January 2020- Volume 16, Issue 1
In this Issue
Business & Government Policy
Patent Docs: More on patent-ineligibility from the Federal Circuit
Patent Docs: More on patent-ineligibility from the Federal Circuit
The Federal Circuit continuse to expand the scope of patent-ineligible invention in its recent iNo Therapeutics LLC v. Praxair Distribution Inc. decision, relying on Justice Breyer's exhortation, in his Mayo Collaborative Serv. Inc. v. Prometheus Laboratories opinion
End of the road
End of the road
Illumina and Pacific Biosciences announce termination of merger agreement
On the cutting edge
On the cutting edge
A roundup of instrumentation, software and other tools and technology news
Expedeon and Abcam close transaction
Expedeon and Abcam close transaction
With deal sealed, Expedeon changes name and shifts to DNA manufacturing and enzymes for diagnostics
Fast-tracking the regulation submission process
Fast-tracking the regulation submission process
Yseop and Litera partner up to help life-sciences companies
Discovery
Making waves with macrophages
Making waves with macrophages
NTU Singapore scientists discover new key to promote insulin production in pre-diabetes patients
Onward and upward
Onward and upward
Three companies will enter 2020 with support to launch new growth
Models for seeing things more clearly
Models for seeing things more clearly
Two new cell models for ocular drug discovery could reduce the need for animal testing
Streamlining CRISPR gene-editing workflows
Streamlining CRISPR gene-editing workflows
Individual sgRNA and library collections expand Edit-R gene-editing platform
Collaboration “DUBbed” a success
Collaboration “DUBbed” a success
Mission and AbbVie deal reaches milestone as partnership continues
Commentary
Out of order: For the better
Out of order: For the better
Science is elusive and ever shifting, refusing to come into focus, and that is both its curse and its blessing
Case study: Managing informatics challenges across distributed drug discovery projects
Case study: Managing informatics challenges across distributed drug discovery projects
Collaboration between drug discovery groups from different sites, organizations and companies has become much more common, and distributing research can have profound advantages even as managing the process poses unique challenges
Preclinical
Targeting tough tumors
Targeting tough tumors
Femtogenix payload platform has favorable toxicity profile
A model replacement?
A model replacement?
Heart-on-a-Chip technology predicts preclinical systolic, diastolic in-vivo observations for cardiac drug candidate
Knowing the score
Knowing the score
New application helps authors, publishers address heightened reproducibility and transparency standards
Immunic presents data on IMU-856 at Crohn’s and colitis conference
Immunic presents data on IMU-856 at Crohn’s and colitis conference
IMU-856 might address a root cause of inflammatory bowel disease without impairing immune system
Meeting a new mechanism
Meeting a new mechanism
Samumed publishes unique mechanism of action for SM08502
Clinical Trials
Resistance to Alzheimer’s is not futile
Resistance to Alzheimer’s is not futile
Troriluzole successfully advances past interim futility analysis in pivotal Phase 2/3 study
Triple combination study shows promise
Triple combination study shows promise
BioLineRx’s combination regimen leads to improved disease control in pancreatic cancer
Antibody vs. Alzheimer’s disease
Antibody vs. Alzheimer’s disease
Alector announces Phase 1 data on AL002 at 12th annual CTAD meeting
ADVM-022 success is no OPTICal illusion
ADVM-022 success is no OPTICal illusion
Adverum’s wet AMD candidate helps maintain vision in Phase 1 trial
Phase 3 on the horizon
Phase 3 on the horizon
Oramed's oral insulin candidate shows efficacy in Phase 2b diabetes trial
Contract Services
Drugging the undruggable
Drugging the undruggable
Cresset Discovery Services contracted by PhoreMost to work on oncology protein target
Dose CMO industry performing strongly
Dose CMO industry performing strongly
This despite challenges of increasingly complex drug production, says GlobalData
Diagnostics
Stepping up against sepsis
Stepping up against sepsis
Companies ink agreement to develop rapid, point-of-care solution for diagnosing bloodstream infections
Cologuard mechanism tested for liver cancer
Cologuard mechanism tested for liver cancer
Test that has proven useful for non-invasive colorectal cancer screening leads to new possibilities
Duo for diagnostics
Duo for diagnostics
Startup company Breakthrough Diagnostics performs clinical testing of LymPro test for Alzheimer’s disease
Research & Development
Aggravating atherosclerosis
Aggravating atherosclerosis
Study of T cells sheds light on cardiovascular events
Open Targets finds differences in immune disease DNA
Open Targets finds differences in immune disease DNA
With strong financial backing from Open Targets, a battery of scientists is working to identify specific variations in DNA that correspond with different immune diseases
Akoya finds $50M more in financing
Akoya finds $50M more in financing
Funding will support continued commercialization of Akoya’s spatial biology platforms
Oral therapy for hemophilia
Oral therapy for hemophilia
Bayer enters into collaboration with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia on novel small-molecule drugs
Editor's Focus
Editor’s Focus: Double helix, double bind
Editor’s Focus: Double helix, double bind
Of all the areas where 'just because you can doesn't mean you should' ought to be a leading tenet, genomics is at the top of the list. The promise of gene editing must be partnered with caution regarding the ways it could be mishandled; we need to decide now which lines shouldn't be crossed, rather than backtracking after someone steps over them.
Special Reports
Special Report on Gene Therapy: Finding the pathfinders
Special Report on Gene Therapy: Finding the pathfinders
Researchers move beyond cut-and-paste to address genetic disorders
Feature
SOT/ToxExpo 2020 Show Preview: A taste of toxicology
SOT/ToxExpo 2020 Show Preview: A taste of toxicology
The ‘best in toxicological research’ makes its way to Anaheim
