Breaking News on Drug Discovery

Gene therapy skies grey again

Just as the biopharma industry was recovering from its hangover after negative clinical events in the gene therapy field, the death of a patient during a gene therapy trial last week puts a cloud in the sky for this promising area of research.

Novogen's arthritis drug edges towards human trials

The latest preclinical experiments by Novogen on its new class of arthritis drugs have encouraged the Australian biotech company in its quest to test the new treatment concept in clinical trials.

BioWa antibodies 'the ultimate warriors' to fight cancer

US-based biopharma company BioWa has found a way of increasing an antibody's ability to initiate the complement immune system and blow holes in tumour cells.

Xceleron grabs a piece of American pie

UK-based microdosing specialist Xceleron has announced its expansion with the takeover of a new facility in the US, two years after setting up a business base in the region.

Nikon to care for your cells while you study them

Nikon have launched a new 'hands off' system that combines an incubator and inverted microscope to allow automated live-cell culture studies and time-lapse imaging in a controlled environment.

Medivation drug sets its sights on Huntington's disease

Having already shown promising results in Alzheimer's patients, Medivation's drug that protects brain cells is now entering mid-stage clinical trials for Huntington's disease.

Weekly comment

UK ordered to review animal testing approval system

The UK government has been ordered to review the assessment system it uses to classify and grant permission for animal experiments following a court ruling handed down last week.

Aperio helps speed up tissue microarray analysis

Aperio has released a new software tool that not only speeds up the analysis of tissue microarray (TMA) images but also allows researchers to access images remotely.

Drugs moving into the clinic: 22

The latest in a series of periodic roundups of drugs that have moved from preclinical research into clinical testing via the announcement of a Phase I trial or an application for a trial to industry regulators.

GlaxoSmithKline inks $1.5bn deal with Targacept

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has forged a $1.5bn (€1.1bn) alliance with US biopharma company Targacept, to develop drugs aimed at central nervous system (CNS) related disorders.

AZ and BMS job cuts add to big pharma woes

As pharma firms disclose their financial results for the second quarter of the year, AstraZeneca (AZ) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) have announced more job cuts.

SwitchGear screens signalling-pathways

SwitchGear Genomics has launched a new high-throughput tool (HT) that allows researchers to peer into disease-related pathways and study how potential drugs affect disease progression.

Panacos develops new class of fusion inhibitors

Panacos, a US based pharma firm, has outlined its work to identify three new series of compounds that inhibit HIV fusion at a different site to the only approved fusion inhibitor, Roche's Fuzeon (enfuvirtide).

Early stage biz boosts Covance Q2

Covance has posted strong financial results for the second quarter of the year, mainly driven by its early-stage development business performance.

WuXi PharmaTech plans $120m US public offering

WuXi PharmaTech, the biggest Chinese contract research organisation (CRO), has put an end to weeks of speculation by officially announcing it plans an initial public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange.

Cell Therapeutics expands in cancer with SMi buy

Cell Therapeutics has acquired oncology expert Systems Medicine (SMi) in a deal worth up to $35m (€25.5m) that includes worldwide rights to brostallicin that belongs to a new class of cancer drugs.

Benitec's three-pronged RNA attack on HIV

Australian biotech company, Benitec, is about to start dosing patients in the first ever human trial of its RNA therapy, which attacks HIV on three separate fronts.

Taking the labour out of genotoxicity screening

Litron Laboratories is close to releasing an animal-free micronucleus assay that promises to allow genotoxic drug candidates to be weeded out earlier in the development process than ever before.

Innovative drugs highlighted at AIDS expo

As scientists continually strive to develop new ways to tackle the HIV/AIDS pandemic, several new drugs and their targets were highlighted at the ongoing International Aids Society (IAS) Conference.

ABI launches new miRNA expression arrays

Applied Biosystems (ABI) has launched its TaqMan microRNA (miRNA) assays in array format to help researchers search for miRNA biomarkers more efficiently from smaller samples.

MedImmune's antibody gives hope to asthma sufferers

MedImmune has announced that interim Phase I results for its new monoclonal antibody (MAb) suggest that it is well tolerated and shows biological activity in adults with asthma.

Probiotics show potential against burns

A probiotic supplement of Lactobacillus bacteria may help reduce sepsis and cut mortality from acute burns, suggests a study from Israel.

The future of oral controlled release

The field of oral controlled release drug delivery is constantly evolving and developing, allowing ever more precise and tailored delivery profiles for pharmaceutical drugs.

How flow rate can affect microfluidic cellular assays

UK researchers have shown that high fluid flow rates in microfluidic devices used for cellular assays can affect cell signalling channels and potentially interfere with drug screening results.

Novozymes awarded for animal-free innovation

Danish firm Novozymes has been honoured by animal rights organisation PETA for its efforts to provide animal-free bioprocessing methods aimed at cutting animal testing during drug development.

MHRA stalls cannabis-based MS drug

A UK firm developing cannabis-derived multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments has decided to pull an EU application for its lead candidate Sativex, following demands by UK regulators for additional data in support of the treatment.

