AstraZeneca has enrolled the first patient in the pivotal programme for the first-in-class Syk kinase inhibitor fostamatinib (previously known as R778). Fostamatinib, which it licensed from Rigel Pharmaceuticals, is being evaluated as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients with an inadequate response to disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), including methotrexate (MTX).

Novartis is to pay $10 million for the option to obtain the global licence to develop and commercialise Quark Pharmaceuticals' p53 temporary inhibitor small interfering RNA (siRNA) drug QPI-1002. The drug is currently in Phase II clinical trials for the prevention of acute kidney disease (AKI) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery and for delayed graft function (DGF) in kidney transplant patients.