August 2013- Volume 9, Issue 8
August 2013
In this Issue
Global News
Navigating the maze of the mind
Navigating the maze of the mind
UCB and Lieber Institute collaborate to discover new medicines for brain disorders
Flipping the vaccine script
Flipping the vaccine script
EU-funded consortium seeks to develop ‘fully personalized’ cancer vaccines for brain cancer patients
GSK follows Genentech in partnering with Immunocore
GSK follows Genentech in partnering with Immunocore
Companies to develop ImmTACs to treat cancer, viral disease
From Russia with drugs
From Russia with drugs
Russian pharmaceutical giant Pharmstandard extends global reach with Bever acquisition
AstraZeneca acquires Pearl Therapeutics to strengthen respiratory portfolio
AstraZeneca acquires Pearl Therapeutics to strengthen respiratory portfolio
Acquisition could be worth $1.15 billion, all told
Omics & Systems Biology
U.K.’s Department of Health launches DNA mapping effort
U.K.’s Department of Health launches DNA mapping effort
Genomics England will lead effort aimed at a better understanding of cancer, rare and infectious diseases
Dibs on DUBs
Dibs on DUBs
FORMA Therapeutics partners with Cancer Research Technology to discover cancer drug candidates against deubiquitinating enzymes
New sickle cell treatment now in beta-globin
New sickle cell treatment now in beta-globin
UCLA researchers set to advance gene therapy into clinical trials
Off to see the wizard
Off to see the wizard
John Theurer Cancer Center joins hands with Genewiz to advance ovarian cancer biomarker discovery
The sum of the whole
The sum of the whole
International partners describe global alliance to enable secure sharing of genomic and clinical data
Clinical Trials
Tackling cancer in Tennessee
Tackling cancer in Tennessee
SCRI, AstraZeneca to develop oncology compounds, focus on molecular profiling
A landmark for AD
A landmark for AD
FDA and EMA vet Critical Path Institute’s clinical trial simulation tool for Alzheimer’s disease
A blockbuster of a trade
A blockbuster of a trade
Amgen and Servier exchange commercialization rights across continents
Targeting tumors
Targeting tumors
Loxo Oncology, Array BioPharma partner on small- molecule drugs for cancer
Managing the pain of clinical trials
Managing the pain of clinical trials
Cross-disciplinary groups seek ‘gold standard’ in measurement of subjective patient outcomes in clinical trials for pain medications
Diagnostics
A ‘sea change’ in the desert
A ‘sea change’ in the desert
Arizona-based TGen and Ventana join forces to meet demand for diagnostic cancer biomarkers from pharma and regulators
Keeping an eye on oral cancer
Keeping an eye on oral cancer
Texas A&M, MD Anderson seek to promote early detection in oral cancer
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Newman-Lakka Institute pursue personalized cancer treatment
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Newman-Lakka Institute pursue personalized cancer treatment
Partnership will focus on developing methods to track circulating biomarkers in blood
Partners in precision--not just personalized--medicine
Partners in precision--not just personalized--medicine
Janssen, Mt. Sinai researchers take the lead in IBD research
Special Reports
Model citizens (continued)
Model citizens (continued)
Stem cells’ promise of disease-in-a-dish opens doors to truly personalized medicine
Model citizens
Model citizens
Stem cells’ promise of disease-in-a-dish opens doors to truly personalized medicine
Research & Development
Attacking autoimmune disease
Attacking autoimmune disease
Adaptive Biotechnologies signs deal with Biogen Idec to characterize immune status of patients with autoimmune disease
Optimizing optides
Optimizing optides
Blaze Bioscience, Hutchinson Center ink option agreement
Flexing their muscles
Flexing their muscles
Cytokinetics, Astellas explore novel-mechanism skeletal muscle activators
Making monoclonal antibodies for multiple myeloma
Making monoclonal antibodies for multiple myeloma
Germany’s MorphoSys, Celgene sign pact to develop novel therapeutic antibody for patients with blood cell cancer
Building a biologics boom
Building a biologics boom
Fifth-generation anticancer biologics poised to enter $120-billion market
Tools & Technology
Zeiss in 3D
Zeiss in 3D
Longtime leader in light and electron microscopy acquires Xradia’s 3D X-ray microscope business
Leica Biosystems acquires Kreatech Diagnostics
Leica Biosystems acquires Kreatech Diagnostics
Kreatech will join Leica Biosystems’ Advanced Staining Business Unit based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, U.K.
Best in metabolomics class
Best in metabolomics class
AB SCIEX, Genedata & LECO form partnership for cross-platform metabolomics data analysis solution
ELNs and first-to-file
ELNs and first-to-file
Electronic lab notebooks are no longer just replacing paper, but enabling collaboration around the globe with IP protection
Products & Services
A 3D InSight into drug discovery with Tecan’s Infinite M200 PRO
A 3D InSight into drug discovery with Tecan’s Infinite M200 PRO
A novel solution for analyzing 3D cell cultures, based on Tecan’s Infinite M200 PRO and InSphero’s 3D InSight microtissue technology, is helping to reduce the cost of early-phase drug development.
Editor's Focus
On which side of the pond is the grass greener?
On which side of the pond is the grass greener?
As the U.K. is contemplating privatizing the NHS, we’re moving toward a national healthcare system. It all makes me wonder: On which side of the pond is the grass greener?
Commentary
Facts don’t matter … until they do
Facts don’t matter … until they do
I am grumpy because I now understand why Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan said, “You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts.”
Oncology outsourced: An emerging research model
Oncology outsourced: An emerging research model
Outsourcing makes our scientific world flat; a citizen scientist with limited resources can now do projects previously restricted to a large pharmaceutical company with enormous resources.
