Arrowhead merger.

Nanotech holding company Arrowhead Research Corp. last week announced completion of the merger of two subsidiaries, Calando Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Insert Therapeutics Inc.

The combination, under the Calando name, is designed to streamline operations and enable the companies' products to be brought to market more quickly, said Christopher Anzalone, chief executive of Pasadena-based Arrowhead.

Calando has an experimental ovarian cancer treatment moving into mid-stage clinical trials. Insert's lead cancer drug candidate is in an early stage human study at City of Hope.

Staff reporter Deborah Crowe can be reached at [e-mail], or at [phone], ext. 232.