If therapeutic cancer vaccine developers were in need of a shot in the arm, they got it last week. Several firms working in the space saw their stock values make measurable gains on Friday, riding the coattails of Dendreon Corp., which Thursday received a positive endorsement from an FDA advisory committee reviewing Provenge (sipuleucel T). (BioWorld Today)
Embryonic stem cell research should advance a bit more freely because of policy changes announced this week by a major patent holder in this area, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). The move could clearlybenefit biotech companies and possibly negate for now some criticism that the organization has endured. (BioWorld Today)
To offset rising expenses related to its lead product, Nexavar (sorafenib tosylate), Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. raised about $126 million in gross proceeds through a public placement. (BioWorld Today)