May 2006 Volume 2, Issue 5

Volume 2, Issue 5 | May 2006

May 2006

In this Issue

Genomics & Proteomics

Drug Discovery News Placeholder Image

Super Sirna: GSK taps RNAi specialist for respiratory collaboration

The cash keeps flowing for the dominant players in developing RNAi therapies, as evidenced recently by a multi-year strategic alliance between pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline and siRNA specialist Sirna Therapeutics Inc. that has the potential to pump more than $700 million into Sirna coffers.
Drug Discovery News Placeholder Image

Illumina signs second agreement with U.K. cancer group

Illumina inks a nearly $7 million contract to conduct large-scale genotyping for United Kingdom-based research groups that are studying the molecular basis of prostate cancer.
Drug Discovery News Placeholder Image

GE creates new Life Sciences business

In a plan first formulated when the two business units were split apart nearly four years ago, GE Healthcare recently announced that it was combining its Protein Separations and Discovery Systems business unit to create GE Healthcare Life Sciences.
Drug Discovery News Placeholder Image

Alnylam signs second research agreement

At the same time it announced the signing of a research collaboration with Vancouver-based Inex Pharmaceuticals, RNAi specialist Alnylam announced a similar liposome research agreement with Dr. Robert Langer and colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Automation & Instrumentation

Drug Discovery News Placeholder Image

Acquiring an acquirer: Millipore expands with Serologicals

After a string of acquisition including Innovata’s gene expression technology and the companies LINCO and Cytomyx, Atlanta-based Serologicals Corp. is itself being acquired by Millipore Corp. in a $1.4 billion deal.
Drug Discovery News Placeholder Image

Molecular Devices buys LCM business from Arcturus

Molecular Devices Corp. acquired the laser capture microdissection (LCM)-related business of Arcturus Bioscience for $10 million in cash, a strategic acquisition that expands Molecular Devices’ life sciences product portfolio to include complete systems and reagents for LCM.
Drug Discovery News Placeholder Image

ProMetic, Sartorius collaborate

ProMetic Lifes Sciences Inc. and Goettingen, Germany-based Sartorius AG entered into a pair of collaborative agreements in the area of protein purification, one of which will create \"affinity composites\" using ProMetic’s Mimetic Ligand technology in conjunction with Sartorius’ membrane chromatography technology called Sartobind.
Drug Discovery News Placeholder Image

Artel launches Liquid Delivery Quality Assurance

Photometric and liquid delivery specialist Artel announced in late March a suite of services intended to provide training, certification, optimization and compliance guidance to help companies ensure the integrity of their liquid delivery systems.

Informatics

Drug Discovery News Placeholder Image

UMd researchers create drug target archive

Dr. Mike Gilson and colleagues at the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute (UMBI) developed the Binding Database (BindingDB), a public, web-accessible repository of binding affinities between small molecules and protein drug targets. At present, the repository is home to approximately 14,000 measurements of about 8,000 compounds and 60 targets.
Drug Discovery News Placeholder Image

Winning Pair: Ingenuity Systems and Inpharmatica collaborate

Ingenuity Systems and Inpharmatica Ltd. bring the benefit of two distinctly different products by offering the ability to use in tandem their Blu-Chip and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) offerings.
Drug Discovery News Placeholder Image

The virtual clinc: Optimata in pilot study with Eli Lilly

Eli Lilly & Co. pilot study utilizes Optimata’s “virtual patient” technology to assist in the development of clinical trials for a novel anti-cancer cytotoxic compound.
Drug Discovery News Placeholder Image

Tech template: DMetrix, BioImagene team with IBM

IBM, array-microscope technology developer DMetrix and BioImagene, recently announced that ultra-rapid whole-slide imaging and large-scale scientific image management have been integrated for first time.

Research & Development

Drug Discovery News Placeholder Image

Novartis, SGX Pharmaceuticals enter leukemia collaboration

In a deal worth potentially just over a half billion dollars, SGX Pharmaceuticals is embarking on a license and collaboration agreement with Novartis that focuses on the development and commercialization of BCR-ABL inhibitors for the treatment of drug resistant chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML).
Drug Discovery News Placeholder Image

Codexis breeds biocatalysts

Codexis Inc. announced the signing of a research agreement with Schering-Plough that will see the privately-held company develop novel synthetic processes for the pharma giant.
Drug Discovery News Placeholder Image

Wyeth and Scots form translational medicine collaborative

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and the Health Ministry of Scotland announced recently the creation of the Translational Medicine Research Collaboration (TMRC), an effort into which Wyeth is investing nearly $58.5 million.
Drug Discovery News Placeholder Image

Q&A: Tom Little, president and CEO, VisualSonics

Biomedical imaging in playing an increasingly larger role in drug discovery. Ultrasonics, however, still brings to mind images of pregnant mothers and unborn babies. Toronto-based VisualSonics is hoping to change that impression. Recently, Executive Editor Randall C Willis spoke with VisualSonics President and CEO Tom Little.

Global News

Drug Discovery News Placeholder Image

California stem cell initiative sprouts concerns

California Institute for Regenerative Medicine hears issues raised over stem cell line licenses owned by WARF as well as prospective royalty schedules for funded research.

News Briefs

Editor's Focus

Drug Discovery News Placeholder Image

Delayed Action

This month, Jeffrey Bouley takes a look at some of the potential issues that could provide complications for the disbursement of funds by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the body created with the passage of Proposition 71 in 2004 which provided $3 billion in state funds for embryonic stem cell research (see editconnect E050605). Apparently some folks have been stirring the pot of foment by questioning both the potential royalties schedule faced by researchers
Drug Discovery News Placeholder Image

Pharma family trouble?

Are changing social, regulatory and industrial environments causing some companies to consider shifting their focus outside drug discovery?
Drug Discovery News Placeholder Image

An "Absolute" Gamble

With hormone therapy, is the risk relative?
Subscribe to Newsletter

Subscribe to our eNewsletters

Stay connected with all of the latest from Drug Discovery News.

Subscribe

Sponsored

Tackling mycoplasma contamination in biotherapeutic production
DNA-based testing is emerging as a sensitive way to uncover and control a hidden threat in biomanufacturing.
Surface rendering of two interacting proteins (green and peach) bound together by a small molecule ligand at their interface, illustrating a protein-ligand binding event.
Learn how molecular dynamics, AI-aided design, and structural insights combine to reshape how therapeutic proteins are created, validated, and optimized.
Stem cells are shown as clear, purple, and blue spheres against a dark blue and black background.
Human-relevant, ready-to-use stem cell models are reshaping drug discovery, toxicity testing, and personalized medicine.
Drug Discovery News June 2025 Issue
Latest IssueVolume 21 • Issue 2 • June 2025

June 2025

June 2025 Issue

Explore this issue