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All news articles > July 2006
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31-Jul-2006
Research focuses on Parkinson's disease genetic model
Researchers have taken a special interest in mechanisms they have identified as an explanation for the causes of Parkinson's disease, which they say, may facilitate research aimed at finding novel medical treatments and other therapies.
Murex licenses Ariadne's drug R&D software solution
Murex Pharmaceuticals has licensed Ariadne's software solution, which is to play a vital role in the visualisation and analysis of biological pathways and gene regulation networks for cancer therapeutics development.
Clued-up diabetics driving European diabetes market growth
The insulin market is set to explode over the next five years as uptake of insulin therapy is likely to increase with sufferers benefiting from heightened awareness and knowledge as well as the influx of affordable, innovative product solutions.
Striking the right drug delivery partnership
Partnerships in drug delivery need to fairly reflect the risk all parties take but there must also be a champion to drive the project forward, according to Pfizer's director of drug delivery.
New report re-emphasises clinical trial safety
A new report compiled in the wake of the drug trial scandal, which left six men fighting for their lives, has re-iterated the call for scientists to proceed with extreme caution when testing such drugs in the future.
28-Jul-2006
FDA revamps its clinical trials monitoring approach
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a series of new policy and regulatory developments to modernise the way it monitors clinical trials and bioresearch.
Genentech enters into $405m anticancer drug deal
Genentech and Inotek have entered into a strategic alliance in which they will concentrate on the discovery, development and commercialisation of PARP inhibitors for cancer - a class of drug that has demonstrated high efficacy in treating tumour growth.
Nano Probe gains new insights into cell activity
US researchers have created a nanoscale probe that can capture the topography of biological objects in their normal environment, which paves the way for the discovery of new biomarkers leading to better drug design on the cellular level.
27-Jul-2006
Locus Pharmaceuticals' new drug targets drug-resistant tumours
Locus Pharmaceuticals is to initiate Phase I trials of a novel anticancer drug that could prove effective against drug resistant tumours after the small molecule cleared the 30-day review period by the FDA for its Investigational New Drug (IND) application
Avalon and ChemDiv in oncology drug discovery deal
Avalon Pharmaceuticals and ChemDiv have revealed details on a collaboration in which the two companies are to engage in drug discovery in the oncology sector focusing on small molecules as a basis for therapeutic development.
26-Jul-2006
First real-time HCV test receives CE mark
Celera Genomics announces its new test that is used for genotyping of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) has obtained regulatory approval for commercial sale in Europe, signifying the first real-time test for genotyping the HCV virus to receive the CE mark.
Omnia Biologics seals TB vaccine production deal
Omnia Biologics has sealed a deal to help the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation in its quest to make quantities of a new TB Vaccine that will "fulfil all the needs of the developing world."
25-Jul-2006
FDA under pressure to clamp down on clinical trial fraud
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has outlined a series of imminent changes to the way it evaluates clinical trials in an attempt to clamp down on fraud.
Concept aids drug researchers in screening compounds
A new concept to develop a more accurate method for rapidly screening chemical compounds has been unveiled, which the researchers say will significantly aid in identifying leads for drug development and discovery.
SCS enters stem-cell neurology deal
Stem Cell Sciences (SCS) has formed a partnership with a neurology research firm in order to provide contract services and supply native human neurones to biopharmaceutical companies.
24-Jul-2006
MedImmune and Micromet report positive data on cancer drug
MedImmune and Micromet have provided details on a novel drug molecule that targets a tyrosine kinase receptor that is frequently overexpressed on solid tumours and provides the opportunity to develop an anti-cancer therapeutic, which may minimise potential side effects for patients.
Rentschler steps up contract antibody capacity
Rentschler Biotechnologie has heralded the start of a €50m expansion to increase its capacity to produce antibodies and mammalian cell culture-derived proteins on a commercial scale.
Scientists crack the code for DNA organisation in nucleus
The discovery of a genetic code for DNA organisation within a cell's nucleus has significant implications in future drug discovery processes as cracking the genetic code that determines nucleosome location on the DNA strand will aid identification of drug targets.
Researchers revel in real-time cell action via new tool
Researchers in the US have developed an exciting new tool that enables scientists to watch cell chemical activity in real-time. The tool's development has major implications for speeding up new drug design.
21-Jul-2006
HIV sufferers in the dark over treatment and resistance issues
According to the results of a new survey HIV patients are in the dark about treatment options and the significance of drug resistance, not only jeopardising their own health but also potentially exacerbating the problem of limited treatment options.
Researchers use worms to screen drug compounds
A team of scientists believe that a worm can help to discover new drugs by genetically modification allowing the worm to distinguish harmful chemicals to those with therapeutic benefit.
Alnylam receives small interfering RNA therapeutics patent
Alnylam has been issued a US patent, which protects its method of making small interfering RNAs with and without chemical modifications, which is set to have far reaching implications in future drug discovery.
