ILMN Amps Up IP Suit, OFIX In A Fix, EBIO's Oasis Dries Up, ENDP Opens Wallet

(RTTNews) - Actavis plc's (ACT) NAMZARIC, which was approved by the FDA last December for the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease in patients stabilized on memantine hydrochloride and donepezil hydrochloride, has now been made available to patients and healthcare professionals across the United States.

ACT closed Monday's trading at $295.76, down 0.28%.

Within the next 90 days, Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc. (CRBP) will be initiating a phase II clinical study with Resunab in adults with cystic fibrosis.

The phase II trial, which is designed to enroll approximately 70 adults with cystic fibrosis, is expected to be completed within 18 to 21 months.

The company plans to file for Clinical Trial Authorisations in multiple European countries to test Resunab in cystic fibrosis starting in the third quarter of 2015.

CRBP closed Monday's trading at $4.15, up 3.75%.

Shares of Eleven Biotherapeutics Inc. (EBIO) plunged more than 69% on Monday as the company's first pivotal phase III study of its lead drug candidate, EBI-005, in moderate to severe dry eye disease, dubbed OASIS, failed to achieve the primary endpoints.

The company said that it will not be initiating the second phase III study of EBI-005 in dry eye disease that was supposed to start in the second half of this year.

EBIO closed Monday's trading at $3.69, down 69.17%.

Endo International plc (ENDP) is acquiring privately-held Par Pharmaceutical Holdings Inc from TPG Capital in a transaction valued at $8.05 billion, including assumption of Par debt. The acquisition reshapes generic pharmaceuticals landscape while transforming Endo's platform for future growth.

The transaction is expected to be accretive to Endo's non-GAAP diluted earnings per share within first 12 months with double-digit accretion to non-GAAP diluted earnings per share expected in 2016.

ENDP closed Monday's trading at $80.77, down 5.37%.

Idera Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s (IDRA) product candidate IMO-9200, which is being developed for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, in a phase I trial in healthy subjects has demonstrated that the compound is safe and well-tolerated across all dose regimens.

The company is currently reviewing its various strategic options for the future of the IMO-9200 development program.

IDRA closed Monday's trading at $3.36, up 12.37%.

Illumina Inc. (ILMN) has filed another patent infringement suit against Ariosa Diagnostics Inc. and its parent company, Roche Molecular Systems Inc., alleging that Ariosa's Microarray-based version of Harmony Prenatal Test infringes on an Illumina patent.

The Harmony Prenatal Test is a blood test for pregnant women that can be used as early as 10 weeks into pregnancy. By evaluating cell-free DNA found in maternal blood including accurate measurement of the fetal fraction of DNA, the test assesses the risk of Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) in the fetus.

The previous suits filed by Illumina and its wholly owned subsidiary, Verinata Health, Inc., against Ariosa accusing its Sequencing-based version of the Harmony Prenatal Test of infringement of patents remain pending.

ILMN closed Monday's trading at $200.76, up 0.85%.

Lannett Co.Inc. (LCI) is all set to acquire privately held, Silarx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and a related real estate entity, a manufacturer and marketer of liquid generic pharmaceutical products.

Strategic benefits of the acquisition include an FDA-approved manufacturing facility, research and development expertise and added diversity to Lannett's portfolio of existing and pipeline products.

The transaction is expected to close in early June, 2015, subject to customary closing conditions.

LCI closed Monday's trading 4.30% higher at $54.86.

Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings (LH) has launched two new Hepatitis C Virus drug resistance assays namely, HCV NS5A and NS5B Drug Resistance Assays. The new products expand the company's portfolio of HCV resistance tests that includes HCV GenoSure NS3/4A, which was launched in 2011.

LH closed Monday's trading at $118.74, up 1.24%.

Orthofix International N.V. (OFIX), whose net sales shrunk 10.3% in the first quarter ended March 31, 2015, expects a decline of 0.7% to growth of 0.6% on a constant currency basis and a decline of 4.3% to 3.1% on a reported basis in its net sales for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015.

The net sales for fiscal 2015 is forecast to range between $385 million and $390 million. The company's net sales were $402.3 million in fiscal 2014.

OFIX closed Monday's trading at $32.79, up 0.77%.

Seeking to focus on Chimeric Antigen Receptor Tumor-attacking Neukoplast, or CAR.TNK, and other cellular immunotherapies, Sorrento Therapeutics Inc. (SRNE) has formed a wholly-owned subsidiary, TNK (pronounced as "tank") Therapeutics Inc.

Sorrento has a global exclusive partnership with Conkwest Inc., that was signed last December to jointly develop next-generation CAR.TNK immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases.

SRNE closed Monday's trading 9.15% higher at $14.20.

Xbiotech's (XBIT) phase III registration study of Xilonix for treating patients with symptomatic colorectal cancer, underway in Europe, has been recommended for continuation by the Data Safety Monitoring Board.

The study, launched in March of 2014, is on schedule for completion this year.

XBIT closed Monday's trading at $19.75, down 0.90%.