Hyperion's Ravicti wins FDA approval for rare urea cycle disorders

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February 4, 2013 More than 2,700 companies nationwide are saving on lab supplies, shipping, news distribution, office products and more through the BIO Business Solutions cost-savings program. Find out how. The news summaries appearing in BIO SmartBrief are based on original information from news organizations and are produced by SmartBrief, Inc., an independent e-mail newsletter publisher. The information is not compiled or summarized by BIO. Questions and comments should be directed to SmartBrief at bio@smartbrief.com.   Today's Top Story    Hyperion's Ravicti wins FDA approval for rare urea cycle disorders The FDA has approved Hyperion Therapeutics' Ravicti, or glycerol phenylbutyrate, to treat patients ages 2 and older with urea cycle disorders. The treatment, which holds an orphan-drug status, should be combined with a protein-restricted diet and possibly dietary supplements, the FDA said. PhysiciansBriefing.com/HealthDay News (2/1), Reuters (2/1)      R&D Costs, Reimbursement Challenges in War Against Bugs Hoping to gain some ground in an all-out war against superbugs, the FDA is taking first steps toward creating an approval shortcut for new antimicrobials. But that is only half the battle. To stomp out incursions of drug-resistant bugs, payers are going to have to rethink their reimbursement strategies. Find out the details.   Health Care & Policy    Report highlights growth of Kansas City life sciences industry The number of life sciences firms in Kansas City, Mo., grew 17% since 2009, according to a report by the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute. Life sciences jobs increased by 21% to 22,864. "In the midst of the recession, we had really remarkable growth in Kansas City in the life sciences sector," said Wayne Carter, chief executive of the institute. American City Business Journals/Kansas City, Mo. (1/31)      German cancer Dx firm aims to increase R&D operations in Mass. Leica Biosystems will set up a new facility in Massachusetts to increase its research and development operations in that state. The Germany-based firm also has operations in Illinois, the U.K., China, Australia and Singapore. American City Business Journals/Boston/BioFlash blog/Mass High Tech (2/1)      Gene rejuvenates blood stem cells in animal study Biologists inserted a gene called SIRT3 into the blood stem cells of old mice, spurring the development of new blood cells, according to a study in the journal Cell Reports. SIRT3 is one of a class of proteins called sirtuins that govern aging processes in cells. The finding holds promise for degenerative conditions involving aging, a researcher said. HealthDay News (1/31)      Two courses in four days at MIT Sloan Exec Ed Learn from world-renowned faculty at MIT Executive Education and make the most of your visit with back-to-back two-day courses. Understand big data, revitalize your digital business model, solve complex business problems, drive strategic innovation. View 25+ short courses.   Company & Financial News  Norwegian drugmaker is acquired by BASF BASF has purchased Norwegian drugmaker Pronova BioPharma, and now holds 98.19% of the company. The German firm plans to integrate Pronova into its omega-3 business. Pharmaceutical Business Review Online (2/1)      Trovagene hopes to raise $6.1 million from stock sale Trovagene plans to sell more than 1.2 million company shares in a public offering. The San Diego firm, which specializes in molecular diagnostics, will use the $6.1 million in expected net proceeds from the stock sale as working capital as well as to support research-and-development efforts and general corporate functions. GenomeWeb Daily News (free registration) (1/31)      Firms ally to provide genomic services MOgene, which offers genomics solutions for agriculture, food and industrial applications, has joined forces with genomic analysis firm Intuitive Genomics in a partnership to provide expanded bioinformatics and genomics services. The partners are currently working on five projects. American City Business Journals/St. Louis/BizNext blog (2/1)      Research on genetic causes of cleft lip wins $3.6M grant The NIH awarded researchers at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston and University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine a $3.6 million grant to find genes related to familial cleft lip and palate. The goal is to help determine who is at risk for nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate. GenomeWeb Daily News (free registration) (1/31)        Food & Agriculture  India launches pigeonpea molecular breeding initiative The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, along with partners in U.S. and India, has begun a three-year project to enhance pigeonpea breeding and develop better cultivars using molecular methods. The $2 million initiative is supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development. "The primary objective of the project is to translate genome information into the farmers' fields," said the institute's Rajeev Varshney. GenomeWeb Daily News (free registration) (1/31), The Hindu Business Line (India) (1/31)        Hot Topics  Top five news stories selected by BIO SmartBrief readers in the past week. Amgen, Genzyme are developing new intracellular production methods (MIT Technology Review online) 2012 was good, but not great, for biotech VC (Forbes) Genzyme submits MS drug Lemtrada for FDA approval (Drug Store News) Crowdfunding is poised to disrupt biotech investing (Xconomy) Genzyme-Isis cholesterol drug Kynamro wins FDA approval (Bloomberg Businessweek) Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.   Industrial & Environmental  BIO welcomes EPA's proposed RFS rules The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to require production of 14 million gallons of cellulosic biofuels this year, up from 8.7 million gallons in 2012. The proposed target is "a reasonable representation of expected production" this year, said EPA spokeswoman Julia Valentine. BIO welcomed the proposed rules, describing this year as pivotal for cellulosic and advanced biofuels. The group added that it is willing to work with EPA in finalizing the volume targets. EthanolProducer.com (1/31), Bloomberg BNA (free content) (2/1), Hoosier Ag Today (Clermont, Ind.)/NAFB News Service (1/31), SeattlePI.com/The Associated Press (1/31)      The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS) Sucampo Announces Japanese Government Funding for Unoprostone Isopropyl Development in Retinitis Pigmentosa Interested in learning more about advertising in BIO SmartBrief? Contact Meryl Harold at (202) 407-7828 or mharold@smartbrief.com.    News from BIO  BIOtechNOW BIOtechNOW is the first in a number of new products from BIO intended to enhance our communications with the biotech community -- not only with our members, but with other stakeholders as well. This e-newsletter, combined with its website, serves as our flagship in that effort. BIOtechNOW will offer original content that emphasizes the business needs of the industry; highlight BIO's advocacy efforts; and provide a portal to all BIO activities and events. 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