20-Jul-2006
Prostate cancer double discovery for EU researchers
European researchers have not only devised a new diagnostic lab tool for prostate cancer but have also identified a new molecular marker that makes the identification of the disease much quicker.
19-Jul-2006
New crystallisation approach heralds better drug specificity
A unique approach to drug development could be on the horizon after researchers utilised a method to crystallise proteins that would allow better examination of proteins, leading to the production of targeted drugs.
Galapagos assists kinase research in Cellzome deal
Galapagos and Cellzome have announced the start of a drug discovery collaboration in which the two companies are to concentrate on kinases, a popular target for pharmaceutical therapies for cancer and inflammatory diseases.
New research may ease strain on haemorrhoid sufferers
There's welcome relief for haemorrhoid sufferers after researchers identified the existence of an enzyme that could be key to treating chronic and severe disorders such as certain forms of constipation, anal fissures and Hirschsprung's disease.
Agilent up the ante with microarray offering
Agilent Technologies has introduced its new microarray that offers high-resolution genomic coverage, whilst enabling multiple experiments per slide. The technology has the potential to make savings both in time and cost.
Mass spectrometers set to soar in demand, says report
According to a new report the proteomic revolution and the emergence of the customised drug market has led to an increased demand for mass spectrometers in the US, driving strong growth over the next seven years.
17-Jul-2006
Torrey Pines stirs the emotions with the HS40
Torey Pines Scientific has announced the launch if its new stirring hot plate, which has been designed for use in the chemical, pharmaceutical, biochemical, and laboratories where reproducible, accurate, hands-off sample preparation is carried out.
Archemix allies with Elan to develop aptamers
Archemix has announced the formation of a strategic alliance with Elan to discover and develop first-in-class aptamer therapeutics to treat autoimmune disease.
Neuropharma presents new mechanism of action for AD drug
Neuropharma has developed a new treatment for Alzheimer's Disease, which uses a unique method of attack, incorporating a mechanism of action that targets a little-known enzyme that contributes to the proliferation of the neurodegenerative disease.
14-Jul-2006
AERYx set to receive up to $435m from GI drug
Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals and ARYx Therapeutics have formed a partnership, which aims to take drug treatments for gastrointestinal disorders to the next level with their novel drug candidate
Frost and Sullivan recognise industry movers and shakers with awards
Companies in the healthcare sector, including drug discovery technologies, healthcare and life sciences IT, and medical devices were out in force this week at Frost & Sullivan's 2006 Excellence in Healthcare Awards
NIAID program reveals unique immune response insights
A new computational program has been developed by US researchers that uses computational systems biology to better understand the biochemical networks that regulate the interactions between infectious organisms and the human or animal cells they infect.
Ohaus' weigh-in as battle of the balances commences
Ohaus make available its new series of semi-micro and analytical balances specifically designed for applications that require precise measurement in the pharmaceutical research, drug discovery, and general lab application arena.
3-in-1 pill represents a first in HIV treatment
A once-a-day pill to treat HIV that combines three drugs has been given the green light by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a response to patients' increasing demands for convenient combined treatments.
13-Jul-2006
MedImmune cleared to offer Flumist the reverse genetics treatment
In a landmark decision that will speed up the manufacturing of influenza vaccines, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of reverse genetics technology in the production of MedImmune's seasonal intranasal vaccine Flumist and its refrigerator-safe version, CAIV-T, allowing them to be the first on the market using this technique.
12-Jul-2006
New hybrid method sequences genome quicker and cheaper
A new tool that has the ability to achieve genomic sequencing faster and cheaper than ever before is set to become the solution to a rising demand for genome-sequencing methods, which have essentially relied on 30 year old approaches and fundamentals.
Small molecule discovery bodes well for pharmacogenomics
A new imaging approach tested out by US researchers has resulted in the discovery of small molecule compounds that are able to perform the functions of a gene commonly mutated in many types of cancer.
Morphosys strikes gold with another HuCAL deal
Chemicon are to supply drug targets for MorphoSys in a licensing agreement that will see MorphoSys develop antibodies from its proprietary HuCAL Gold antibody library.
Locus partners up with Ono in drug discovery deal
Locus Pharmaceuticals has announced it has entered a drug discovery agreement with Ono Pharmaceuticals in a deal that will focus on protein kinases as a molecular target.
Maryland fails to seduce Novartis
Maryland is no longer in the running for a $500m (€392m) vaccine manufacturing plant Novartis is seeking to build in the US, as speculation about which state will host America's first cell culture-derived influenza vaccine plant is reaching fever pitch.
Thermo introduces enhanced pipetting aid
Thermo Electron introduces its solution for researchers involved in large volume pipetting, making available a pipetting aid that incorporates a motor to allow faster pipetting of volumes saving time and cost without compromising accuracy and safety.
