Pfizer ends brain cancer drug development deal with Celldex

   

NEEDHAM, Mass. (Sept. 3) Pfizer is pulling out of a development deal for a potential brain cancer drug, saying it is not a strategic priority, according to the drug's developer Celldex Therapeutics.

Celldex said it will regain full worldwide rights to develop and sell rindopepimut from Pfizer. The drug candidate also is called CDX-110. In May, the company reported positive results form a midstage study on the drug.

Celldex will regain rights to the drug candidate on Nov. 1.

Biodel's VIAject gets name change

   

DANBURY, Conn. (Sept. 1) A specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative treatments for diabetes has changed the name of its lead product candidate.

Biodel said that the name Linjeta will replace the name of the company's rapid-acting insulin formulation VIAject, which currently is under review by the Food and Drug Administration.

Errol De Souza, Biodel 's president and CEO, stated, "Today's news reflects the continued progress of the Linjeta new drug application through FDA review and is an important milestone in our effort to commercialize this new drug candidate."

Pfizer to acquire FoldRx

   

NEW YORK (Sept. 1) Pfizer announced Wednesday that it will acquire a privately held drug discovery and clinical development company.

FoldRx's portfolio includes clinical and preclinical programs for investigational compounds to treat diseases caused by protein misfolding, which increasingly is recognized as an underlying cause in many chronic degenerative diseases. FoldRx's lead product candidate, tafamidis meglumine, is an oral, disease-modifying therapy for TTR amyloid polyneuropathy (ATTR-PN), a progressively fatal genetic neurodegenerative disease, for which liver transplant is the only treatment option that currently is available, the companies said.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"By combining FoldRx's proprietary expertise in identifying and developing treatments for protein misfolding diseases with Pfizer's commercial, medical and regulatory expertise, and global strengths in patient services and reimbursement, we are taking a significant step toward potentially bringing, for the first time, a nonsurgical treatment option for underserved patients affected by the deadly disease ATTR-PN," said Geno Germano, president and general manager of Pfizer's specialty care business unit. "This transaction will add another important component to the growing portfolio of innovative in-line and investigational medicines for orphan and rare diseases within Pfizer's specialty care business, and will complement the current and planned future research and clinical development taking place in Pfizer's specialty care neuroscience disease area."

Added FoldRx president and CEO Richard Labaudiniere, "Pfizer's strong clinical and regulatory resources, global marketing reach and commitment to the treatment of rare diseases will significantly enhance the ability to pursue the goal of efficiently bringing tafamidis to all patients affected by this devastating neurodegenerative disease."