On January 29, 2018 Sierra Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: SRRA), a clinical stage drug development company focused on advancing next generation DNA Damage Response (DDR) therapeutics for the treatment of patients with cancer, reported that its Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Mark Kowalski, will present "Leveraging Synthetic Lethality to Enhance Clinical Trials with SRA737, a Next-Generation Chk1 Inhibitor" at the DNA Damage Response Therapeutics Summit in Boston, MA (Press release, Sierra Oncology, JAN 29, 2018, View Source [SID1234523616]). The presentation is scheduled for 2:15 pm Eastern Time (ET) on February 1, 2018.

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Sierra Oncology is a key sponsor of the DNA Damage Response Therapeutics Summit, which will gather leading stakeholders from across drug development over two days to discuss how to therapeutically exploit synthetic lethal interactions for targeted cancer therapy. This is the first industry-dedicated meeting focused on identifying the next generation of DNA damage response therapeutics, achieving efficacy across a range of contexts, optimizing synthetic lethal screening techniques and exploiting key targets of mechanisms of resistance.

On January 29, 2018 Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) reported that it has formed a strategic scientific collaboration with the University of Southern California (USC) Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience to create an Agilent Center of Excellence (COE) in Biomolecular Characterization (Press release, Agilent, JAN 29, 2018, http://www.agilent.com/about/newsroom/presrel/2018/29jan-ca17038.html [SID1234523609]).

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Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

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The center will be housed in Michelson Hall, which opened at the university in October 2017 and is a state-of-the-art research facility aimed at establishing a convergence of researchers across science and engineering to work together on multidisciplinary approaches for the development of improved health care through new drugs, diagnostics, and medical devices. The Agilent COE will be a resource for undergraduate and graduate students as well as customers in the area, providing access to new Agilent instrumentation and broad exposure to researchers who are leaders in their respective fields.

"Agilent’s collaboration with the Michelson Center is an excellent example of how academia and industry can work together, sharing knowledge and expertise to shorten the timeline between scientific discoveries and real-world applications," said Darlene Solomon, senior vice president and chief technology officer for Agilent. "Convergent bioscience research requires successful collaboration across multiple disciplines — a holistic approach that is central to Agilent’s view of the future."

Key to the Agilent COE will be collaboration with renowned USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience principal investigator Dr. Valery Fokin. Research at the Fokin lab at USC focuses on chemical reactivity and biological interactions at the molecular level. The lab will contribute to multiple collaborative drug discovery projects ranging from chemical synthesis of screening and focused libraries and biological assay implementation to the development of targeted drug delivery systems, diagnostics, and vaccines.

"As convergent bioscience becomes a major contributor to scientific knowledge and ultimately improved human health, academic and industry collaboration will play a key role," said Stephen Bradforth, divisional dean for natural sciences and mathematics at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. "I’m pleased that Agilent has the vision to support our efforts in this important emerging research field."

Additional notable contributors to this collaboration include Dr. Richard Roberts, chair of the Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and professor of chemistry, chemical engineering, and biomedical engineering, and Dr. Steve Kay, who is Provost Professor of Neurology, Biomedical Engineering and Biological Sciences. Dr. Roberts, who is co-director of the Agilent COE with Dr. Fokin, is a renowned expert in the chemical biology of protein synthesis whose breakthrough methods allow researchers to screen 10 trillion independent peptide or protein sequences to understand their functions. Dr. Kay’s research into high-throughput genomics and chemical biology has been integral to the understanding of circadian rhythms, and he is recognized as one of the world’s top experts in this area. Other contributors are Dr. Raymond C. Stevens, Provost Professor of Biological Sciences and Chemistry, and Dr. Peter Kuhn, Dean’s Professor of Biological Sciences. Dr. Stevens and Dr. Kuhn are among the world’s most influential biomedical scientists; their research on structural biology and cancer metastasis have led to important advances in medical treatments and pharmaceutical drugs.

On January 29, 2018 Horizon Pharma plc (Nasdaq:HZNP) reported that its fourth-quarter and full-year 2017 financial results will be released on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018 (Press release, Horizon Pharma, JAN 29, 2018, View Source [SID1234523604]). Following the announcement, Horizon’s management will host a live webcast at 8 a.m. Eastern Time to review the Company’s financial and operating results.

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The live webcast and replay may be accessed at View Source Please connect to the Company’s website at least 15 minutes before the live webcast to ensure adequate time for any software download that may be needed to access the webcast.

