March 2016- Volume 12, Issue 3
March 2016
In this Issue
Preclinical
Gates Foundation bets big on Moderna’s mRNA technology
Gates Foundation bets big on Moderna’s mRNA technology
Grant will provide support for GLP toxicology studies, preparations for clinical trials and a Phase 1 study
A novel approach to depression?
A novel approach to depression?
Rapastinel may sidestep cognitive deficits seen with ketamine
Cornering C. diff.
Cornering C. diff.
Immuron posts positive preclinical results for oral therapeutic IMM-529
RedHill and Fraunhofer collaborate on cancer drug
RedHill and Fraunhofer collaborate on cancer drug
Novel mechanism may be especially promising for pancreatic cancer patients
Business & Government Policy
Sealing the deals
Sealing the deals
Astellas, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Cipla all complete important deals in mid- to late-February
On the cutting edge
On the cutting edge
A roundup of instrumentation, software and other tools and technology news
For your approval
For your approval
A collection of recent regulatory approvals and actions globally
Biogen kicks off ALS funding challenge
Biogen kicks off ALS funding challenge
With an initial $5-million donation, goal for Biogen and Target ALS is $20 million more in corporate funding
An early acquisition with Affymetrix
An early acquisition with Affymetrix
Thermo Fisher Scientific looks to acquire Affymetrix, with expected deal completion in Q2
Patent Docs: What’s in a name? When the chemical structure of an API is wrong
Patent Docs: What’s in a name? When the chemical structure of an API is wrong
Drug regulation and licensing (and the patents that claim active pharmaceutical ingredients) are based on accuracy, including accurate descriptions of the molecule, how it is formulated and (to the extent it is understood) how it works. But what happens when there is an error?
Diagnostics
All about APOBEC3G
All about APOBEC3G
A gap caused during DNA replication could result in cancer-causing mutations
‘One world, one health’
‘One world, one health’
Minimally invasive method of testing for pathogens could provide new paradigm for characterizing disease transmission
A new biomarker for colon cancer
A new biomarker for colon cancer
CDX2 identifies colon cancer patients who may benefit from chemotherapy
Taking point in point-of-care
Taking point in point-of-care
Abbott to acquire Alere for $5.8 billion and create point-of-care testing leader
Clinical Trials
More than ‘skin-deep’ success
More than ‘skin-deep’ success
Corium posts top-line interim results of transdermal Alzheimer’s patch for once- weekly dosing
Archexin triggers dose-dependent tumor reduction in RCC
Archexin triggers dose-dependent tumor reduction in RCC
Rexahn progresses its Phase 2a clinical research in metastatic renal cell carcinoma
New hope with NEOD001?
New hope with NEOD001?
AL amyloidosis candidate generates favorable cardiac and renal response in Phase 1/2
Getting the body to do the work
Getting the body to do the work
Immune Design shares positive top-line data from trio of Phase 1 trials in immuno- oncology
Contract Services
U.K.-based Onyx expands following strong year
U.K.-based Onyx expands following strong year
Second such expansion since last year driven in part by demand for API services
COMPASS points east to Japan
COMPASS points east to Japan
EPS Corporation to run clinical studies using BioClinica RBM solution
Bringing contract manufacturing closer
Bringing contract manufacturing closer
Novasep adds specialized drug development technologies for North American customers
Radiant Sage expands service offering in Europe
Radiant Sage expands service offering in Europe
Radiant Sage expands service offering in Europe
TraceLink boosts leadership position
TraceLink boosts leadership position
Track-and-trace network exceeds 200,000 supply chain members
Research & Development
Finding a better human liver cell
Finding a better human liver cell
Samsara-UC San Diego collaboration to focus on isolating and characterizing specialized human liver cells
A matter of models
A matter of models
Envigo shares findings on the effectiveness of its rat models in examining susceptibility and attenuation to HSV-2 infection
Striking a ‘G’ note on schizophrenia
Striking a ‘G’ note on schizophrenia
Germany’s Boehringer Ingelheim and California’s Arena Pharmaceuticals collaborate in GPCR deal
Johns Hopkins and MedImmune to train Ph.D. students for careers in biopharma
Johns Hopkins and MedImmune to train Ph.D. students for careers in biopharma
The Johns Hopkins University and MedImmune, have announced a first-of-its-kind Ph.D. training program between a major university and a biopharmaceutical company in the United States
Not just basic; translational, too
Not just basic; translational, too
MedImmune and UCSF enter research collaboration aimed at respiratory conditions, inflammation and autoimmunity
Discovery
Illumina signs biobank deals with four institutions
Illumina signs biobank deals with four institutions
Prominent role of arrays in company’s overall portfolio recently has focused it more on biobank segment
Enzymes, ion channels and cryo-electron microscopy, oh my!
Enzymes, ion channels and cryo-electron microscopy, oh my!
Recent advances in cryo- electron microscopy are enabling new discoveries at TSRI
TSRI researchers develop versatile new way to build molecules
TSRI researchers develop versatile new way to build molecules
Chemists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have devised a new, widely applicable technique for building potential drug molecules
Flying high in the cloud
Flying high in the cloud
Cloud Pharmaceuticals discovers how to design molecules faster and better
Q&A
Q&A: Charles River Laboratories helps navigate the waters of immunotherapy
Q&A: Charles River Laboratories helps navigate the waters of immunotherapy
DDNews speaks with Bill Barbo, senior vice president of global sales and marketing for Charles River Laboratories, about such things as his company’s acquisition of WIL Research and the role Charles River is playing in advancing immunotherapy research
Feature
AACR 2016 Show Preview: The long and winding road
AACR 2016 Show Preview: The long and winding road
Key areas to be addressed at AACR annual meeting include immunotherapy, epigenetics and newer techniques and tools such as CRISPR
Commentary
Guest Commentary: Go parallel in a big way
Guest Commentary: Go parallel in a big way
Production of biotherapeutics can be improved significantly through the use of massively parallel combinatorial screening
Out of order: Clinicians must return to basics
Out of order: Clinicians must return to basics
Medical journals aren't featuring as many basic science articles as they once did, and we should all be worried about that and what it bodes for precision medicine efforts and perhaps drug discovery and development more generally, too.
Editor's Focus
A cancer cavalcade for March
A cancer cavalcade for March
The annual meeting of the AACR is coming up fast, and that has cancer on our minds and those of a lot of other people, especially drug discovery and development folks. Find out what’s in store for the March issue on the cancer front and some of the activities surrounding oncology right now.
