June 2016- Volume 12, Issue 6
June 2016
In this Issue
Research & Development
Homology platform ‘leapfrogs’ onto the scene
Homology platform ‘leapfrogs’ onto the scene
Financing efforts help launch next-generation genetics company with $43.5 million
Open-access opportunities
Open-access opportunities
CAMD joins GAAIN initiative to share Alzheimer's clinical trial data
Companies seek a boost to ALS research
Companies seek a boost to ALS research
Work may eventually extend to other neurodegenerative diseases associated with superoxide dismutase 1 misfolding
Aiming Probody compounds at CD71
Aiming Probody compounds at CD71
Collaboration between AbbVie and CytomX will develop drug conjugates to deliver cytotoxic payloads to tumor cells
Preclinical
Vaccine verification
Vaccine verification
Preclinical results support Abeta vaccine for treating Down syndrome cognitive deficits
Tumor tackler
Tumor tackler
Preclinical IMO-2125 data demonstrate enhanced systemic antitumor activity
A trio of promising studies
A trio of promising studies
Enhanced immune responses, antitumor activity bode well for Corvus' CPI-444
Putting the CAR T before the horse
Putting the CAR T before the horse
Endocyte and Purdue present promising preclinical data for SMDC technology, CAR T cell therapy
Diagnostics
Genestack and CMDL enter collaboration
Genestack and CMDL enter collaboration
Partners to create informatics platform for use in clinical care
A repeat partnership
A repeat partnership
Rheonix, NYUCD to collaborate for rapid Zika virus diagnostic
Sunquest acquires GeneInsight
Sunquest acquires GeneInsight
Decision is intended to enhance Sunquest’s precision medicine capabilities and advance Sunquest’s clinical genetics IT platform
CombiMatrix unveils CombiPGD
CombiMatrix unveils CombiPGD
Genetic test helps to identify genetic defects in embryos
Business & Government Policy
Thermo Fisher Scientific to acquire FEI
Thermo Fisher Scientific to acquire FEI
$4.2 billion buys Thermo an even stronger mass spectrometry leadership position with complementary tech
Keeping an eye on Eylea
Keeping an eye on Eylea
Regeneron’s ophthalmology drug posts strong Q1 earnings
On the cutting edge
On the cutting edge
A roundup of instrumentation, software and other tools and technology news
Noodling around the NIH
Noodling around the NIH
A quick look at news coming out of or relating to the National Institutes of Health
Contract Services
IMS Health and Quintiles to merge
IMS Health and Quintiles to merge
Companies say combined entity will be industry-leading information and technology-enabled healthcare service provider
Going for leadership status
Going for leadership status
Swedish CDMO Recipharm acquires businesses from India-based Kemwell
Cloud control
Cloud control
PAREXEL and EMC collaborate on cloud-based document and regulatory information management services
Commentary
Guest Commentary: Back to cancer’s drawing board
Guest Commentary: Back to cancer’s drawing board
Decades after the precision medicine revolution began, it is worth assessing whether the evidence still supports genomics as the primary pillar upon which to understand cancer and make treatment decisions
Thin really does matter after all
Thin really does matter after all
Some might argue that saying 'thin is in' with regard to humans is a matter of size discrimination, but in science and technology, thin can make all the difference in the world for better results
Feature
Commentary: Identification of durable, assessable biomarker signatures for parasite-induced cholangiocarcinoma
Commentary: Identification of durable, assessable biomarker signatures for parasite-induced cholangiocarcinoma
Biomarkers that are present in body fluids have the potential to form the basis of affordable diagnostic tests to detect diseases in their earliest stages and monitor disease progression (and allow vital treatment where early intervention is crucial or diagnosis currently difficult), and neglected tropical diseases are provided here as an example.
Special Reports
Special Report on Cancer: An ever-evolving picture
Special Report on Cancer: An ever-evolving picture
Cancer heterogeneity can make therapy feel like whack-a-mole
Clinical Trials
Accelerating oncology trials
Accelerating oncology trials
M2Gen partners with pharmas and ORIEN to speed targeted trials for advanced-stage cancers
EMA looks to improve safety of first-in-human trials
EMA looks to improve safety of first-in-human trials
Reflection on changes to best practices begins in wake of French clinical trial tragedy
Working toward a fibroid solution
Working toward a fibroid solution
Repros Therapeutics’ Proellex appears to reduce bleeding in women with uterine fibroids
A status update on SRSE efforts
A status update on SRSE efforts
SAGE-457 shows efficacy in treating severe seizure disorder and advances to Phase 3 trial
End to end for imaging and workflows
End to end for imaging and workflows
Medidata’s acquisition of Intelemage seeks in part to improve data and image handling for clinical trials
Discovery
Partners to advance early-stage discovery
Partners to advance early-stage discovery
FEI teams with five pharmas, MRC and University of Cambridge to form Cryo-EM Research Consortium
Unlocking memory’s mysteries
Unlocking memory’s mysteries
TSRI study identifies common fruit fly gene with implications in strengthening memory
Exploring synergy in immunology
Exploring synergy in immunology
Aduro and UC Berkeley seek to accelerate treatment and prevention of cancer, infectious and autoimmune diseases
A homegrown partnership
A homegrown partnership
U.K. companies Kymab and Heptares partner on GPCRs against cancer
Editor's Focus
The diseases are rare, corporate maneuvers are not; balance must be key
The diseases are rare, corporate maneuvers are not; balance must be key
Rare diseases, like M&As and creative collaboration deals before them, present opportunities for pharmas and biotechs to boost their bottom lines, but there is a risk of tunnel vision (and plenty of precedent for it as well) of which we must remain wary