10-Jul-2006
Wyeth taps into Novascreen's Labchip power in outsourcing deal
Wyeth has announced that it has selected NovaScreen to conduct a high-throughput screening (HTS) campaign, which makes use of Caliper's microfluidic screening platform, which utilises reproducible electrophoretic separation of assay components
Scientists discover TSG mutation causes islet cell production
A cancer biology discovery could lead to new diabetes treatments after it was discovered that a mutation in a tumour suppressor gene causes pancreatic islet cells to reproduce.
Isotechnika is granted US patent for lead immunosuppressive drug
Isotechnika has received an additional US patent for its lead immunosuppressive drug, which is the first patent to be issued in this patent family in the US. The lead compound has demonstrated encouraging results in recent Phase II tests.
06-Jul-2006
UK firm producing AIDS drug enhancing technology
UK biopharma firm Adjuvantix has developed a new technology that it claims can increase the effectiveness of vaccines as well as drugs for cancer, inflammatory diseases and infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and AIDS.
Speedel uses conference to update pipeline
The PiperJaffray conference gave biopharmaceutical company Speedel ample opportunity to inform investors of its intentions for 2006 and beyond. The company have just released promising data on a new first-in-class diabetic treatment.
Human tissue worth more than diamonds
Using human tissue to test new drugs at earlier stages of development can speed drugs to market faster, however, human tissue remains a scarce resource for drug firms - something that US firm Asterand has set out to change.
Dynal launches new tool for immunotherapy
Dynal has announced today the release of a new research tool in its immunotherapy range that allow researchers to isolate and collect T cells from immunocompromised patients for ex vivo stimulation and expansion in a sterile environment.
Blunder at Merck's biggest production site pollutes creek
In an incident that state and federal environmental regulators are treating as "serious," Merck released 25 gallons of a cyanide-containing chemical from its West Point facility in Pennsylvania to the sewer, killing hundreds of fish and triggering health advisories.
05-Jul-2006
ExonHit provide RNA splicing progress report
ExonHit Therapeutics was present at the PiperJaffray healthcare conference in London giving investors updates on company activity over the last year. The company are coming off the back of a patent application, which covers a number of genes that could enable differential diagnosis of Alzheimer patients from blood.
EU approval of BMS' hep B drug gives alternative treatment option
Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) has announced that the European Commission has granted an approval for Baraclude (entecavir) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.
DanioLabs enter trials to treat Parkinson-related disorders
DanioLabs has announced the start of a Phase I proof-of-concept trial of DL06001 and DL06002 for sialorrhoea (drooling) and hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) in Parkinson's disease as the company aim to meet the need for treating these associated disorders.
Tripos incorporates unique algorithm in new software
Tripos has introduced its answer to rapid in-silico drug screening with its virtual screening software that uses a fully automatic flexible molecular docking algorithm to offer speed, accuracy and usability advantages over current methods.
FDA go-ahead allows Chi-Med oncology clinical trials expansion
Chi-Med has been given the Food and Drug Administraton (FDA) green light to broaden its oncology drug candidate clinical trials after it exhibited encouraging results, which the company want to expand into a much wider patient population to fully assess its effects.
04-Jul-2006
ChemGenex and MolecularMD team up in drug resistance deal
ChemGenex has teamed up with MolecularMD in a deal that focuses on a drug resistance mutation seen in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients, which has seen these sufferers no longer respond to Gleevec, a popular cancer treatment.
New APIs call for new dissolution testing methods
A new generation of drugs that target specific areas of the body has created new challenges for dissolution testing, as many recent active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are poorly soluble in traditional media and need novel testing procedures.
Checklist for choosing CROs in Asia Pacific
As clinical trial activity in the Asia Pacific region continues to boom, Novotech, the largest Australian owned contract research organisation (CRO) has presented a checklist to help pharma firms minimise risk when choosing a partner.
Staff costs dragging big pharma down
As financial pressures continue to plague the pharma industry, firms should consider taking more advantage of sourcing staff in cheap labour markets in order to save a buck.
ESF's EuroBioFund boosts European life sciences
European life sciences received an unexpected boost as the European Science Foundation launched an initiative to help promote and coordinate interaction among European life sciences researchers and funders.
Applied Biosystems acquires new DNA sequencing technology
Applied Biosystems (AB) is to acquire Agencourt Personal Genomics (APG) for approximately $120m (€94m) in cash in which the life science specialists will gain a novel, high throughput approach with applications in DNA sequencing, gene expression, and genotyping.
03-Jul-2006
BioPartners' biosimilar drug knocked back in Europe
BioPartners has failed to bring its second biosimilar product into Europe after the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) issued a negative opinion on its hepatitis C drug, citing characterisation, manufacturing and quality control concerns.
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