January 2018 Volume 14, Issue 1
Volume 14, Issue 1 | January 2018
January 2018
In this Issue
Feature
SLAS2018 Show Preview: Where the life sciences community converges
San Diego plays host to this year’s International Conference and Exhibition of the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening. Read more to find out what's happening so you know what to expect when you're there, or why you should consider attending this or future SLAS conferences.Editor's Focus
Editor’s focus: What looks like outrage might be necessity
Companies, including pharmas and biotechs, do engage in greedy decisions at times, but does the high cost presented for a new gene therapy represent avarice or a need to recoup losses for bringing to market a powerful but still very new approach?Commentary
Out of order: We are our stories
A Hollywood screenwriter, a marine biologist and a science journalist walk into a lecture hall...and suggest you should tell more storiesDiscovery
AI aids efforts in ALS
IBM’s Watson validates discovery of five new genes linked to the neurodegenerative diseaseSubstance solubility
SPA could expedite drug developmentCompugen and JHU chart a new course
Collaboration researches first-in-class cancer therapyA new friend in AMIGO2?
Mount Sinai details the potential of transmembrane gene for halting melanoma growthResearch & Development
A GalXC far, far away
Collaboration to explore RNA interference therapeutics for liver diseaseMicroRNAs and cancer
Salk Institute research illustrates how tumors outsmart immune responseProud partnership
Collaboration between Shire and Rani will evaluate approach to oral delivery of factor therapy for patients with hemophiliaOxford Genetics and MeiraGTx tackle AAVs
The partners hope to develop a new production system that offers better yields and robustnessCulturing the unculturable
Biomillenia leverages QIAGEN bioinformatics in microbiome-on-a-chip discovery of unculturable microbesClinical Trials
Novartis eyes nAMD
Results from Phase 3 studies support brolucizumab’s less-frequent dosing scheduleCell replacement therapy
Companies collaborate in clinical trials of ex-vivo expanded cord blood stem cellsClinical support for pGlu-Abeta targeting
Probiodrug to start Phase 2b clinical trial of PQ912 in Alzheimer’sNew angle on immunotherapy
Salk researchers get $2.5 million for pancreatic cancer trial involving vitamin D and KeytrudaMore trials, more data sources, more problems
Tufts survey reveals that plans to use greater range of patient data in clinical trials also means a need to prepare for management challengesContract Services
A busy end to 2017
PPD’s Q4 includes awards, a new NIH contract and expanded service offeringsA fivefold increase in sales
ApconiX benefits from boost via pharma sector demand for drug safety expertiseQuotient Sciences acquires Pharmaterials
Move strengthens and expands formulation and manufacturing services footprint in the U.K.Diagnostics
Extending the team-up against AD
Continuation of Probiodrug and Crossbeta partnership to identify Alzheimer’s biomarkersA companion diagnostic with greater breadth
FDA approves FoundationOne CDx companion diagnostic test for multiple solid tumorsPredicting lupus flares?
Progentec completes first round of financing for $1.25 millionPreclinical
Dialing in on a new DMD target
Summit shares preclinical data supporting utrophin as a target for slowing muscular dystrophy progressionMore answers on mavacamten
New research on drug elucidates successful HCM treatment mechanismHope for rare eye disease patients
NanoViricides presents ‘highly effective’ treatment for acute retinal necrosisTelemetry device advances metabolic disease research
Crown Bioscience and Data Sciences International partner to use device for long-term blood glucose monitoringBusiness & Government Policy
A ‘softer’ Brexit?
U.K. government’s narrow defeat on amendment in withdrawal bill could have wide impactOn the cutting edge
A roundup of instrumentation, software and other tools and technology news
