February 2020- Volume 16, Issue 2
In this Issue
Discovery
Proprietary platform
Proprietary platform
Lodo reinvents environmentally sourced, natural product drug discovery
Partnering for pulmonary disease
Partnering for pulmonary disease
Rare disease-focused companies link up to identify, develop therapeutics
Can baldness be stopped?
Can baldness be stopped?
Mount Sinai shares new information regarding the dermal sheath found around hair follicles
Making gold out of lead
Making gold out of lead
UC San Diego team identifies the molecule that allows Zika to enter brain cells—a discovery that could also lead to a new way to target brain cancer cells
Diagnostics
Advancing genomics
Advancing genomics
Illumina announces new sequencing system, partnership with Roche and a software suite to accelerate genomics adoption
Analysis pairs up with immunotherapy
Analysis pairs up with immunotherapy
Shimadzu and Providence Cancer Institute team up to advance cancer immunotherapy research
Further into oncology and NGS
Further into oncology and NGS
NeoGenomics acquires oncology operation from Human Longevity for $37 million
Why wait?
Why wait?
Bio-Rad’s ddPCR technology provides faster, more accurate diagnoses
Finding mutations, matching treatments
Finding mutations, matching treatments
Clinical trial indicates that blood test beats biopsies for breast cancer
Preclinical
Activating innate immunity against breast cancer
Activating innate immunity against breast cancer
Silverback Therapeutics’ SBT6050 shows promise in HER2-expressing tumors
Reversing resistance
Reversing resistance
Drug can affect non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cell lines
Targeting cancer with Claudin 6
Targeting cancer with Claudin 6
BioNTech announces publication of preclinical data for a CARVac targeting Claudin 6
Transgene and BioInvent announce data for BT-001 in solid tumors
Transgene and BioInvent announce data for BT-001 in solid tumors
Broad antitumor activity shown in immunocompetent models sensitive or resistant to immune checkpoint blockade
Clinical Trials
Good news from HARMONY
Good news from HARMONY
ACADIA’s pimavanserin halts trial at interim analysis after meeting primary endpoint
Full steam ahead in FSHD
Full steam ahead in FSHD
Fulcrum advances losmapimod into Phase 2b trial
Riding success to autoimmune disease
Riding success to autoimmune disease
Moderna follows clinical validation of systemic delivery with two more development candidates
Codexis and Nestlé Health Science team up
Codexis and Nestlé Health Science team up
Companies look to advance GI therapeutic candidate CDX-7108
A competitor for Cosentyx
A competitor for Cosentyx
AbbVie and Boehringer Ingelheim's Skyrizi showed superiority to Novartis' Cosentyx in Phase 3 trial of plaque psoriasis
Contract Services
Trial success a priority for new alliance
Trial success a priority for new alliance
Syneos Health and AiCure announce partnership to optimize patient engagement
Change continues for CDMOs
Change continues for CDMOs
Capstone Headwaters report highlights increased growth, transactions in pharmaceutical outsourcing
Providing better service for vesicles analysis
Providing better service for vesicles analysis
Exosomics implements NanoFCM’s NanoAnalyzer at its Siena site
Deepening DMPK at Sygnature
Deepening DMPK at Sygnature
Company development also bolsters subsidiary’s kidney disease and fibrosis capabilities
Research & Development
‘A leading-edge preclinical testing method’
‘A leading-edge preclinical testing method’
Intestine-on-a-Chip promises better personalized medicine
Ras, Raf and recall
Ras, Raf and recall
Scripps Research team uncovers the genes that play a role in cementing experiences as long-term memories
New uses for Ryanodex
New uses for Ryanodex
Eagle and UPenn explore drug's potential to treat Alzheimer’s
The benefits of B cells
The benefits of B cells
Multiple studies point to B cells’ role in promoting anti-tumor immunity
Cracking the code of gene regulation
Cracking the code of gene regulation
Queen's University Belfast researchers look into how and why only certain DNA elements are chosen to regulate gene expression, and how this predisposes us to diseases
Business & Government Policy
MorphoSys and Incyte sign collaboration and license deal
MorphoSys and Incyte sign collaboration and license deal
Agreement focuses on tafasitamab for the treatment of B cell malignancies
On the cutting edge
On the cutting edge
A roundup of instrumentation, software and other tools and technology news
The EMA and the U.K. after Brexit
The EMA and the U.K. after Brexit
United Kingdom withdrawal from European Union changes dynamics
Targets acquired
Targets acquired
A look at a few recent acquisition deals in the pharma world
Feature
News Roundup: Coronavirus
News Roundup: Coronavirus
Recent news about research into diagnosis and treatment of the Wuhan coronavirus
Focus Feature: Tox Screening
Focus Feature: Tox Screening
A looks at recent action in the world of toxicology screening, including recent news and a Q&A with Taconic Biosciences
Analytica 2020 Show Preview: Aiming for excellence in analysis
Analytica 2020 Show Preview: Aiming for excellence in analysis
Science meets industry at the biennial Analytica conference, which will be held in Munich March 31 through April 03
Commentary
Commentary: Learning from the Wuhan coronavirus
Commentary: Learning from the Wuhan coronavirus
Collaboration leads the way to better understanding of pathogen
Everything is too expensive: Part 2
Everything is too expensive: Part 2
Peter Kissinger follows up his December column with a "part 2" talking about the cost-benefit ratio in the life sciences
Editor's Focus
Editor’s Focus: Breaking down the outbreak
Editor’s Focus: Breaking down the outbreak
The Wuhan coronavirus is something to be concerned about, but like every outbreak we need to keep things in perspective
