Pfizer to make payment of $14 million for access to Santaris Pharma A/S Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) Drug Platform to develop RNA-targeted drugs

      Santaris Pharma A/S eligible to receive milestone payments of up to $600 million as well as royalties on sales of products that may develop for up to 10 new RNA targets selected by Pfizer

      The newly expanded alliance builds on the original collaboration formed in January 2009 between Santaris Pharma A/S and Wyeth, which was acquired by Pfizer Inc.

      Agreement demonstrates that the Santaris Pharma A/S LNA Drug Platform is a technology-of-choice for developing RNA-targeted medicines for unmet medical needs.

(Santaris's homepage)

For the whole press release click here.

GLO AB establishes new engineering center in Silicon Valley, appoints new CEO & Closes SEK 170M (USD 25 million) investment round

Swedish Nanotechnology company transitions to commercial production phase for first-in-world semiconductor nanowire LEDs for general illumination.

Sweden based nanowire semiconductor LED developer GLO AB today announced the closing of an SEK 170 million round (approximately) USD 25 million) and establishment of a California based engineering center to supplement its current efforts in Sweden and Denmark. The Company also announced appointment of Fariba Danesh as its Chief Executive Officer.

(GLO's hoemepage)

For the whole press release click here.

Affitech Signs Strategic Alliance with Russian Biotech Partner

NauchTekhStroy Plus, (NTS Plus), a newly formed joint venture subsidiary of
Pharmstandard, Russia's leading domestic pharmaceutical company and a participant in the leading Russian biotech project ‘Generium', will conduct clinical development and registration of two innovative Affitech antibodies for Russian and  CIS markets.

• NTS Plus will pay €23 million in fees and advanced royalties to Affitech 
  
• Pharmstandard will commercialise these antibody products in Russia and CIS 
  
• Russian Investor, Trans Nova Investments, becomes majority shareholder in Affitech by subscribing for €20.9 million in new Affitech shares 
  
• Affitech shares continue to trade on NASDAQ/OMX Copenhagen Stock Exchange

(Affitech's homepage)

 For the whole press release click here.

Merz to Acquire BioForm Medical

FRANKFURT, Germany and SAN MATEO, Calif., Jan 4, 2010 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX News Network)

Merz Pharma Group ("Merz"), a privately-held company based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and BioForm Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq:BFRM) today announced that the Board of Directors of BioForm Medical and the Merz Shareholders Council have unanimously approved a definitive agreement under which Merz will acquire all of the outstanding shares of BioForm Medical for US$5.45 per share in cash pursuant to a cash tender offer followed by a second-step merger. The transaction has a total equity value of approximately US$253 million based on BioForm Medical's outstanding shares of common stock.

(BioForm's homepage)

Fact sheet for the transaction click here

For the whole press release click here