BioTime’s Subsidiary Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc. Settles Patent Interference Proceedings

BioTime, Inc. (NYSE MKT: BTX) and its subsidiary Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc. (“Asterias”), announced that Asterias has entered into a settlement agreement with ViaCyte, Inc. (“ViaCyte”) concerning certain litigation in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California (Civil Action No. C12-04813) seeking the reversal of two adverse determinations by the United States Patent & Trademark Office with respect to two patent applications in U.S. Patent Interference 105,734, involving U.S. patent 7,510,876 (ViaCyte) and U.S. patent application 11/960,477 (Geron), and U.S. Patent Interference 105,827 involving U.S. patent 7,510,876 (ViaCyte) and U.S. patent application 12/543,875 (Geron), along with four Opposition Proceedings pending before the Australian Patent Office pertaining to priority rights and the validity of each party’s patents relating to endodermal precursor cells. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the parties granted to each other a royalty free, fully paid license to each other’s technology relating to endoderm lineage cells including definitive endoderm and gut endoderm cells, only to the extent necessary to allow the licensee to make, use, sell, offer for sale, or import endodermal lineage cells.

BioCryst Announces Positive Results From OPuS-1, a Phase 2 Trial of BCX4161 for the Prophylactic Treatment of Hereditary Angioedema

Significant reduction in HAE attacks by 0.45 per week versus placebo

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., May 27, 2014 -- BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (BCRX) today announced preliminary results from its OPuS-1 (Oral ProphylaxiS-1) proof of concept Phase 2a clinical trial of orally-administered BCX4161 in patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE). The trial met the primary efficacy endpoint, several secondary endpoints and all other objectives established for the trial.

OPuS-1 evaluated 400 mg of BCX4161 administered three times a day for 28 days in HAE patients with a high attack frequency (>= 1 per week), in a randomized, placebo-controlled, two-period cross-over design. The primary goals for the trial were to estimate the degree of efficacy of BCX4161 in reducing the frequency of angioedema attacks, and to evaluate the safety and tolerability of 28 days of BCX4161 treatment.

Tekmira Initiating Phase I/II Clinical Trial in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 27, 2014 -- Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation (TKMR) (TKM.TO), a leading developer of RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics, today announced they have met all regulatory requirements to initiate a Phase I/II clinical trial of TKM-PLK1 in patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). Tekmira is also conducting a separate Phase I/II clinical trial evaluating TKM-PLK1 in patients with Gastrointestinal Neuroendocrine Tumors (GI-NET) or Adrenocortical Carcinoma (ACC).

"Hepatocellular carcinoma is associated with one of the poorest survival rates in oncology, and clearly new therapies are needed. We are encouraged with the positive data from our GI-NET and ACC clinical studies with TKM-PLK1 and there is sound rational for evaluating this agent in HCC," said Dr. Mark J. Murray, Tekmira's President and CEO.