Anavex launches Anavex 2-73 extension study in Alzheimer’s

Anavex Life Sciences (NASDAQ:AVXL) has initiated a long-term extension study, ATTENTION-AD, for patients with early Alzheimer’s disease treated with ANAVEX 2-73 (blarcamesine).

It will be conducted in parallel with the Phase 2b/3 ANAVEX2-73-AD-004 trial.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3504656-anavex-launches-anavex-2minus-73-extension-study-alzheimer-s

Premarket analyst actions, Oct. 9

Vericel (NASDAQ:VCEL) initiated with Buy rating and $19 (37% upside) price target at H.C. Wainwright.

QIAGEN (NYSE:QGEN) downgraded to Reduce at Kepler Cheuvreux.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3504657-wainwright-likes-vericel-premarket-analyst-action

Cure Pharma launches chewable drug delivery system

Aimed at meeting demand for alternative dosage forms that improve solubility and absorption, CURE Pharmaceutical (OTCQB:CURR) announces CUREpods, a chewable drug delivery system, as well as nano and microemulsions that can be incorporated into a range of dosage forms, including CUREfilm.

To meet the increased demand, the company is expanding its manufacturing footprint by 50% via new blending, casting and packaging equipment.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3504664-cure-pharma-launches-chewable-drug-delivery-system

Johnson & Johnson to appeal $8B Risperdal judgment

Predictably, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) intends to appeal the $8B in punitive damages awarded by a Philadelphia jury to a man who claimed that the company failed to adequately warn about the risk of breast growth associated with the antipsychotic med Risperdal (risperidone).

The company regards the award as “grossly disproportionate” with the initial compensatory award of $680K and a violation of due process, adding that U.S. Supreme Court precedent dictates that punitive damages that are double-digit multiples of compensatory awards should be set aside.

Shares are down 2% premarket on light volume.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3504671-johnson-and-johnson-appeal-8b-risperdal-judgement

Novo Nordisk teams up with bluebird bio in gene editing

Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) inks a three-year agreement with bluebird bio (NASDAQ:BLUE) aimed at developing next-generation genome editing therapies for genetic disorders, including hemophilia. The collaborative research will leverage BLUE’s proprietary mRNA-based megaTAL technology with NVO’s hemophilia portfolio. The initial focus will be on correcting Factor VIII deficiency.

Financial terms are not disclosed.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3504681-novo-nordisk-teams-bluebird-bio-gene-editing

Tencent investing $500M in Chinese drugstores

Tencent (OTCPK:TCEHY) will invest $500M in Hillhouse Capital Group’s Chinese drugstore business, The Information reports.

That marks a further push into healthcare for the gaming/investment giant.

That investment would value Hillhouse’s unit around $2.5B.

Tencent has been building services around AI-powered medical imaging along with backing startups like Tencent Trusted Doctors and WeDoctor.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3504620-tencent-investing-500m-chinese-drugstores-report

FDA OKs Dexcom G6 Pro CGM syste

The FDA issues 510(k) clearance for Dexcom’s (NASDAQ:DXCM) G6 Pro Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) System for patients at least two years old.

The company says the single-use device gathers real-time glucose data (at five-minute intervals) over a 10-day period in both a blinded and unblinded mode.

Shipments will commence in Q1 2020.

https://seekingalpha.com/news/3504443-fda-oks-dexcom-g6-pro-cgm-system