February 2014- Volume 10, Issue 2
February 2014
In this Issue
Business & Government Policy
Emergent Biosolutions to acquire Cangene
Emergent Biosolutions to acquire Cangene
U.S. company seeks to boost role in biodefense market with addition of three products from Canadian company
A CRISPR collaboration
A CRISPR collaboration
Horizon Discovery, Desktop Genetics team up to develop gene-editing platform
Biousian wins patent for possible best-in-class analgesic
Biousian wins patent for possible best-in-class analgesic
BBI-11008 reportedly equivalent to opioids but without addiction or other common opioid side effects
Jazz Pharmaceuticals is jamming
Jazz Pharmaceuticals is jamming
Acquisitions and sales expansion project big revenue growth for 2014
Sensible split
Sensible split
AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb end diabetes alliance
Preclinical
Going predictive with in-vitro assays
Going predictive with in-vitro assays
Hamner Institutes and Cellular Dynamics collaborate to develop assays using human iPS cell-derived hepatocytes
NIH awards Oxford Biomedical $1.16M SBIR grant
NIH awards Oxford Biomedical $1.16M SBIR grant
Funding to support the development of GST toxicity panels
Building bridges
Building bridges
NIH program gives small business and academia tools for advancing translational science initiatives
Roche, Prothena take aim at Parkinson’s
Roche, Prothena take aim at Parkinson’s
Collaboration could total $600 million if all milestones are met
Research & Development
Thermo sells units to speed up Life acquisition
Thermo sells units to speed up Life acquisition
GE Healthcare will pay $1.06 billion for Thermo Fisher’s cell culture, gene modulation and magnetic beads businesses
Proactive product discovery
Proactive product discovery
Inserm Transfert and GSK sign agreement on immune checkpoint modulators for cancer treatment.
United we stand; divided we fall
United we stand; divided we fall
Global Biological Standards Institute (GBSI) sets unified standards for life-science research
Downsizing has major benefits
Downsizing has major benefits
New University of Queensland technique can shrink and stabilize proteins
Discovery
G8 gathers to confront Alzheimer’s
G8 gathers to confront Alzheimer’s
Global dementia consortium aims to defeat Alzheimer’s disease by 2025 through a concerted effort
In-silico inspiration
In-silico inspiration
Compugen selects five potential cancer targets for ADC therapy from its in-silico discovery program
Evotec and Yale collaborate on cancer therapy
Evotec and Yale collaborate on cancer therapy
Inaugural joint effort will explore novel mechanisms, targets and compounds that have the potential to interfere with DNA repair
Life Technologies releases siRNA data publicly
Life Technologies releases siRNA data publicly
NIH data-sharing collaboration with the company hands over gene-silencing data to help all scientists better understand disease
Receptos transfers GPCR technology to Ono
Receptos transfers GPCR technology to Ono
Proprietary high-res protein crystal structure determination platform enables rational drug design for GPCR target class
Diagnostics
Siemens enters into master agreement with Pfizer
Siemens enters into master agreement with Pfizer
Deal calls for design, development and commercialization of diagnostic tests for a wide range of Pfizer therapeutic products
Saving lives with testing
Saving lives with testing
New test can help detect suicide danger in patients on antidepressants
A CDx for onapristone
A CDx for onapristone
Arno Therapeutics Selects Leica Biosystems to develop companion diagnostic for targeted oncology therapy
Bringing rare diseases to light
Bringing rare diseases to light
Genzyme and NORD establish patient assistance program to help undiagnosed patients with rare diseases
Feature
Show Preview: Something for everyone at Pittcon
Show Preview: Something for everyone at Pittcon
Drug discovery and development professionals may want to give Pittcon a closer look if they haven’t already
Q&A
Seth Lederman: Looking to past medications for the future (Part 1 of 2)
Seth Lederman: Looking to past medications for the future (Part 1 of 2)
To find out a bit more about the philosophy and practice of retooling old drugs for new purposes, DDNews spoke with Dr. Seth Lederman, co-founder, CEO and chairman of Tonix Pharmaceuticals
Clinical Trials
Happy news in hep C
Happy news in hep C
AbbVie reports 96-percent sustained virologic response at 12 weeks in Phase 3 trial of 3D regimen
IBD- related anemia therapy delivers ‘robust’ results
IBD- related anemia therapy delivers ‘robust’ results
Shield Therapeutics’ ST10 meets both primary and secondary endpoints in pivotal AEGIS Phase 3 program
Janssen-Pharmacyclics Phase 3 study stopped early
Janssen-Pharmacyclics Phase 3 study stopped early
Progression-free survival and overall survival justify early end to study of Imbruvica vs. ofatumumab
Anti-infective assets
Anti-infective assets
The Medicines Company acquires Rempex, resulting in gain of QIDP drug
Special Reports
A view to biologics
A view to biologics
The pending patent cliff means companies need to take a second look
Editor's Focus
Too much of a therapeutic thing?
Too much of a therapeutic thing?
No matter how good something is, there can always come a point at which there is too much of it. One example of that can be found in the rush to develop cancer therapeutics by so many companies, which may lead to diminishing returns for those companies as well as leave other therapeutic areas to languish.
Commentary
Let’s thank the engineers
Let’s thank the engineers
In December, DDNews columnist Peter Kissinger took some time to celebrate instrumentation and all it has done to facilitate advances in the life sciences, and now he takes the time to shine a spotlight on the engineers who make so much possible
Commentary: Companion diagnostics--Making drug delivery personal
Commentary: Companion diagnostics--Making drug delivery personal
As a patient-centric shift continues to sweep our healthcare system, pharmaceutical companies are increasingly seeing the value of targeting treatments to specific patient populations, making the therapy more personal