Schering-Plough bolsters late-stage cardiac pipeline

Schering-Plough has licensed acadesine (AICA-riboside), a potential first-in-class drug for the prevention of ischemia-reperfusion injury from PeriCor Therapeutics to bolster its cardiac therapeutics pipeline.

Enzyme structure may breathe new life into asthma R&D

Swedish researchers have solved the crystal structure of the enzyme that plays a pivotal role in the asthma biocascade, providing information that could lead to more efficient asthma therapies.

Luminex to increase assay speeds and efficiency

Luminex has unveiled its new bead-based assay system, the FlexMAP 3D that can measure up to 500 analytes from a single sample and increase productivity in clinical and pharmaceutical laboratories.

Pfizer pushes forward with R&D externalisation

Pfizer has chosen the first drug discovery company to occupy its new R&D centre, as it pushes forward with its plans to bolster R&D externalisation.

Acambis' universal vaccine enters the clinic

UK firm Acambis has announced that its universal influenza vaccine candidate has entered Phase I trials, hoping to prove a key weapon in the fight against pandemic flu and last-minute production panics.

IDT simplifies miRNA discovery with miRCat launch

Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) has launched a new kit for cloning libraries of small RNAs from any primary RNA source to enable the discovery of new small RNA molecules.

Fresenius antibody for cancer complication nearing debut?

A novel approach to treating malignant ascites, a serious complication affecting many different types of cancer, could be on the market as early as next year after showing a positive effect on progression and survival in a Phase II/III clinical trial.

Evotec branches services into India

Germany-based Evotec has branched out its contract services into India, forming a joint venture with local firm Research Support International (RSI) in a bid to cut costs.

Weekly Comment

Informed consent 'not up to scratch'

A recent survey of clinical trial participants in the US has revealed worrying signs that the informed consent process is 'not up to scratch'.

'Stretching' DNA could unravel drug interactions

US researchers have used atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques to study the interactions within DNA strands as a first step to understanding how drugs interact with DNA.

A slow year so far for innovative drugs

Over half way into the year and the widely held view that the pharma industry is struggling to produce truly innovative drugs looks set to continue with fewer drug approvals in the US than this time last year.

Asia becoming important Phase I player

Phase I development in Asia is becoming very important, delegates heard at the recent Drug Information Association (DIA) meeting in Atlanta.

Kinaxo to expand the reach of its proteomics platform

Kinaxo has received a €1m grant to expand the scope of its kinase inhibitor-protein interaction assay to identify interactions between proteins and any small molecule drug.

Early-phase research migrating from US

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been observing a trend in pharma firms shying away from conducting preclinical and early-phase research in the country.

Bridging the blood brain barrier

A novel technology set to overcome the challenges of the blood brain barrier is being developed in a bid to open the gates to previously unusable compounds for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders.

ITS a 'winner' for mutating virus vaccine funding

Immune Targeting Systems (ITS) has received £4m (€5.9m) to aid in its development of synthetic peptide vaccines for mutating viruses such as influenza, HIV and Hepatitis C.

Preclinical services news in brief

In this week's review of activity within the preclinical research services arena, news has emerged involving ZoBio, Charles River Laboratories and TetraQ.

Ventana hits back at Roche's 'inadequate' offer

Ventana has hit back at Roche Diagnostic's hostile take over bid two weeks after its 'inadequate' $3bn (€2.2bn) offer for the tissue analysis expert.

Improved culture media could advance stem cell research

Medicult, a Danish company best known for supplying products for use in fertility clinics, has developed a protein-free cell culture medium that could cut out problems associated with current media.

Separating the DNA from the blood

US researchers have developed a microfluidic device for purifying and concentrating DNA directly from blood samples that could speed up the use of genomics in clinical trials.

Sigma-Aldrich to develop zinc finger binding proteins with Sangamo

Sigma-Aldrich is to collaborate with Sangamo BioSciences to develop zinc finger DNA-binding proteins to create knock-out cell lines and cell lines with enhanced protein production performance.

MediGene's modified virus kills tumours

MediGene has revealed clinical results for its modified herpes virus that can selectively kill cancer tumours, while leaving healthy cells intact.

The new 'gold' standard for predicting anticancer activity?

US researchers have designed an assay for determining the relative binding affinities of duplex and triplex binders that have potential use as anticancer agents and gene expression modifiers.

Pfizer tops list of most sought-after firms

Pfizer, Novartis and Sanofi-Aventis were the companies who attracted the most interest from pharmaceutical business researchers in the first half of the year, according to a UK pharma market research firm.

Covance new animal-testing plant still drawing controversy

Covance is again at the centre of controversy as opponents of the contract research organisation (CRO) filed a lawsuit against a city in Arizona, aimed at stopping the firm from building a new drug-testing facility there.

New drug target could prevent kidney transplants

Researchers have discovered a genetic defect that causes a serious kidney disease, thus opening the door to new therapies that could avoid the need for a transplant.

