January 2018- Volume 14, Issue 1
In this Issue
Discovery
Substance solubility
Substance solubility
SPA could expedite drug development
Compugen and JHU chart a new course
Compugen and JHU chart a new course
Collaboration researches first-in-class cancer therapy
A new friend in AMIGO2?
A new friend in AMIGO2?
Mount Sinai details the potential of transmembrane gene for halting melanoma growth
AI aids efforts in ALS
AI aids efforts in ALS
IBM’s Watson validates discovery of five new genes linked to the neurodegenerative disease
Clinical Trials
Clinical support for pGlu-Abeta targeting
Clinical support for pGlu-Abeta targeting
Probiodrug to start Phase 2b clinical trial of PQ912 in Alzheimer’s
New angle on immunotherapy
New angle on immunotherapy
Salk researchers get $2.5 million for pancreatic cancer trial involving vitamin D and Keytruda
More trials, more data sources, more problems
More 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 challenges
Cell replacement therapy
Cell replacement therapy
Companies collaborate in clinical trials of ex-vivo expanded cord blood stem cells
Novartis eyes nAMD
Novartis eyes nAMD
Results from Phase 3 studies support brolucizumab’s less-frequent dosing schedule
Diagnostics
Extending the team-up against AD
Extending the team-up against AD
Continuation of Probiodrug and Crossbeta partnership to identify Alzheimer’s biomarkers
A companion diagnostic with greater breadth
A companion diagnostic with greater breadth
FDA approves FoundationOne CDx companion diagnostic test for multiple solid tumors
Predicting lupus flares?
Predicting lupus flares?
Progentec completes first round of financing for $1.25 million
Research & Development
MicroRNAs and cancer
MicroRNAs and cancer
Salk Institute research illustrates how tumors outsmart immune response
Proud partnership
Proud partnership
Collaboration between Shire and Rani will evaluate approach to oral delivery of factor therapy for patients with hemophilia
Oxford Genetics and MeiraGTx tackle AAVs
Oxford Genetics and MeiraGTx tackle AAVs
The partners hope to develop a new production system that offers better yields and robustness
Culturing the unculturable
Culturing the unculturable
Biomillenia leverages QIAGEN bioinformatics in microbiome-on-a-chip discovery of unculturable microbes
A GalXC far, far away
A GalXC far, far away
Collaboration to explore RNA interference therapeutics for liver disease
Preclinical
Dialing in on a new DMD target
Dialing in on a new DMD target
Summit shares preclinical data supporting utrophin as a target for slowing muscular dystrophy progression
More answers on mavacamten
More answers on mavacamten
New research on drug elucidates successful HCM treatment mechanism
Hope for rare eye disease patients
Hope for rare eye disease patients
NanoViricides presents ‘highly effective’ treatment for acute retinal necrosis
Telemetry device advances metabolic disease research
Telemetry device advances metabolic disease research
Crown Bioscience and Data Sciences International partner to use device for long-term blood glucose monitoring
Business & Government Policy
A ‘softer’ Brexit?
A ‘softer’ Brexit?
U.K. government’s narrow defeat on amendment in withdrawal bill could have wide impact
On the cutting edge
On the cutting edge
A roundup of instrumentation, software and other tools and technology news
Mallinckrodt to acquire Sucampo for $1.2 billion
Mallinckrodt to acquire Sucampo for $1.2 billion
Transaction expected to be immediately accretive thanks to Amitiza and other Sucampo assets
Contract Services
A busy end to 2017
A busy end to 2017
PPD’s Q4 includes awards, a new NIH contract and expanded service offerings
A fivefold increase in sales
A fivefold increase in sales
ApconiX benefits from boost via pharma sector demand for drug safety expertise
Quotient Sciences acquires Pharmaterials
Quotient Sciences acquires Pharmaterials
Move strengthens and expands formulation and manufacturing services footprint in the U.K.
Feature
SLAS2018 Show Preview: Where the life sciences community converges
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
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
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 stories
