January 2013- Volume 9, Issue 1
January 2013
In this Issue
Government Watch
Will FDA ‘reboot’ antibiotic approval process?
Will FDA ‘reboot’ antibiotic approval process?
At November hearing, FDA committee approves treatment for nosocomial pneumonia, sparking debate about agency’s approval of new antibiotics
Second Circuit Court of Appeals rules on Caronia
Second Circuit Court of Appeals rules on Caronia
First Amendment protects free speech even when promoting misbranded, off-label drug use
Coming around again with gene patents
Coming around again with gene patents
Supreme Court to hear case challenging patents on breast and ovarian cancer genes
Global News
Taking it to the tumors
Taking it to the tumors
Ablynx and Algeta explore combination of thorium-227 alpha-pharmaceutical and Nanobody technology
Combating cancer across the pond
Combating cancer across the pond
Lorus, Cancer Research UK partner to advance solid tumor therapy to clinic
QC for Alzheimer’s disease
QC for Alzheimer’s disease
Evotec collaborates with Probiodrug on glutaminyl cyclase (QC) inhibitors
Consortium of binding interactions
Consortium of binding interactions
K4DD helps researchers to analyze kinetics to determine drug safety and efficacy early in the development process
Consortium of binding interactions
Consortium of binding interactions
K4DD helps researchers to analyze kinetics to determine drug safety and efficacy early in the development process
Diagnostics
PROOF for FFPE samples
PROOF for FFPE samples
HTG Molecular Diagnostics and PROOF Centre partner to commercialize COPD prognostic test
Highly personalized medicine
Highly personalized medicine
Galena and Leica develop companion diagnostic for breast cancer therapeutic
The sooner the diagnosis, the better the outcome
The sooner the diagnosis, the better the outcome
Boston Children’s Hospital develops new blood test for early diagnosis of autism
Catching something in China
Catching something in China
PerkinElmer acquires China-based infectious disease diagnostics company Shanghai Haoyuan Biotech
Tools & Technology
A new connection with Genection
A new connection with Genection
Invivoscribe launches new company to provide better, centralized genetic test offering
Getting PRO-ACTive about ALS
Getting PRO-ACTive about ALS
Prize4Life launches PRO-ACT ALS trials database
Getting predictive with bioisosteres
Getting predictive with bioisosteres
Optibrium and Digital Chemistry announce technology collaboration to guide successful drug discovery
Duet with ALK and FISH
Duet with ALK and FISH
Abbott Molecular adopts BioView’s Duet cell imaging software for its automated Vysis ALK FISH Probe test
Making trials less of a trial
Making trials less of a trial
Janssen Research & Development announces establishment of databank to enhance global cross-pharmaceutical clinical trial efforts
Research & Development
Sarepta Therapeutics, UCL partner on DMD drug target
Sarepta Therapeutics, UCL partner on DMD drug target
Sarepta Therapeutics announced last month a collaboration with University College London for the development of an exon-skipping drug targeting exon 53, its fourth drug in development, in support of Sarepta’s broad-based program for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)
For the love of a child
For the love of a child
Shire, Boston Children’s Hospital partner on treatments for rare pediatric diseases
What was old is new again
What was old is new again
Roche-Broad Institute collaboration aims to use modern platforms to find new indications for terminated development-stage compounds
Secondhand stem cell sale
Secondhand stem cell sale
Geron announces intent to sell discontinued stem cell programs to BioTime
New CoMMpass bearings
New CoMMpass bearings
Landmark multiple myeloma study takes on Department of Veterans Affairs as valuable new public partner
Selecta, Sanofi partnership nothing to sneeze at
Selecta, Sanofi partnership nothing to sneeze at
Deal could total up to $300 million each for up to three candidates
Omics & Systems Biology
DNA2.0 partners with Newcastle U on B. subtillis system
DNA2.0 partners with Newcastle U on B. subtillis system
DNA2.0 last month announced a collaboration with Newcastle University to develop a protein expression system for Bacillus subtillis
Different genetic fingerprint
Different genetic fingerprint
Researchers study microbial DNA variation in the gut for clues to health
A ‘crucial’ partnership
A ‘crucial’ partnership
Empire Genomics, Emory University to develop multiple myeloma molecular diagnostic
Tens, not thousands
Tens, not thousands
Planned Stanford genomics center receives final go-ahead
A game-changer in toxicity testing
A game-changer in toxicity testing
Hamner Institutes’ Integrated Biology Initiative aims to fundamentally transform chemical risk assessment
Special Reports
No vaccine is an island
No vaccine is an island
Adjuvant advances, international interactions and personalized preventions are transforming the world of vaccinology
Editor's Focus
Three resolutions to improve your business in ‘13
Three resolutions to improve your business in ‘13
If you want minimal results, resolve to do the bare minimum. If you want surprising results--results that set tongues to wagging and produce spikes in your stock price--you’ll need to think "outside of the box."
Commentary
Out of Order: Out of the Mayan pan
Out of Order: Out of the Mayan pan
For everyone’s sakes, we have to stay on the ball and be ready to jump in and lend a helping hand at any moment. The microbes don’t really care who we are or where we live.
The need for improved half-life extension technologies
The need for improved half-life extension technologies
In recent years, significant work has been dedicated to studying the half-life of drugs, and while researchers have been successful in lengthening the half-life of proteins and peptides, they have yet to find a way to tailor the pharmacokinetics of certain drugs to specific medical needs.”
