) is reporting some interesting findings confirmed by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) that a household cat in Iowa developed signs of respiratory infection caused by H1N1 influenza virus.
The AVMA report adds cats to the growing list of animals, including ferrets, hogs (most recently in Indiana and Taiwan) and turkeys reported to be infected by H1N1 influenza virus.
{tiny;AMAR;3}Dr. Joseph Cummins, President & CEO, ABI, said, "Any possible H1N1 mutations that worsen the virus' effect on humans could limit the effectiveness of vaccines or other prophylactic measures. Fortunately, oral or intranasal interferon alpha has been reported by scientists in France, Italy, Germany, Taiwan and the USA to be safe and beneficial in controlling viral diseases in cats, hogs, ferrets and poultry, regardless of mutations occurring."
A Phase 2 clinical trial of ABI's low-dose oral interferon is ongoing in Australia in 200 healthy human volunteers exposed to the H1N1 influenza virus and other respiratory viruses during the local influenza season.
Dr. Manfred Beilharz, one of the principal investigators in Australia, said, "Our study was conducted based on human results published in Russia and Bulgaria. Our study is expected to validate results of human clinical trials published years ago, which reported that low-dose interferon given orally or intranasally is safe and effective against influenza virus."
Results of this important Australian study are expected within a month.
{tiny;REGN;1}Sanofi-Aventis the Paris health-care giant, and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.(Nasdaq:REGN) the Tarrytown, N.Y., biopharmaceutical producer, have expanded their effort to discover and market therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. Within the deal, Sanofi-Aventis will boost its funding commitment to $160 million a year from $100 million beginning in 2010. The funding commitment will now extend through 2017 and given that the venture had been set to expire at the end of 2012 this is good news for Regeneron, whcih will gap shares up this morning. The companies aim to bring as many as five antibodies into clinical development each year, they said in a statement late on Tuesday. The two companies have advanced four antibodies into clinical development and have filed for a fifth.
{tiny;NEXM;3}Nexmed is getting a nice cash infusion. NexMed, Inc. (Nasdaq: NEXM), a developer of innovative transdermal products based on the NexACT® drug delivery technology, today announced that it raised $750,000 in gross proceeds from the issuance of new convertible notes due December 31, 2011, which are secured by a mortgage on NexMed’s facility in East Windsor, New Jersey.
The Notes were purchased by two investors, including The Tail Wind Fund Ltd., a long term investor in NexMed and are convertible into shares of NexMed common stock at $2 per share with a coupon rate of 7% per annum.
NexMed’s pipeline includes a late stage terbinafine treatment for onychomycosis, a late stage alprostadil treatment for erectile dysfunction, a P 2 alprostadil treatment for female sexual arousal disorder, and an early stage treatment for psoriasis.
{tiny;ALTH;3}Look for shares of Allos Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALTH) to rise as we head closer to an announced presentation of abstracts from studies of FOLOTYN™ (pralatrexate injection) were accepted for presentation at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) to be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, La., from December 5-8, 2009.
Four poster presentations will summarize new analyses of data and updated efficacy results from the Company’s pivotal PROPEL study, which served as the basis for U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s accelerated approval of FOLOTYN™ on September 24, 2009, for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma. A complete schedule of the presentations can be found here.
