February 2015- Volume 11, Issue 2
February 2015
In this Issue
Diagnostics
Revolution in immuno-oncology
Revolution in immuno-oncology
Intratumoral cancer immunotherapy enhances local delivery and uptake of DNA-based immune-targeting agents
Massing diagnostic efforts in Massachusetts
Massing diagnostic efforts in Massachusetts
Diagnostics For All issues challenge grant for multi-institution Ebola partnership
First to assess BRCA status
First to assess BRCA status
Myriad receives FDA approval on companion diagnostic for Lynparza in ovarian cancer
Two deals; one goal
Two deals; one goal
Amarantus expands its reach with acquisition deal and license agreement
Research & Development
Immune checkpoint strides
Immune checkpoint strides
Research indicates cancer immunotherapies have potential for a long-lasting response to treatment
Sequencing for success
Sequencing for success
Roche acquires Bina Technologies, enters genomic informatics market
Adding to the mix
Adding to the mix
Rockland ventures into aptamer market with SBIR funding
Living Lab expands
Living Lab expands
FEI and OHSU install complete correlative microscopy workflow in newly built collaborative science facility
Roche teams with Foundation Medicine
Roche teams with Foundation Medicine
Molecular information collaboration leverages companies’ strengths to advance progress of personalized treatments for oncology
Business & Government Policy
$25-million launch for Vtesse
$25-million launch for Vtesse
Company to work with NIH on drugs for Niemann-Pick disease and other life-threatening rare diseases
Converging on growth
Converging on growth
Biogen Idec expands pain portfolio with Covergence expertise, Phase 2 drug candidate
For your approval
For your approval
A collection of recent regulatory approvals and actions globally
On the cutting edge
On the cutting edge
A roundup of instrumentation, software and other tools and technology news
Shire to snap up NPS Pharma for $5.2B
Shire to snap up NPS Pharma for $5.2B
Acquisition is a further step by Shire toward building itself into a leading biotech
Clinical Trials
Taking aim at AT
Taking aim at AT
Alnylam reports encouraging Phase 1 results for hemophilia RNAi therapeutic
A new class of opioid therapeutic
A new class of opioid therapeutic
Cara Therapeutics reports positive top-line data from Phase 1b trial of IV CR845 in dialysis patients with uremic pruritus
Studies in motion
Studies in motion
Auspex scores in three clinical trials involving SD-809
Arresting cardiac risks
Arresting cardiac risks
FDA gives go-ahead for earlier cardiac safety testing
Real talk on RASAL2
Real talk on RASAL2
GIS study finds RASAL2 to be upregulated in triple-negative or estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer tumors
Discovery
Enzyme provides an inroad
Enzyme provides an inroad
Scientists at Scripps discover enzyme for treating brain inflammation in patients with PHARC, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, ALS and MS
Mersana and Takeda expand ADC partnership
Mersana and Takeda expand ADC partnership
Aim is to create novel Fleximer antibody-drug conjugate candidates to include additional oncology-relevant targets
Exploring Ebola efforts
Exploring Ebola efforts
Kymab to lead a consortium to pursue antibodies against Ebola virus
Preclinical
Repurposed duo vs. Alzheimer’s
Repurposed duo vs. Alzheimer’s
Pharnext’s pleotherapy shows synergistic effects in PXT-864 for Alzheimer’s disease
Attacking an early MS sign
Attacking an early MS sign
Collaboration keeps first-in-class neuroprotective agent in acute optic neuritis on track for early clinical trials
Rebranding and reaching out
Rebranding and reaching out
Expansion, conference are milestones for Crown Bioscience
Pharma strikes sweet deal with Hershey company
Pharma strikes sweet deal with Hershey company
Cipher pays $500K for assets of Melanovus; expands dermatology pipeline
Q&A
Q&A: Opioid addiction and the quest for a solution
Q&A: Opioid addiction and the quest for a solution
DDNews talks with Dr. Mark A. Sirgo, of BioDelivery Sciences Inc. about how his company and its collaborator Endo Pharmaceuticals are working together to help resolve the problem of addiction to narcotic painkillers
Editor's Focus
Entering the 21st century…precisely?
Entering the 21st century…precisely?
Congress and President Obama are both talking big talk about stepping into the 21st century boldly in terms of healthcare, but what are they really telling us and what will they actually do?
Commentary
The tyranny of averages
The tyranny of averages
There are plenty of numbers in the life-sciences, pharma and the like, but we need to look for more meaning and context for them
A grad student Q&A with Peter T. Kissinger
A grad student Q&A with Peter T. Kissinger
What 'Dear Abby' did for relationship advice and other wisdom about life, DDNews columnist Peter T. Kissinger seeks to do with a Q&A-style piece aimed at answering some of the (presumably) pressing concerns of grad students and postdocs
Special Reports
Signs of intelligent biomarkers
Signs of intelligent biomarkers
Lots of genomics data, but how much knowledge?
Feature
Pittcon 2015 provides breadth and depth
Pittcon 2015 provides breadth and depth
Pittcon maintains its reach into pharma, biotech and life sciences while adding a new focus on a younger demographic
