March 2018- Volume 14, Issue 3
In this Issue
Commentary
Out of order: Seeing things
Out of order: Seeing things
Many discoveries and new fields come and go (when it comes to noteworthiness and newsworthiness) in the life sciences, but perhaps the microbiome will be something of a different nature, both in terms of notoriety, complexity and impact for many years to come
Discovery
Pushing paper
Pushing paper
A roundup of discovery-related research published recently in journals
Working the crowd
Working the crowd
Open-access communities launch to support drug discovery efforts
Compugen catches a new checkpoint
Compugen catches a new checkpoint
Discovery of ILDR2 as a novel immune checkpoint and potential for autoimmune diseases published in back-to-back papers
Getting the ‘Akt’ straight in angiogenesis
Getting the ‘Akt’ straight in angiogenesis
Sanford Burnham team details how the R-Ras/Akt pathway triggers and supports new blood vessel growth
An ‘intelligent’ approach
An ‘intelligent’ approach
AI and machine-learning approaches seem to be an industry theme for Q1 2018
Business & Government Policy
Patent Docs: The CRISPR chronicles
Patent Docs: The CRISPR chronicles
The Broad Institute wins one and loses one
FDA approves record number of personalized medicines in 2017
FDA approves record number of personalized medicines in 2017
Personalized medicines now account for more than one in four new drug approvals
On the cutting edge
On the cutting edge
A roundup of instrumentation, software and other tools and technology news
Supporting science startups
Supporting science startups
Elsevier welcomes six biotech and pharma companies to The Hive
NHGRI: Seeing 2020
NHGRI: Seeing 2020
Strategic plan aims to engage experts and diverse communities to identify paradigm-shifting areas of genomics
Diagnostics
A novel companion biomarker for glaucoma
A novel companion biomarker for glaucoma
Q BioMed signs exclusive option with Washington University related to growth differentiation factor-15
Money for MeMed
Money for MeMed
$4M grant awarded to support transfer to manufacturing of MeMed’s pioneering point-of-care platform
microRNAs for earlier diagnosis?
microRNAs for earlier diagnosis?
Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s team identifies set of seven microRNAs that could detect early-stage ovarian cancer
FDA approval for Hologic’s Aptima
FDA approval for Hologic’s Aptima
Assay for quantitation of hepatitis B viral load receives pre-market approval
A new ‘path’ for Parsortix
A new ‘path’ for Parsortix
ANGLE and Abbott seek blood test for metastatic breast cancer
Research & Development
Protein power
Protein power
New methods emerge to manufacture therapeutic proteins
Have a (mouse) heart!
Have a (mouse) heart!
Single-cell characterization of non-myocyte heart cells offers new insights into structure and function
Are immortalized stem cells poor surrogates?
Are immortalized stem cells poor surrogates?
Deleted gene that immortalizes MSCs may be critical to their function
Corning introduces new dissolvable microcarriers
Corning introduces new dissolvable microcarriers
Product offering is designed for improved large-scale cell expansion
Pieris and Seattle Genetics announce immuno-oncology collaboration
Pieris and Seattle Genetics announce immuno-oncology collaboration
Companies to evaluate novel bispecific agents combining anticalin technology with select antibodies
‘Virus-cracking’ molecules
‘Virus-cracking’ molecules
Indiana University team fights hepatitis B
Clinical Trials
Replacing a needle with a pill
Replacing a needle with a pill
Allergan achieves positive top-line Phase 3 results for oral CGRP receptor antagonist targeting acute treatment of migraine
Out of the starting gate
Out of the starting gate
A roundup of clinical trial startups and initial breakthroughs
A digital path for studies
A digital path for studies
TriNetX tech helps Sanofi streamline clinical trial protocols, improve efficiency and extend digital strategy
Viral suppression
Viral suppression
Study investigates two new drugs for HIV
Preclinical
Tag team against Usher syndrome
Tag team against Usher syndrome
Foundation Fighting Blindness and ProQR enter into a partnership to develop QR-421a for genetic disease
‘Not just science, but an art form’
‘Not just science, but an art form’
Kinase inhibitor may prove useful in treating rare genetic disease
In with the new
In with the new
RWTH explores biohybrid development and digital notebook option
Double the good news
Double the good news
BioLineRx’s BL-8040 and AGI-134 programs boost survival in preclinical studies
China- and U.S.-bound for RX-0201
China- and U.S.-bound for RX-0201
Rexahn announces collaboration with Zhejiang Haichang Biotechnology for development of Archexin to treat hepatocellular carcinoma
A deal for artificial lymph node technology
A deal for artificial lymph node technology
ProBioGen and TEVA enter into research license deal on tech to assess drug effects on the immune system
Feature
Spotlight on Oncology
Spotlight on Oncology
New discoveries in cancer-related targets and pathways, plus other recent news in oncology R&D and clinical trials
Special Focus on Neuroscience and Neurology
Special Focus on Neuroscience and Neurology
Looking at recent cutting-edge research in potential therapeutics for neurological conditions, plus additional news on autism breakthroughs, addiction treatment and more
Editor's Focus
Editor’s focus: So much to share
Editor’s focus: So much to share
A tour of what we have to offer you in our largest-ever issue of the magazine, from neurology to oncology and plenty of other places in the pharma and biotech world
Contract Services
Coming together in contract services
Coming together in contract services
A roundup of mergers and alliance deals in the contract services and pharma consulting spaces
Innovate UK confident in Cobra
Innovate UK confident in Cobra
Cobra Biologics receives two separate grants from British innovation funder
Presenting a plan for growth
Presenting a plan for growth
Vetter introduces South Korea’s pharma and biotech community to company management
Kicking up clinical capture
Kicking up clinical capture
IACT Health selects Alpha Clinical Systems ACS360 e-source platform for trial data capture
