In regional technology and life science news: SciQuest has landed RTI International as a customer. BioCryst’s influenza treatment advances; Open Invention Network adds VIA Technologies; and a drug from DARA BioSciences receives orphan drug status.

  • RTI Picks SciQuest

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – RTI International has signed on to use spend management solutions from SciQuest (Nasdaq: SQI).

Financial terms of the agreement, which was announced at SciQuest’s annual conference in Orlando, Fla., were not disclosed.

RTI will use the Enterprise Reagent Manager solution fro SciQuest, the goal being to exercise greater control of spending and also cutting costs.

Said Scott Simerly, Director of Corporate Procurement/Subcontract Management at RTI: “The compounds we develop require near-immediate access to appropriate supplies and materials, and ERM will facilitate that access. Over the years, SciQuest has evolved from a handy e-Procurement tool to an invaluable strategic partner helping us turn spending into savings.”

  • BioCryst Treatment Advances

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – The FDA has accepted for review a New Drug Application from BioCryst (Nasdaq: BCRX) for its intravenous treatment of influenza.

The NDA was filed in December. A decision is expected by Dec. 23 of this year.

“We are pleased that BioCryst’s first NDA filing has been accepted by the FDA. We believe the approval of peramivir and its mode of i.v. administration would benefit many influenza patients, including those who cannot tolerate treatment by oral or inhaled administration,” said Jon P. Stonehouse, President & Chief Executive Officer. “BioCryst is preparing to make peramivir available in the U.S. during the 2014-15 influenza season, provided approval is granted within that timeframe.”

Peramivir is alreado approved for use in Japan and South Korea.

  • Open Invention Network Adds New Member

DURHAM, N.C. – VIA Technologies, a developer of various server solutions based on x86 and ARM, is the newest member of the Open Invention Network.

“Linux, and more broadly open source software, is a foundational technology in the desktop, mobile, networking, cloud and embedded computing environments,” said Richard Brown, VP International Marketing at VIA Technologies. “We are committed to open solutions that promote advances in all of the sectors that depend on advanced x86 and ARM platforms. Joining Open Invention Network is another way we are demonstrating our commitment to open innovation and collaboration.”

OIN members can license patents it owns royalty-free in exchange for agreement not to assert patents against the Linux System.

  • DARA Drug Receives Orphan Status

 

RALEIGH, N.C. – A treatment from DARA BioSciences (Nasdaq: DARA) for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in cancer patients has received orphan status from the FDA.

We believe this Orphan Drug Designation will expedite the development of KRN5500 for patients with cancer who suffer from chronic neuropathic pain brought on by potent chemotherapeutic agents,” said David J. Drutz, M.D., the CEO and CMO of DARA BioSciences. “KRN5500, is a candidate to treat chronic neuropathic pain induced by chemotherapy, and fits perfectly into our corporate strategy of providing clinicians and patients with access to a synergistic portfolio of oncology supportive care products.”

Orphan status is reserved for drugs treating diseases affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. It also includes seven years of market exclusivity, tax credits, access to federal grants and other benefits.