January 2015- Volume 11, Issue 1
January 2015
In this Issue
Preclinical
Going after vision loss with MANF
Going after vision loss with MANF
Amarantus announces positive preclinical data on effects of MANF on vision in model of retinitis pigmentosa
Getting the facts on FACT
Getting the facts on FACT
CBL0137 found to be effective in pancreatic cancer by targeting cancer stem cells
Better together?
Better together?
Combination cancer immunotherapy regimen shows promise for systemic immune response to cancer cells
Programmed hematopoietic cells show potential
Programmed hematopoietic cells show potential
Fate Therapeutics demonstrates treatment option that could be life-saver for people with hematologic malignancies
Research & Development
Preferred tox partner
Preferred tox partner
MicroMatrices enters partnership agreement for use of ACD’s RNAscope technology
Joint R&D on Accurins
Joint R&D on Accurins
BIND and Merck collaborate on developing nanomedicines for oncology, pipeline expansion
Focus on the microbiome
Focus on the microbiome
MIT partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital, other institutions to foster regional ecosystem for rapidly evolving field
Nanofiber vs. HIV
Nanofiber vs. HIV
Novel nanofiber-based technology developed at University of Missouri could help prevent HIV/AIDS transmission
Discovery
AstraZeneca explores new target for heart disease
AstraZeneca explores new target for heart disease
Company will work with Lipigon on potential drugs to modulate lipoprotein lipase
Making medicines
Making medicines
GSK names winners of 2014 Discovery Fast Track Challenge and explains rationale for program
Getting into the genetics of autism
Getting into the genetics of autism
Recent Nature study identifies 107 genes tied to autism risk
Blood plasma signature may be key to early autism diagnosis
Blood plasma signature may be key to early autism diagnosis
Test identified autistic children with 81-percent accuracy, according to Stemina-UC Davis report in PLOS One
Two partners, three initiatives, five years
Two partners, three initiatives, five years
Evotec and Sanofi forge three-part deal to improve innovation in drug discovery and preclinical development
Diagnostics
A good attitude toward Longitude
A good attitude toward Longitude
CPA Global to support Longitude Prize 2014, which seeks to improve the antibiotic landscape
A harmonious transaction
A harmonious transaction
Roche acquires Ariosa Diagnostics, gains noninvasive Harmony Prenatal Test
Achieving good arthritis predictions
Achieving good arthritis predictions
New clinical data show Crescendo’s Vectra DA is a better predictor of joint damage in RA patients
myChoice CDx becomes TESARO’s choice
myChoice CDx becomes TESARO’s choice
TESARO directors select Myriad Genetics’ companion diagnostic for treating resistant ovarian cancer
Clinical Trials
Otsuka to acquire Avanir for $3.5 billion
Otsuka to acquire Avanir for $3.5 billion
Chemical entity AVP-786 for Alzheimer’s, soon to enter Phase 3 trials, is a major draw for Otsuka
On ‘cloud 9’ with new mobile health app
On ‘cloud 9’ with new mobile health app
Medidata, GSK evaluate impact of cloud-based tech on engagement, data quality and efficiencies in clinical trials
Nanomedicine platform shows mettle
Nanomedicine platform shows mettle
BIND presents positive Phase 2 results for nanomedicine platform in NSCLC at AACR annual symposium
Alion taps MPI for companion diagnostic
Alion taps MPI for companion diagnostic
Diagnostic would identify patients likely to respond to undisclosed ion channel inhibitor cancer treatment
Targeting MS at its root
Targeting MS at its root
Servier and GeNeuro to advance drug offering new approach to treating multiple sclerosis
Business & Government Policy
MedImmune boosts cancer capacities with Definiens deal
MedImmune boosts cancer capacities with Definiens deal
Acquisition brings with it Tissue Phenomics, an imaging technology for biomarker identification
Pay to delay?
Pay to delay?
Ranbaxy and AstraZeneca win jury victory in test of what antitrust limits may be placed on reverse payment deals
Patent Docs: Copyright law threats to U.S. drug innovation
Patent Docs: Copyright law threats to U.S. drug innovation
The copyright case of Kirtsaeng v John Wiley & Sons decided by the U.S. Supreme Court last term could have far-reaching effects on the industry
On the cutting edge
On the cutting edge
A roundup of instrumentation, software and other tools and technology news
Merck to pay $8.4 billion for Cubist
Merck to pay $8.4 billion for Cubist
Merck cites leadership in anti-infectives and identification of hospital acute care as a priority area
Q&A
Q&A: Taking a look at contracting and pricing
Q&A: Taking a look at contracting and pricing
A brief conversations with Lois Byra, vice president of contracting, strategy and compliance with Alliance Life Sciences Consulting Group
Feature
Show Preview: SLAS goes East
Show Preview: SLAS goes East
Washington, D.C., will host ‘what’s new in lab automation and screening’ for the SLAS2015 meeting
Editor's Focus
Making a big deal of mergers
Making a big deal of mergers
A lot of money is being spent to acquire pipelines and potential blockbusters, but it's happening at a time when the cost of development and commercialization is already through the roof.
Commentary
Out of Order: Substance over volume
Out of Order: Substance over volume
For all of our improvements in throughput and other technological achievements, it is not clear that we've seen much improvement in the number or quality of drugs being produced, and we certainly haven’t made them less expensive. Maybe we need to ask some better questions about what we're doing, how we're doing it and why.
Guest commentary: Solutions to the drug development cycle and antibiotic resistance problems
Guest commentary: Solutions to the drug development cycle and antibiotic resistance problems
The cell-based assay arena has become highly prevalent due to the serious, major and mounting medical challenges facing healthcare internationally, and calorimetry provides the answers to a number of some of these critical challenges