Weekly comment

China carries out execution on corrupt drug official

China has wasted no time in executing the first of its convicted corrupt former drug officials after his desperate appeal for life failed.

Anticalins look promising

A new generation of therapeutic protein products has entered the biopharma scene and are proving more efficient than antibodies when using the same drug delivery systems.

WellGen awarded black tea extract patent

Nutrigenomics researcher WellGen has been awarded a patent for its black tea extract for the prevention of disease, and plans to market the ingredient as a dietary supplement for supporting joint health.

Xenical spin-offs could slim down tumours

Roche's obesity drug Xenical could be the inspiration for a new class of drugs to treat cancer, if preliminary experimental results involving cancer cells are backed up by further studies.

AstraZeneca and Roche jump on siRNA bandwagon

AstraZeneca (AZ) and Roche have became the latest big pharma firms to invest in RNA interference (RNAi), having penned separate licensing deals with two of the industry's leading specialists in the field.

The future of drug toxicity testing?

UK-based NanoBioDesign has received further investment to aid in its commercialisation of a tool for testing drugs on P450 liver enzymes, which could dramatically speed up drug toxicity testing.

Multi-faceted drug adds arthritis string to its bow

A UK biopharma firm's lead drug candidate has now shown good preclinical results for rheumatoid arthritis, adding to its clinical efficacy in Alzheimer's.

New death card dealt in China drug scandal

A second former State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) official was slammed with the death penalty over a corruption scandal that first broke last year.

Neuron-loving protein could treat Parkinson's

The discovery of a new protein that can protect, and even rescue, damaged dopamine neurons could significantly impact future Parkinson's therapies.

Novo Nordisk gets transparent on bioethics

Biopharma company Novo Nordisk has launched a new website dedicated to bioethics which it claims is the first of its kind in the industry.

Lundbeck needs to buy to avoid deepening crisis

In a refreshingly honest interview with a Danish newspaper, the Lundbeck CEO has admitted his company is in crisis and needs to restock its pipeline to avoid making it any worse.

Illumina tool could cut genotyping costs in half

Illumina has started shipping what it boldly claims is "the most powerful DNA analysis tool" on the market, which it claims could cut genotyping study costs in half.

Colgate-Palmolive elects new CEO

Global oral and personal care player Colgate-Palmolive has announced that Ian Cook has taken over from Reuben Mark as CEO of the company as part of a long-term succession plan that will allow the out-going Mark to retire.

Drugs moving into the clinic: 21

The latest in a series of periodic roundups of drugs that have moved from preclinical research into clinical testing via the announcement of a Phase I trial or an application for a trial to industry regulators.

High-throughput peptide-cell adhesion array

US researchers have developed a high-throughput microfluidic array to aid help discover therapeutic and cell-targeting peptide agents by measuring the interactions between cells and peptides.

Anthera's first-in-class heart drug ahead of schedule

The mid-stage trial of a drug that tackles atherosclerosis in a totally new way is months ahead of schedule, according to its developers Anthera.

AstraZeneca commits to wise up on drug safety

AstraZeneca (AZ) has signed up an intelligence firm to help it predict safety issues early in the drug development process.

Patients provide insight into trial participation

New research provides some insight into what motivates patients to participate in clinical trials and how the experience could be improved for them.

P&G spends big in attempt to lead bone health

Procter & Gamble (P&G) Pharmaceuticals has penned a deal worth up to $511m (€375m) for a class of potential osteoporosis drugs already well established as asthma therapies.

Immunoassays for the masses?

US researchers have developed a fast and efficient, label-free method of detecting the presence of antigens and disease biomarkers in clinical samples.

Pharmanet reaches turning point in Phase I biz

PharmaNet Development Group has reached a significant turning point in its attempt to finally close the doors on a long period of trouble with its Phase I clinical business.

Amaxa drives high-throughput cell transfection

The European Commission (EC) has given a €2.75m grant to a consortium of companies, led by Amaxa, to develop the first ultra high-throughput (UHT) devices for transfecting cells.

Innovative NSAID on home straight

NicOx's innovative arthritis drug is on the home straight towards approval, having started its third and final Phase III trial.

Ablynx technology rivals GSK's mini-antibodies

Belgian biopharma Ablynx has announced its lead miniature antibody has shown good interim results in a first-in-man trial, leaving it one step ahead of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

Invitrogen launches 3D cell scaffold

Invitrogen has launched an animal-free, 3D bioscaffold cell culture system, to allow researchers to study cells in an environment that mimics the conditions of cells in the body.

Massive vaccine deal makes Intercell's day

One of the most significant deals to take place in the vaccine industry in the last ten years was signed late last night between vaccine heavyweight Novartis and biotech firm Intercell.

Vastox attempts to woo big pharma with zebrafish

VASTox has managed to secure three pilot screening service deals with big pharma firms in the hope of impressing them with its zebrafish technology.

Food allergy signal discovered

Scientists have discovered that when a certain signalling molecule goes missing, people become susceptible to life-threatening food allergies, a discovery that points towards a potential treatment.