June 2020- Volume 16, Issue 6
In this Issue
Commentary
Testing, testing, testing...1,2,3,4
Testing, testing, testing...1,2,3,4
Diagnostic testing is hotter news right now with COVID than perhaps ever before, but what does it all mean?
Guest Commentary: Accelerating the pace of pharma innovation at a molecular level
Guest Commentary: Accelerating the pace of pharma innovation at a molecular level
Innovation isn’t just measured in the number of approvals, and looking at NMEs might be a better gauge of the ways in which drug discovery is currently thriving
Special Reports
Special Report on Cancer: Anticipating antibodies
Special Report on Cancer: Anticipating antibodies
Digging deeper into repertoires means tapping into Plan B (cell)
Editor's Focus
Editor’s Focus: Cancer, COVID and change
Editor’s Focus: Cancer, COVID and change
Change is the name of the game in our understanding of cancer, the effect of COVID and the future of DDN magazine
Clinical Trials
Investigating an IL-6 antibody
Investigating an IL-6 antibody
An update on Sanofi and Regeneron’s Kevzara trial in hospitalized COVID-19 patients
Well-tolerated tumor drug
Well-tolerated tumor drug
Antibody therapeutic from Compugen demonstrates no dose-limiting toxicities
Optimal OPTICs
Optimal OPTICs
ADVM-022 demonstrates efficacy, durability in OPTIC trial in wet AMD
More skin in the game
More skin in the game
Libtayo shows promise for a second indication
Usher update
Usher update
ProQR offers upbeat interim analysis in Phase 1/2 trial of QR-421a for Usher Syndrome
Discovery
Know your enemy
Know your enemy
Team uses knowledge of how SARS-CoV-2 infects cells to identify drugs that could combat it
Managing macrolactones
Managing macrolactones
New database could aid large-molecule drug discovery and research
Relying on RNAi
Relying on RNAi
Vir and Alnylam identify RNAi development candidate targeting SARS-CoV-2
Arrakis partners with Roche
Arrakis partners with Roche
Collaboration will use RNA-targeted small-molecule discovery platform for multiple targets
Further success in malaria initiative
Further success in malaria initiative
Optibrium and Intellegens report in-vitro validation of in-silico-generated compound
Complementary cancer collaboration
Complementary cancer collaboration
Exscientia and SRI combine strengths for oncology drug discovery
Contract Services
A strong complement in China
A strong complement in China
Reaction Biology, PharmaCore Labs strike up collaboration agreement
Making a deal on ADCs
Making a deal on ADCs
Trio Pharmaceuticals and Ajinomoto enter into development collaboration
Preclinical
Data recommend RECCE 327
Data recommend RECCE 327
Synthetic antibiotic shows efficacy against priority antibiotic-resistant pathogen
An autoimmune option
An autoimmune option
Immutep and Batavia Biosciences reach LAG-3 immunotherapy milestone
Negative Data Prize is a positive?
Negative Data Prize is a positive?
Global Preclinical Data Forum says sharing negative science results is key to neuroscience progress
Feature
Focus Feature on Cancer Research News
Focus Feature on Cancer Research News
Recent happenings on the R&D front to better understand cancer and create oncology therapeutics
Diagnostics
A better test for COVID-19
A better test for COVID-19
Digital PCR solution cuts down on false negatives, may help in clinical trials
Against antibiotic resistance
Against antibiotic resistance
Selux Diagnostics receives additional 9.6 million for rapid AST platform
Putting the ‘AI’ in diagnostics
Putting the ‘AI’ in diagnostics
A look at the growing trend of integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning with diagnostics
Business & Government Policy
Broadening its footprint in biotech
Broadening its footprint in biotech
Germany’s Sartorius acquires selected assets of Danaher Life Sciences
On the cutting edge
On the cutting edge
A roundup of instrumentation, software and other tools and technology news
Q&A: The challenges of a vaccine for COVID-19
Q&A: The challenges of a vaccine for COVID-19
DDN takes some time to speak with Amélie Boulais, vaccine platform marketing manager at Sartorius Stedim Biotech
Research & Development
Meaningful biomarkers
Meaningful biomarkers
Precision medicine analyses show potential for Alzheimer’s drug
AUM launches Knockdown Coronavirus
AUM launches Knockdown Coronavirus
RNA could be the kryptonite to defeat COVID-19
Building a biobank
Building a biobank
Biogen, Broad Institute and Partners HealthCare create consortium for COVID-19 efforts
Timing is everything
Timing is everything
Suppression of immune system may be key to reducing COVID-19 severity
