclusive license for use on instruments in Japan, and a license for worldwide use in kits, in the field of research applications. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

BTG licenses RelGel to Allergan

BTG has signed a license agreement with Allergan under which Allergan has obtained exclusive worldwide rights for BTG’s ReGel drug delivery system to develop products for diseases and conditions of the eye.

Advaxis partners with National Cancer Institute group

Advaxis has announced that it will collaborate with the Gynecologic Oncology Group, a collaborative research group of the National Cancer Institute, in a multicenter, Phase II clinical trial of Advaxis’ lead drug candidate, ADXS11-001 in the treatment of advanced cervix cancer in women who have failed prior cytotoxic therapy.

GSK buys stake in JCR Pharmaceuticals

JCR Pharmaceuticals has announced that it will sell $30.90 million in treasury stock to GlaxoSmithKline. GlaxoSmithKline will then become the Japanese firm’s second-largest shareholder with a 12.59% stake behind Kissei Pharmaceutical Co, which owns 13.67%. JCR Pharma will give GSK development and sales rights overseas for a generic anemia drug. It will also work with GSK’s Japanese subsidiary in the domestic market, jointly developing and promoting a generic drug for lysosome disease, which causes swelling of the heart due to a chromosome defect. It will give GSK overseas rights for this medicine.

Vion Pharmaceuticals files for Chapter 11

Vion Pharmaceuticals has voluntarily filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11. According to a news release by the company, Vion does not have the funds to continue operation, nor to complete an FDA-required randomized trial of its Onrigin anticancer compound before it could be approved. Vion’s Onrigin was intended to be a single agent for remission treatment for patients that are 60 years of age or older with de novo poor-risk acute myeloid leukemia. The required randomized study would review the safety and efficacy of the Onrigin injection. The filing indicates Vion has assets of $19.2 million and liabilities of $65 million, as of Sept. 30. It also lists $60 million in convertible senior notes due 2012 still outstanding. Vion will run as a debtor-in-possession, following the bankruptcy filing.

BioMS invests in Spectral Diagnostics

Spectral Diagnostics and BioMS Medical have announced that BioMS and a syndicate of investors have invested $14 million in Spectral Diagnostics to advance Toraymyxin, a treatment for severe sepsis, towards regulatory approval and commercialization in the United States. Spectral obtained exclusive rights for the Toraymyxin device in the US from Toray Industries in March of 2009

Ambit Biosciences and Astellas Pharma sign FLT3 partnership

Ambit Biosciences and Astellas Pharma have announced that they have entered into a worldwide agreement to jointly develop and commercialize FLT3 kinase inhibitors in oncology and non-oncology indications. The partnership includes AC220, Ambit’s lead clinical-stage investigational drug that entered into a Phase 2 clinical trial earlier this month in relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and other undisclosed FLT3 kinase inhibitors. AC220 is a novel, orally available, potent and highly selective small molecule that was specifically designed as a second generation FMS-like tyrosine kinase-3 (FLT3) inhibitor using Ambit’s proprietary drug discovery engine, KINOMEscan.

The companies will collaborate to develop AC220 for AML and other indications. The parties will also collaborate on a research and development program for a series of novel FLT3 inhibitors for a variety of oncology and non-oncology indications. The companies will share equally in the responsibilities and expenses for the development of AC220 and any additional products in the U.S. and Europe, while Astellas will have sole responsibility to fund development in all other territories. Under the terms of the agreement, Ambit will receive an up-front cash payment of $40 million and will be eligible to receive pre-commercialization payments of up to $350 million.

Astellas will have sole responsibility for funding and implementing the commercialization of all products, and Ambit will be entitled to post-approval milestone payments upon the achievement of certain sales thresholds, as well as tiered double-digit royalties on net sales. In the U.S., Ambit will also have the option to co-promote AC220 and other products under a profit sharing arrangement where Astellas and Ambit share equally in profits and losses generated from U.S. sales.

Eisai to buy AkaRx

It is reported that Eisai will exercise its option to buy AkaRx for $255 million. Eisai had obtained the right to buy AkaRx when it had acquired MGI Pharma last year for $3.9 billion. Eisai has decided to exercise that option and the exclusive rights to develop, market and manufacture AKR-501, a therapeutic agent for thrombocytopenia, a side-effect of chemotherapy.