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May 2014 Volume 10, Issue 5

Volume 10, Issue 5 | May 2014

In this Issue

Business & Government Policy

Mallinckrodt bets $5.6 billion on Questcor

Companies enter into deal under which they will merge to create a diversified specialty pharmaceuticals company

Horizon seeks to acquire Vidara for $660 million

Deal would be structured as a reverse merger and domicile Horizon in Ireland

Patent Docs: Patent Office guidelines implementing Myriad decision cause concern

The guidelines are much broader in their determination of what is patent ineligible than was mandated by the Supreme Court’s Myriad decision

Toward the first vaccine for a common infection

Respiratory syncytial virus may finally meet its match if CEVEC has its way

Sun rises over Ranbaxy

Sun Pharmaceutical to acquire rival Ranbaxy Laboratories for $3.2 billion

Diagnostics

Four times is the charm for Theradiag

Theradiag signs a fourth microRNA partnership agreement with CNRS; company gains access to theranostics portfolio in rheumatoid arthritis

Bio-Rad acquires GnuBIO

Powerful in-vitro droplet technology headlines life-science acquisition

Colorectal cancer test makes gains East and West

Epigenomics’ partner BioChain completes clinical validation study for Epi proColon in China; FDA panel votes favorably on test

HTG and OvaGene partner on gynecologic cancer tests

Companies establish manufacturing supply agreement

Express yourself

Arno, University of Minnesota pursue gene expression in hopes of developing a companion diagnostic

Preclinical

A new collaboration FORMAtion

FORMA, Celgene announce broad framework of three collaborations

Under your skin

Microinjection device assesses drug candidates and combinations for tumors

Albireo liver treatment on verge of human testing

A4250 shown to protect against bile acid-mediated cholestatic liver injury in mice

Glioblastoma treatment produces positive results

ZIOPHARM’s DNA-based therapy slows rates of tumor growth and increases survival in mice

Research & Development

Finding a gem in GARNET

University of Virginia researchers seeking genetic markers for stroke, cardiovascular disease make breakthrough through NHGRI-supported program

Revealing a mechanism of antibiotic drug resistance

Scripps Florida research findings could be used to develop a line of antibiotic drugs that are less vulnerable to bacterial mutations

Breath of fresh air

Proteostasis and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation extend collaboration to commercialize drug for most common CF mutation

Alector and J&J tackle Alzheimer’s target

Alector LLC recently announced a collaborative research agreement facilitated by the California Johnson & Johnson Innovation Centers

Epigenetics or bust

Roche and Oryzon partner to develop inhibitors of lysine-specific demethylase-1

Discovery

Straight from the heart

Researchers identify heart disease culprit and work on therapeutic solution

G3 and Caprion partner on GLOBAL cardiovascular study

Single largest prospective pan-omic study will investigate blood- based protein biomarkers and drug targets

Argenta and Antabio announce milestone in antibacterial discovery collaboration

Argenta Discovery announced today that it has achieved a milestone with its collaboration partner, Labège, France-based Antabio, in an antibacterial drug discovery project funded by the Wellcome Trust

Going forward on the Fast Track

GSK’s Discovery Fast Track Challenge begins second year in North America and extends to Europe

Clinical Trials

Liver cells combat urea cycle disorders

First data on Cytonet’s liver cell therapy presented at annual meeting of the Society for Inherited Metabolic Disorders

Lighting up the market with LAIs

Phase 3 data support long-acting injectable aripiprazole lauroxil as a schizophrenia treatment

Insulin issue

Molecular delivery system enhances drug effect in diabetic subjects

Two is better than one

BioClinica signs $30 million in eClinical contracts with two top-10 pharmas

Editor's Focus

Preventing a preventive medicine backlash

There has been a backlash against vaccination in recent years significant enough to let formerly subdued diseases begin to get a foothold again. Is the reason a 'dumbing down' of America or might we need to look at some factors within pharma as well as contributors to this disturbing trend?

Commentary

Out of Order: Mutants Among Us

It might be time to start looking at the reasons why some people don't get certain diseases despite so many factors saying they should. Such an approach might help lead us to new ways of preventing or curing what ails us.

The future of stem cells faces a Myriad of obstacles

Arguments that stem cells (like genes) are products of nature and unpatentable are wending their way through the federal courts with potentially significant repercussions for the stem cell industry

Q&A

Q&A: Hitching a ride to treat acute myeloid leukemia

A discussion with Dr. Kaushik J. Dave and Dr. John Pagel about the potential of a therapeutic platform based on mAbs and alpha particle emitters

May 2014