EKR Therapeutics has appointed Robert Roche Jr as an independent director to its Board.

John Bailye, President and CEO of EKR Therapeutics, said that Mr Roche “brings a wealth of operating and management experience to our company at a time when we are working hard to expand our business”.

Mr. Roche currently works as Independent Director of NuPathe in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. His previous positions include executive vice president of Worldwide Pharmaceutical Operations at Cephalon as well as various sales and marketing roles at SmithKline Beecham.

EKR Therapeutics is a pharmaceutical company that provides acute care products to the hospital marketplace.

Roche is to merge with and fully acquire oral therapeutics developer Anadys Pharmaceuticals in a $230 million cash deal.

The acquisition follows Roche’s plans to expand future treatment options for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Jean-Jacques Garaud, Global Head of Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, said: “Our aim is to offer physicians and hepatitis patients a powerful combination of therapies that bring us closer to a cure.”

San Diego-based Anadys’ most advanced drug candidate, Setrobuvir (ANA598), is a direct-acting antiviral (DAA) inhibitor, which is currently being evaluated in a Phase II study in combination with Roche’s Pegasys (pegylated interferon) and Copegus (ribavirin).

Roche plans to explore Setrobuvir’s use in combination with other DAAs already within its portfolio, with and without interferon.

Steve Worland, President and CEO of Anadys, said: “With Roche’s considerable capabilities and experience in HCV, this acquisition provides the best chance of success for the new potential treatments our team has been dedicated to developing.”

In addition to its lead programme with ANA598, Anadys is developing ANA773, an oral, small-molecule inducer of innate immunity that may prove useful for treating HCV as well as other chronic infections and cancer.

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche provides research-focused healthcare with strengths in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is the world’s largest biotechnology company with focus in oncology, virology, inflammation, metabolism and CNS medicines.

The FDA has approved Eli Lilly’s Cialis (tadalafil) to treat men with signs and symptoms of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and Erectile Dysfunction (ED).

The drug works by inhibiting the phosphodiesterase type 5 enzyme (PDE5), helping to produce vascular relaxation and increase blood flow to the penis. These enzymes are also found in the prostate and bladder, where problems can occur with BPH.

Claus Roehrborn, Chairman of the Department of Urology at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre, said: “Since many men who have ED also experience the signs and symptoms of BPH, a single medication approved to treat both may be a significant therapeutic option for men and physicians.”

The approval totals three indications: both ED and signs and symptoms of BPH separately, as well as for men who have both conditions.

Dave Ricks, Lilly USA President, said: “These additional indications for Cialis reinforce our commitment to providing medical innovation in the area of men's health.”

“We're encouraged that Cialis provides a new treatment option for men affected by both ED and the signs and symptoms of BPH,” commented Mr Ricks.

The FDA clearance was based on clinical research gathered from three placebo-controlled efficacy and safety studies involved 1,989 men.

BPH is a condition where the prostate enlarges, which can cause urinary problems. Approximately 50% of men between 40-70 years old suffer from erectile dysfunction. Several studies have shown that many men with ED also experience the symptoms of BPH.

Sanofi Pasteur has signed a research and development agreement with the University of California, San Diego, for its experimental acne vaccine and treatment.

The R&D pact includes a two-year collaboration with Chun-Ming Huang and team at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

The team’s immunological approach to acne prevention and treatment targets the neutralisation of Propionibacterium inflammation.

Elias Zerhouni, President of Global Research and Development at Sanofi, said that the vaccine and treatment could address an unmet medical need.

“This investigational vaccine and treatment may lead to a better solution for the many who suffer from this skin disease,” said Mr Zerhouni.

According to the vaccine division of Sanofi, the annual market for acne therapeutics is in excess of $3 billion.

GSK has invested £1.25 million in Autifony Therapeutics Limited, a new UK-based biotechnology company which aims to develop pharmacological treatments for hearing loss.

Autifony has been established by a trio of senior research executives at GSK and starts with a number of pre-candidates assets in exchange for an initial 25.4% equity stake.

Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer Charles Large says there are no current pharmacological treatments for hearing loss or tinnitus and the company’s goal is to find “effective new medicines”.

The investment by GSK has been joined by the Imperial Innovations Group and SV Life Sciences, both of which have put in £10 million.

For their investment, GSK will receive 850,000 ordinary shares, as well as more than 571,000 ordinary shares in recognition of £400,000 worth of development funded by Glaxo on behalf of Autifony.

GSK will also be eligible to receive an additional 550,000 shares at a pre-determined milestone, at which time it will make a further investment and own 13.2% of the biotech firm on a fully diluted basis.

Alongside Charles Long, who was previously the director of molecular and cellular biology at GSK, Giuseppe Alvaro, himself a previously chemistry leader within GSK’s neuroscience division, is part of Autifony’s founding members.

Allan Baxter, a former senior vice president of medicines development at GSK, and John Berriman, a non-executive chairman at Glaxo, are also part of the board members at the company.