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July 2007 Volume 3, Issue 7

Volume 3, Issue 7 | July 2007

In this Issue

News Briefs

Global News

Symyx to gain from Ilypsa sale

The recent announcement that biotech heavyweight Amgen intends to buy Ilypsa for $420 million was more than just music to the ears of Ilypsa’s venture capital partners.

Bayer, Onyx submit sNDA for Nexavar to treat liver cancer

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. recently announced that a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for Nexavar (sorafenib) tablets has been submitted to the FDA for the treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer.

Roche grants AIDS technology transfers to two African companies

BASEL, Switzerland—Roche recently announced two new technology transfers with local manufacturing companies in Africa: Addis Pharmaceutical Factory in Ethiopia and Varichem Pharmaceuticals in Zimbabwe.

Informatics

Thermo Fisher and Megaware partner to deliver an end-to-end bioanalysis/equivalence solution, starting in Asia

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has entered a new strategic partnership with Megaware Inc., a life science technology organization with offices in Westborough, Mass., and Mumbai, India, to deliver a bioanalysis and equivalence solution and joint support services for pharmaceutical, biotech and contract research organizations (CROs).

Illumina takes the controls -- iControlDB makes data of 10,000 genotyping control samples available to researchers

Looking to help drive sales of its high-density microarrays and to potentially provide its customers with significant savings in time and money in their whole-genome association studies, Illumina Inc. announced last month iControlDB, a company-hosted genotyping repository that contains data from nearly 10,000 control samples.

More than academic -- Universities want N.Y. to take lead in computational biology

A group of major universities recently announced that they plan to take a coordinated approach in the development and application of computational sciences and intend to focus their efforts on the rapidly emerging field of computational biology.

Combination of two distinct Genedata platforms proves valuable for a range of pharma needs

Genedata, a leading computational solutions provider, recently initiated what it calls a “major research informatics solution deal” with the global biopharmaceutical company UCB, a Brussels, Belgium-based biopharmaceutical company focused on products in the areas of central nervous system disorders, allergy/respiratory diseases, immune and inflammatory disorders and oncology.

Genomics & Proteomics

Rabies virus helps provide a means to get RNAi therapy past the blood-brain barrier

One of the biggest barriers to effective drugs for neurological and neurodegenerative disorders is the blood-brain barrier, which is designed to keep pathogens out of the brain.

New RNA control standards will improve ability to characterize performance of gene expression assays

The External RNA Controls Consortium (ERCC) recently brought approximately 100 of its selected external RNA controls into a final testing phase, which will be completed by the end of 2007.

Abbott and Caprion extend work on antibody targets for cancer

Abbott and Caprion Proteomics will continue to collaborate in the investigation of human therapeutic antibody targets for oncology using Caprion’s CellCarta technology platform.

BioServe finds work for Global Repository

BioServe will use its Global Repository—which comprises more than 600,000 human DNA, tissue and serum samples linked to detailed clinical and demographic information—to assist the Specialized Clinical Center of Research (SCCOR) conduct a novel study aimed at identifying the genetic cause of thoracic aortic disease. The repository was the key asset of Genomics Collaborative which was recently acquired by BioServe (DDN, June 2007).

Small wonders

Automation & Instrumentation

Thermo Fisher Scientific launches RNAi services lab

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.’s RNAi research and production center in Lafayette, Colo., is now home to the new RNAi Discovery and Therapeutic Services laboratory.

Reverse merger lets WaferGen recapitalize

WaferGen Bio-systems Inc completed in early June an acquisition of WaferGen Inc. through a “reverse merger,” and also completed a private placement of $10.7 million of common stock.

Application co-marketing deal with Promega to widen CyBio\'s market exposure

CyBio AG announced last month a collaboration to provide validated application protocols for its liquid handling equipment with selected reagents from Madison, Wis.-based Promega

Biotage starts molecular imaging research

Biotage enters into joint R&D work at McMaster U to expand into molecular imaging

Research & Development

Frontage Laboratories acquires Advanced Biomedical Research Inc. to expand services

Frontage Laboratories, a five-year-old CRO that provides bioanalytical, preclinical and drug development services, announced that it has acquired a “significant equity interest” in Advanced Biomedical Research Inc., a Princeton, N.J.-based CRO which operates clinical trials internationally.

Evoking innovation: Evotec pulls together innovation center for fragment-based drug discovery work

Evotec AG launched its new Innovation Centre for Fragment Based Drug Discovery (FBDD) in late May. The center draws on internal capabilities and outside scientists, and is the first of a series of new business units aimed at providing enhanced access to innovative discovery techniques.

Teaming up on next-gen growth hormone products

Ambrx has high hopes that a recently announced collaboration with Merck Serono to develop and commercialize Ambrx’s long-acting growth hormone products will mean much more than just milestone payments and royalties.