Frank Vinluan

Two Icagen (Nasdaq: ICGN) institutional investors opposed to Pfizer‘s (NYSE: PFE) $56 million offer for the pain drug development company now say the company’s value should be nearly three times that amount. Merlin Nexus and New Leaf Venture Partners say that with potential sales of pain treatment products exceeding $2 billion a year, they value Icagen at between $100 million to $165 million, or $11 to $19 per share. Pfizer’s offer amounts to $6 per share. Before Pfizer’s interest in Icagen became public in June, Icagen shares traded at around $2.40. The Pfizer acquisition of Icagen, announced July 20,...

GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) is wasting no time in trying to seeking additional indications for its new restless leg syndrome drug Horizant. The British drug maker, which has its U.S. headquarters in Research Triangle Park, has filed a supplemental new drug application with the Food and Drug Administration for Horizant as a treatment for postherpetic neuralgia in adults – the pain patients feel in the area where they had a shingles infection. Such pain can persist for years. Horizant, developed with drug partner Xenoport (NASDAQ: XNPT), just received FDA approval for the treatment of restless leg syndrome in April. Restless...

Searching for the nearest ER? There’s an app for that – if you want to find an emergency room in the Research Triangle, that is. WakeMed Health & Hospitals in Raleigh has launched a hospital smartphone application whose features include an emergency department locator that offers turn-by-turn GPS directions automatically generated from the phone’s location. But it will only take users to the nearest WakeMed emergency facility. WakeMed is one of a growing number of hospitals that are adding smart phone apps as another way to connect with patients. OhioHealth of Columbus, Ohio earlier this year released a smartphone...

GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK) dermatology and skin subsidiary Stiefel has submitted to regulators a new drug application for tazarotene foam, a topical acne treatment. If approved by the Food and Drug Administration, tazarotene would give Stiefel yet another product to offer to the medicated skin products market. But while the prospective drug offers Stiefel a potential new acne skin care product, for parent GSK it represents much more. Acne is not an unmet medical need, but a newly approved skin care and treatment product is important to GSK’s strategy nonetheless. Tazarotene foam, intended for facial acne vulgaris in patients 12 years...