June 2013- Volume 9, Issue 6
June 2013
In this Issue
Commentary
Publishers announce changes, broader focus for DDNEWS
Publishers announce changes, broader focus for DDNEWS
There is something new about ddn...Our front cover this month shows a change, but it is more about ddn continuing to evolve with the news of the changing technology in pharma, biotech and life-science research
Hire education: Which came first, the university or the economy?
Hire education: Which came first, the university or the economy?
A knowledge-based economy cannot thrive with frictions imposed by millennium-old constraints. At the limits where no one has a degree or everyone has a degree, the consequences are clearly dire. Too much of a good thing is a bad thing, and perhaps that’s where we are today in the United States.
Your personal genome sequenced: Where do you go from here?
Your personal genome sequenced: Where do you go from here?
Rapid, informative and inexpensive DNA variation annotation represents the future for much of medical research, and will continue to serve as the basis for significant technology development in academic and industry settings.
Special Reports
DNA: A winding string of achievements
DNA: A winding string of achievements
Examining 60 years of scientific progress since the discovery of DNA
DNA: A winding string of achievements (continued)
DNA: A winding string of achievements (continued)
Additional stories examining 60 years of scientific progress since the discovery of DNA...and looking forward
Clinical Trials
Vetting the best candidates
Vetting the best candidates
Cancer Research UK and Clovis Oncology begin trial for breast and ovarian cancer drug
Take it from the PROs
Take it from the PROs
Study determines degree of patient involvement in implementing clinical trials for diabetes
A heart-felt boost
A heart-felt boost
Trevena and Forest Labs announce development collaboration for TRV027
Stemming the pain of osteoarthritis
Stemming the pain of osteoarthritis
RNL BIO’s stem cell product holds promise of a single-injection treatment for osteoarthritis
The new math in clinical studies
The new math in clinical studies
Mathematical modeling of time-to-tumor growth helps predict survival benefit of bevacizumab for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer
Tools & Technology
Quicker than an NGS minute
Quicker than an NGS minute
QIAGEN acquires Ingenuity Systems, adding time-saving solution for analysis and interpretation of complex biological data
In it to win it
In it to win it
Research indicates that open competition can be used to drive innovation
Sanofi sets sights on translational medicine
Sanofi sets sights on translational medicine
Partnership with NextBio will incorporate patient ‘omics and clinical data into pharma’s Translational Medicine for Patients program
Quidel acquires BioHelix Corp.
Quidel acquires BioHelix Corp.
Completion of the acquisition gains Quidel isothermal amplification platforms
Feature
PEOPLE & PROMOTIONS: Pharma employment news
PEOPLE & PROMOTIONS: Pharma employment news
Find out who’s on the move in pharma and biotech
Research & Development
Signing a sweet deal
Signing a sweet deal
Pharma giants Merck and Pfizer enter worldwide collaboration agreement to develop and commercialize investigational medicine for type 2 diabetes
Working in Concert
Working in Concert
Concert, Celgene to develop compounds for cancer, inflammation
New partner, new patent
New partner, new patent
Soligenix to expand biodefense and infectious disease product pipeline through collaboration with Intrexon
Fast-fail for success
Fast-fail for success
UCLA gets $9 million in NIMH funding to conduct fast-fail trials in autism spectrum disorders
Strength in numbers
Strength in numbers
According to analysts, pharmas and biotechs are turning to M&As and collaboration deals to fix ‘bloated, untenable’ R&D paradigm
Global News
A novel Conceptus
A novel Conceptus
Bayer HealthCare signs $1.1-billion merger agreement with Conceptus Inc.
OPKO opts for PROLOR
OPKO opts for PROLOR
Acquisition values PROLOR at $480 million
A partnership of VAST consequence
A partnership of VAST consequence
Proprietary chemistry platform will aid development of novel small molecules against multiple targets
Takeda acquires Inviragen for up to $250 million
Takeda acquires Inviragen for up to $250 million
Company gains promising vaccine candidates against dengue and hand, foot and mouth disease
Going small for broad potential
Going small for broad potential
Nimbus Discovery teams with Shire to co-develop therapies for rare diseases
Omics & Systems Biology
Belfer Institute, Evotec forge oncology collaboration
Belfer Institute, Evotec forge oncology collaboration
The two parties aim to discover new oncology therapies targeting epigenetic mechanism
Giant leap into genomic medicine
Giant leap into genomic medicine
Jackson Laboratory, Connecticut hospitals explore new cancer therapies for children, adults
Laying a foundation for hematologic diagnostics
Laying a foundation for hematologic diagnostics
Foundation Medicine, MSKCC to co-develop product that will match patients with targeted therapies or clinical trials for hematologic malignancies
Making sense of mutations
Making sense of mutations
Collaboration seeks to understand genetic changes iPSCs acquire during differentiation
Diagnostics
The blind men and the elephant
The blind men and the elephant
Progress in developing diagnostic tests hampered by differing perspectives of stakeholders involved
Go-with-the-flow cytometry
Go-with-the-flow cytometry
CytoVas allies with BD Biosciences to develop Vascular Health Profile
New hope for earlier autism diagnosis
New hope for earlier autism diagnosis
Largest prospective multisite autism clinical study offers promise of ASD diagnosis at 18 months
Integrating the clinical lab workflow
Integrating the clinical lab workflow
CollabRx and GeneInsight collaborate on interpretation and reporting service for clinical genetic sequencing
