May 2011- Volume 7, Issue 5

May 2011

In this Issue

Government Watch

To patent or not to patent

To patent or not to patent

Federal Circuit to decide by year’s end on patent eligibility of DNA in landmark case

A shifting landscape

A shifting landscape

Patent reform gains momentum in Washington

States take up stem cell debate

States take up stem cell debate

Minnesota, Oklahoma legislators seek to criminalize some embryonic stem cell research procedures

WHO urges action against drug resistance

WHO urges action against drug resistance

As the World Health Organization (WHO) marked April 6 as World Health Day, the United Nations agency charged with directing and coordinating authority on health matters called for “urgent and concerted action” by governments, industry and society to slow down the spread of drug resistance.

Not passing the smell test

Not passing the smell test

Recent Supreme Court decision in Matrixx v. Siracusano puts pharmas on notice about disclosure of adverse drug events after Zicam failures

Research & Development

The kinase killers

The kinase killers

pan-Raf kinase inhibitors are central focus of Sunesis, Millennium collaboration

A new angle and approach

A new angle and approach

La Jolla Pharmaceutical acquires RILs from GliaMed, sets sights on regenerative medicine

On a cancer quest

On a cancer quest

Continuing its strategy to boost its oncology pipeline, Gilead partners with Yale School of Medicine to study genetic basis of cancer

MRSA meets its match

MRSA meets its match

With new polymers, IBM and Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology take aim against antibiotic-resistant pathogens

Merck eyes ophthalmology market

Merck eyes ophthalmology market

Pharma acquires specialty drugmaker Inspire Pharmaceuticals for $430 million

Feature

Spicing up microbiology

Spicing up microbiology

The 2011 annual conference of the ASM in New Orleans has some new features to jazz it up

The language of New Orleans

The language of New Orleans

It's not just what you say but how you say it, and whether you understand the lingua france of the city

Pleasing the palate in New Orleans

Pleasing the palate in New Orleans

A roundup of some of New Orleans’ most famous edibles and eateries

Around and about New Orleans

Around and about New Orleans

Getting to know the famous French Quarter and other areas in the city proper

Omics & Systems Biology

Blockbuster buddies

Blockbuster buddies

RXi Pharmaceuticals signals new course with acquisition of Apthera

Getting lively over lipids

Getting lively over lipids

Agilent and National University of Singapore begin research collaboration, marking Agilent’s first collaboration in lipidomics R&D worldwide

Making their mark

Making their mark

Technology collaboration between New England Biolabs and Sequenom delivers EpiMark Methylated DNA Enrichment Kit, the first product for epigenetics

Might is right

Might is right

Four new Alzheimer’s disease genes discovered by UPenn-led consortium double known contributing genes

Global News

Tackling ‘the Big C’

Tackling ‘the Big C’

Seattle-based nonprofit Sage Bionetworks, AstraZeneca team up to match cancer patients with best treatment

Looking outward to improve inwardly

Looking outward to improve inwardly

MedImmune and Inserm form strategic collaboration around research into oncology, respiratory, inflammation and autoimmune diseases

Takeda, Heptares probe GPCR’s role in CNS disorders

Takeda, Heptares probe GPCR’s role in CNS disorders

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. and Heptares Therapeutics on April 11 announced the formation of a two-year drug discovery collaboration focused on a single G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) that plays an important role in the pathology of central nervous system disorders.

Novartis acquires 85 percent stake in Chinese vaccine maker

Novartis acquires 85 percent stake in Chinese vaccine maker

Swiss pharma’s deal with Zhejiang Tianyuan strengthens its existing product portfolio and expands innovation

Amgen expands footprint

Amgen expands footprint

Company acquires Bergamo, agrees to reacquire rights to products from Hypermarcas

A white knight rides in

A white knight rides in

Teva unexpectedly offers $6.8 billion to acquire Cephalon, rescuing the company from a hostile takeover attempt by Valeant

Instruments & Informatics

PerkinElmer adds muscle to informatics

PerkinElmer adds muscle to informatics

Company signs agreement to acquire CambridgeSoft, completes purchase of ArtusLabs

Inkjet tech: Not just for printers anymore

Inkjet tech: Not just for printers anymore

Tecan and HP to market new drug-dispensing solution for pharmaceutical testing with goal of providing faster, more accurate drug screening

Breaking the ICE

Breaking the ICE

LI-COR Biosciences collaborates with MitoSciences on metabolic pathway assays

NuGEN’s sample prep to be integrated with WaferGen’s analytical workflow

NuGEN’s sample prep to be integrated with WaferGen’s analytical workflow

The two companies will co-develop integrated workflows using NuGEN’s SPIA products and WaferGen’s SmartChip system

BioTime and XenneX form platform for stem and progenitor cells

BioTime and XenneX form platform for stem and progenitor cells

BioTime Inc., a biotechnology company that develops and markets products in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine, and XenneX Inc., a biomedical research tool provider, recently announced the formation of LifeMap Sciences Inc., a joint effort that plans to make available a database for use by stem cell researchers.

Diagnostics

On a Quest for Celera

On a Quest for Celera

Quest Diagnostics acquires Celera for approximately $344 million

ARIAD takes ponatinib into pivotal preclinical trial

ARIAD takes ponatinib into pivotal preclinical trial

Company partners with MolecularMD to develop a companion diagnostic test for leukemia patients

Forging an oncology collaboration

Forging an oncology collaboration

Caliper Life Sciences partners with Catholic Health Initiatives to develop improved methods for the discovery of cancer drugs

Metabolic map is made

Metabolic map is made

By identifying metabolic abnormalities in people with schizophrenia, Finnish scientists take one step closer to a diagnostic test for the brain disorder

PGXL Labs, AutoGenomics to expand molecular testing in pharmacogenetics

PGXL Labs, AutoGenomics to expand molecular testing in pharmacogenetics

PGXL Laboratories, a provider of pharmacogenetic testing and interpretive services, recently announced that it has established a collaborative partnership with AutoGenomics Inc., a developer of an automated, microarray-based multiplexing diagnostic platform, wherein they will utilize this platform—the automated INFINITI analyzer—for several different personalized medicine applications.

QIAGEN gains access to Cellestis’ early disease detection technology

QIAGEN gains access to Cellestis’ early disease detection technology

Tests for TB and CMV virus will provide synergies with QIAGEN’s existing assay portfolio and pipeline

Special Reports

Plop, fizz … fizzle

Plop, fizz … fizzle

How the “fizz, fizz” part is all too often missing in today’s new drug formulations

Commentary

Molecular screening tools and personalized healthcare: Determining success early in drug development

Molecular screening tools and personalized healthcare: Determining success early in drug development

By facilitating personalized healthcare, molecular techniques have the potential to significantly improve patient care, rescue effective drugs from development failure and provide cost benefits to both healthcare systems and pharma development programs.

Patent News

If separate parties perform steps of a method claim, can they each be held liable for patent infringement?

If separate parties perform steps of a method claim, can they each be held liable for patent infringement?

If separate entities each perform separate steps of a method claim, under what circumstances would that claim be directly infringed, and to what extent would each of the parties be liable?

Editor's Focus

This just in: Stem cell research is a go

This just in: Stem cell research is a go

In a decision rendered just hours before we put our May issue to bed, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia crowned the Obama Administration the victor in an ongoing debate over whether the U.S. government should help fund research that involves the destruction of embryos. Read on for the latest in the controversial Sherley v. Sebelius case.
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