On January 29, 2018 Innovation Pharmaceuticals, (OTCQB:IPIX) ("the Company"), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company,reported a business development update (Press release, Innovation Pharmaceuticals, JAN 29, 2018, View Source [SID1234523613]):

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· The Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA) count toward partnering with global and specialty pharmaceutical companies interested in the Company’s first-in-class drug candidates is nearing 20, with additional Agreements in review. Successfully securing partnerships would afford the Company access to immediate and potentially recurring sources of non-dilutive capital, including upfront fees, milestone-based payments and tiered royalties;

· A leading international drug manufacturer has been engaged with to bulk produce commercial-quality Brilacidin, aimed at lowering patient drug cost and anticipating future drug needs in preparation for expedient market introduction. This critical step also proactively facilitates future patient and insurance reimbursement adoption through favorable cost savings;

· After a recent successful Phase 2 trial in Oral Mucositis (OM), the Company believes that it is the clear global leader in this area as it develops an easy-to-administer oral rinse medicine for the prevention of severe Oral Mucositis (SOM) in Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) patients receiving chemoradiation—analysts estimate this market could reach $1 billion in coming years.

Brilacidin—Dermatology Formulation Development

Brilacidin has successfully completed Phase 2 trials in Oral Mucositis (OM), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Acute Bacterial Skin and Structure Infection (ABSSSI). A drug with broad platform potential (pdf), Brilacidin’s innate properties and modes of action, as well as additional pre-clinical work, support the drug’s potential for topical application in dermatology, including: Atopic Dermatitis, Acne, and Hidradenitis Suppurativa. All are areas of large unmet need and comprise highly lucrative markets.

To further these efforts, the Company is in negotiations with a leading drug formulator to develop topical formulation(s) of Brilacidin for these three dermatology indications, starting in 1H2018. The goal of the negotiations is to reach terms on a strategic partnership for addressing these markets. The formulator brings an impressive track record of developing products that have earned billions of dollars for global pharmaceutical companies.

For a discussion on Brilacidin’s potential as a topical agent in dermatology, please read more at the following link:

· "Brilacidin’s Potential Application in Dermatology"

For more on Brilacidin, learn more here:

· View Source

On January 30, 2018 Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR) reported it has signed an agreement to acquire all the outstanding shares of Sirtex Medical Limited (ASX: SRX) ("Sirtex"), an Australia-based global life sciences company focused on interventional oncology therapies, that is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, for A$28 per share in cash (Press release, Varian Medical Systems, JAN 29, 2018, View Source [SID1234523895]). On a fully diluted basis, this represents a total equity purchase price for the acquisition of approximately A$1,585M (approximately US$1,283M as of the date of this release). The acquisition has been unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of each company and the Sirtex Board of Directors has agreed to unanimously recommend that Sirtex shareholders approve the transaction, provided that an independent expert, to be retained by Sirtex, considers the transaction to be in the best interests of Sirtex shareholders and in the absence of a superior offer.

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This acquisition of a global leader in radioembolization extends Varian’s leadership in radiation medicine, expands Varian’s addressable market into interventional oncology, and is consistent with Varian’s long-term growth and value creation strategy. Varian expects to leverage its capabilities in treatment planning and delivery, image guidance and processing, oncology practice management software, and radiation safety in combination with Sirtex’s interventional oncology platform to provide customers of both companies with a wider range of cancer care solutions.

"This acquisition is the latest step in Varian’s long-term strategy to become a global leader in multi-disciplinary integrated cancer care solutions," said Dow Wilson, CEO of Varian. "The combination of the two companies will expand the reach of the Sirtex platform by making it more broadly available to the clinical community. Our companies share a common vision of a world without fear of cancer, and we look forward to completing this acquisition and positively impacting more patients’ lives around the world."

Sirtex’s lead product is a targeted internal radiation therapy for certain liver cancers. Approximately 80,000 doses of SIR-Spheres Y-90 resin microspheres have been supplied to treat patients with liver cancer at over 1,090 medical centers in over 40 countries. It has PMA approval from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), the European Union (CE Mark) and Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Sirtex has manufacturing capabilities in the United States, Singapore and Germany.

Sirtex generated annual revenues of A$234mm in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017. Sirtex has approximately 300 employees worldwide and maintains sales and distribution operations primarily in the United States, Europe and Asia.

Transaction and Financial details

Varian plans to finance the acquisition using cash on hand as well as proceeds from borrowings. The transaction, which is expected to close in late May 2018, is subject to the approval of the Sirtex shareholders, the Federal Court of Australia and other customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals. Varian expects this acquisition to be accretive to earnings per share in the first full fiscal year after the closing of the transaction.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is acting as financial advisor and Norton Rose Fulbright is acting as legal counsel to Varian.

Webcast

Varian will webcast a conference call to discuss the details of this acquisition. The webcast will start at 9:00am ET on Tuesday, January 30, 2018. The live webcast will be available on the Varian Investor Relations website at www.varian.com/investors.