IPierian mergers and leaves, Biogen wins a speedy review, and Millipore sues Goretex in today’s NewsFlash Roundup.
• SBIR vote makes major changes to federal R&D program
First, the bill would establish a guideline saying that only firms less than 50 percent owned by venture capital firms are eligible to receive SBIR grant money. Previously, there had been no limit on funding for VC-backed companies, but there had been a limit on how much each agency could give to VC-backed firms. That limitation — 15 percent of the total grant money by a federal agency — has been removed in the bill, known as HR 2965.
• Biogen wins speedy FDA review for MS drug
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted “Fast-Track” status for a Biogen drug target for multiple sclerosis. Biogen is currently enrolling patients in a Phase 3 clinical trial for the drug, called PEGylated interferon beta-1a (BIIB017). The company plans to enroll 1,200 patients in the study.
• IPierian merges with iZumi Bio, takes stem cell R&D to Calif.
Boston-bred pharmaceutical startup iPierian Inc. has merged with San Francisco-based iZumi Bio Inc., a stem cell and drug discovery firm. The newly formed company, to be named iPierian Inc., has received $11.5 million in funding, led by Boston venture capital firm and iPierian founding investor MPM Capital.
• Millipore sues Gore-tex maker over patent
Millipore Corp., the Billerica-based life sciences company, has filed a lawsuit to protect a patent for a sampling system marketed by the company.
The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts against Newark, Del.-based W.L. Gore & Associates, the makers of medical and consumer products, including Gore-tex.• Chestnut Hill BioEnergy drops plans for Waterbury, Conn. plant
Chestnut Hill BioEnergy LLC confirmed Wednesday they are pulling the plug on plans to build a waste-to-energy plant in Waterbury, Conn., amid public outcry, but are committed to building a facility elsewhere in the state.
• GTC lands Merrimack Pharma’s rights to goat-derived protein
GTC Biotherapeutics Inc., a developer of drug therapies derived from animal proteins, has acquired the rights to develop and sell a combination of potential auto-immune treatments discovered by Cambridge-based Merrimack Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Posted by Brendan Lynch
Tags: Biogen, Chestnut Hill Bioenergy, GTC Biotherapeutics, iPierian, Millipore, SBIR
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