A Sigh Of Relief For CTIC, ORMP Rally Continues, Stellar Bio Waiting To Sparkle

(RTTNews) - The FDA has lifted a partial clinical hold on Cell Therapeutics Inc.'s (CTIC) drug candidate Tosedostat, and has allowed all trials, which are underway, to continue. The partial hold was placed on Tosedostat by the FDA last June.

Tosedostat is currently being studied in the United States and European Union in investigator-sponsored and cooperative group-sponsored phase 2 trials in elderly patients with newly diagnosed and relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

CTIC closed Thursday's trading at $1.99, up 4.19%.

Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ORMP) touched a new high of $18.88 on Thursday before closing at $18.20, following receipt of patent allowance in Israel and Australia for platform technology in oral delivery of proteins.

The company's ORMD-0801, an oral insulin capsule based on its platform Protein Oral Delivery technology, is under phase 2a safety study.

Stellar Biotechnologies Inc. (KLH.V) (SBOTF.OB) is preparing for transition to a major U.S. stock exchange this year.

The company is a pioneer in manufacturing Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin, an immune-stimulating protein used in wide-ranging therapeutic and diagnostic markets.

Last month, Stellar Bio inked a deal with Amaran Biotechnology Inc., a privately-held Taiwan biopharmaceuticals manufacturer to develop and evaluate methods for the manufacture of OBI-822 active immunotherapy using Stellar's GMP grade Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin.

Amaran's OBI-822 is currently being evaluated for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer in International phase 2/3 clinical trials in the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, India and Hong Kong. It is also being evaluated for the treatment of ovarian cancer in an investigator-initiated phase 1/2 clinical trial in Taiwan.

SBOTF.OB closed Thursday's trading at $1.82, up 3.17%.