Drug Companies Update September 2008
Mergers, acquisitions & Joint Ventures
- Kowa has acquired Proethic, which will change its name to Kowa Pharmaceuticals America.
- Maelor Pharmaceuticals has changed its name to IS Pharma
- Pharmaceutical giant Bayer has acquired Direvo Biotech.
- Biovail has acquired Prestwick Pharmaceuticals.
- Calando Pharmaceuticals has merged with Insert Therapeutics.
- Mithridion has merged with Cognitive Pharmaceuticals.
- Solvay has acquired Innogenetics.
- West Coast Biologicals has changed its name to Vaxart.
New Companies
- Advenchen Laboratories is developing small molecule anticancers, particularly those based on tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
- Alte Biosciences is a virtual pharmaceutical company developing drugs for debilitating chronic diseases.
- Apoptos is developing small-molecule anticancer drugs that activate apoptosis.
- BexCore is a biopharmaceutical company that develops novel drug candidates and delivery systems.
- BiolActis is a Canadian biotech company engaged in the development and commercialization of drugs for the treatment of metabolic diseases and obesity-related conditions.
- Escoublac is developing human osteocalcin or derivatives as therapies for metabolic disorders and related conditions.
- SanBio is developing regenerative therapies for neurological disorders.
- Eutropics discovers and develops targeted small molecules for the treatment of cancer.
- Expression Therapeutics is a gene therapy company developing products directed towards the treatment of haemophilia.
- FluroPharma is a molecular imaging company developing diagnostic imaging products, with a focus on positron emission tomography imaging agents for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease.
- Hyundai Pharm develops pharmaceuticals and medical equipment.
- InterMed Discovery is developing pharmaceuticals based on natural compounds that has either never been published or whose biological activities were unknown.
- Latona Life Sciences focuses on the development and commercialization of therapies to treat immune mediated diseases.
- MicuRx focuses on the development of improved anti-infectives.
- NewSouth Innovations was formed to commercialize the research and technologies developed by the University of New South Wales.
- Nanotherapeutics develops formulations of new or existing drugs with increases bioavailability.
- Ora Biorepositions existing drugs for second-use applications, and is developing products based on an approved angiogenesis inhibitor.
- Oryzon is a biomarker discovery company developing diagnostics and therapeutics for oncology and neurological disorders.
- PainReform is a pharmaceutical company that in-licenses and develops products for the treatment and management of nociceptive pain.
- Provasculon is developing novel forms of stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) for cardiovascular disease and diabetic ulcers.
- reMYND is engaged in the development of compounds for the treatment of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
- Sapient Discovery is engaged in the development of compounds for the treatment of unmet medical needs.
- Seaside Therapeutics is developing compounds for the treatment of disorders of brain development, such as fragile X syndrome.
- Serenity Pharmaceuticals develops compounds for the treatment of urology indications.
- SierraNeuro is developing small molecules to be delivered directly to the CNS for the treatment of diseases refractory to oral medications.
- Spinifex Pharmaceuticals develops new drug candidates for the treatment and management of pain.
- Theryte is focused on the discovery of anticancer therapies.
- Thrombotargets is a group of discovery and development biotech companies, developing medicines for inherited or acquired haemorrhagic and thrombotic disorders.
- Vironova is a Swedish biotech company dedicated to the development of novel antiviral therapeutics and virus diagnostics.
