May 2010- Volume 6, Issue 5
May 2010
In this Issue
Feature
Small organisms in the big city
Small organisms in the big city
Pharma and surfing mecca San Diego plays host to this year’s ASM meeting
New Products
Plate-based, label-free biosensor
Plate-based, label-free biosensor
SRU Biosystems recently announced the extension of its product line of label-free instrumentation and biosensors with the introduction of its BIND Scanner, a plate-based, label-free instrument capable of monitoring cellular responses at an individual cell resolution.
Global News
An ironclad partnership
An ironclad partnership
AMAG and Takeda announce strategic collaboration for iron deficiency anemia drug Feraheme
sanofi-aventis inks diabetes test agreement with AgaMatrix
sanofi-aventis inks diabetes test agreement with AgaMatrix
Companies to develop and market blood glucose marketing tests
Banking on personalized medicine
Banking on personalized medicine
Life Technologies and the Integrated Biobank of Luxembourg to sequence biospecimen samples for advancement of disease research
Expanding its footprint
Expanding its footprint
AstraZeneca extends branded generics capability with Torrent agreement
Expressing themselves
Expressing themselves
Eden Biodesign brings its cGMP manufacturing expertise together with Millipore’s UCOE express technology
Government Watch
Winners and losers in healthcare reform
Winners and losers in healthcare reform
New legislation has pros and cons for pharmaceutical industry
Patent wars persist
Patent wars persist
Myriad poised to appeal court ruling invalidating patents on breast cancer genes
Southern comfort
Southern comfort
Maine-based Jackson Laboratory may soon be in the position of opening a new facility in Florida
Genomics research takes hit in Minnesota
Genomics research takes hit in Minnesota
State-wide budget cuts mean less funding for Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics
Special Reports
SPECIAL REPORT: Outsourcing under the microscope
SPECIAL REPORT: Outsourcing under the microscope
As some companies tighten their belts, CROs across the globe are enjoying this growing business trend
Diagnostics
Signed, sealed, delivered
Signed, sealed, delivered
PerkinElmer acquires diagnostic genetic testing firm Signature Genomics
Partnership is air for the lungs
Partnership is air for the lungs
Source BioScience inks deal with AstraZeneca to provide genetic testing service for lung cancer
Companies Seeq infectious disease answers
Companies Seeq infectious disease answers
Novartis to market Smiths Detection’s Bio-Seeq instrument and technology for infectious disease diagnostics
Best served at room temperature: Just add water
Best served at room temperature: Just add water
GenVault provides GenTegra DNA to support cardio genetic testing at Berkeley HeartLab
Optimizing breast cancer therapy strategies
Optimizing breast cancer therapy strategies
Health Discovery and Smart Personalized Medicine to develop technology for lab tests aimed at personalized breast cancer therapy
Instruments & Informatics
Deal is cut and dried
Deal is cut and dried
Luminex acquires automation firm BSD Robotics, expanding expertise in field of dry sample handling
Transcending clinical trial hurdles
Transcending clinical trial hurdles
Acquisition of TranSenda adds clinical trial management software to BioClinica’s portfolio
Quality model + quality data = 250,000 molecules/hour
Quality model + quality data = 250,000 molecules/hour
Symyx partners with Simulations Plus to improve predictive modeling of metabolites and metabolic pathways
A good fit for sequencing
A good fit for sequencing
CLC bio partners with Ion Torrent to expand high-throughput sequencing support
Omics & Systems Biology
Making siRNA research a SNALP
Making siRNA research a SNALP
Tekmira to use stable nucleic acid-lipid particle technology to deliver Pfizer’s siRNA molecules
Gene silencing takes steps forward
Gene silencing takes steps forward
Dicerna Pharmaceuticals and Ipsen to collaborate on therapeutic agents in endocrinology and oncology
Building a better mousetrap
Building a better mousetrap
Affymetrix and Jackson Laboratory announce the official commercial launch of groundbreaking mouse diversity genotyping array
Getting the bugs out of the flu
Getting the bugs out of the flu
Emory University School of Medicine and Zirus team up to create new class of antiviral drugs
Common sense
Common sense
GSK strikes $1.5 billion-plus deal to use Isis’ antisense platform for development of rare disease therapeutics
Research & Development
Resistance is futile
Resistance is futile
NeurOp and Bristol-Myers Squibb to develop NeurOp’s NMDAR antagonists in treatment-resistant depression
Cancer research turns a corner
Cancer research turns a corner
NCI taps Cornerstone Pharmaceuticals’ nanotechnology for evaluation of anti-cancer agents
Allies against autism
Allies against autism
Rett Syndrome Research Trust, Melior Discovery to develop drug candidates for most disabling form of autism
Giving a lymph to patients
Giving a lymph to patients
Moffitt Cancer Center receives NCI grant to create bioengineered “designer” lymph nodes with Scripps Florida
Editor's Focus
Autism story hits close to home for ddn reporter
Autism story hits close to home for ddn reporter
The discoveries, technologies and advances involved in the deals our editors and reporters write about each month sometimes hit very close to home.
Patent News
The Patent Reform Act of 2010: A substitute S. 515
The Patent Reform Act of 2010: A substitute S. 515
Here comes the Patent Reform Act of 2010 in the form of an amendment to S. 515.
Commentary
What drug discoverers should know about interferon and its future
What drug discoverers should know about interferon and its future
A deeper understanding of interferons’ varied functions within the immune system may lead to discovery of more effective therapies
