May 2016- Volume 12, Issue 5
May 2016
In this Issue
Business & Government Policy
Patent Docs: Interference will decide CRISPR patent rights
Patent Docs: Interference will decide CRISPR patent rights
The process begins to see who has the patent rights regarding CRISPR technology
Innovation impact
Innovation impact
U.S. ranks first in ITIF analysis of policy impact on life-sciences innovation
Change on the way for GSK
Change on the way for GSK
CEO announces retirement ahead of strong Q1 financial report; speculation begins about future directions
Bioclinica and ArisGlobal seek to transform pharmacovigilance
Bioclinica and ArisGlobal seek to transform pharmacovigilance
In an effort to improve the pharmacovigilance model, they look to comprehensive cloud solutions to help lower costs, raise quality
On the cutting edge
On the cutting edge
A roundup of instrumentation, software and other tools and technology news
Biggest pharma combo becomes biggest bust
Biggest pharma combo becomes biggest bust
Rule changes by Treasury Department mean trouble for any U.S. companies attempting inversion deals in near term
Clinical Trials
Out of the starting gate
Out of the starting gate
A roundup of clinical trial startups and initial breakthroughs
BL-8040 clears Phase 2 safety trial
BL-8040 clears Phase 2 safety trial
BioLineRx shares top-line results for its AML drug candidate
Depression deterrent
Depression deterrent
Minerva-Janssen joint development drug for MDD gets high marks in clinical trials
Genocea shares data on GEN-003 for genital herpes
Genocea shares data on GEN-003 for genital herpes
Immunotherapy shows sustained reduction of viral shedding rate and durable impact on clinical disease 12 months post-dosing
Prader-Willi progress
Prader-Willi progress
Pivotal Phase 3 study examines safety and efficacy of novel obesity therapeutic
Insulin with the quickness
Insulin with the quickness
Adocia and Lilly announce positive Phase 1b results for ultra-rapid BioChaperone Lispro
Research & Development
Certara launches new e-learning platform for biosimulation education
Certara launches new e-learning platform for biosimulation education
Certara recently launched an e-learning platform through Certara University
IU to offer data science courses using real clinical trial data
IU to offer data science courses using real clinical trial data
Indiana University will team up with Eli Lilly and Co. to offer one of the country’s first data sciences courses employing real-world clinical trial data
Strategically going digital
Strategically going digital
Collaboration between Dassault and Inserm is designed to advance the use of ‘virtual trials’
Identification key to reproducibility
Identification key to reproducibility
Antibody Registry project gains momentum, new commercial partners
Looking ahead with PepSee
Looking ahead with PepSee
Zealand, BioSolveIT unveil software tool for therapeutic peptide research and development
Shooting for three strikes not to be out
Shooting for three strikes not to be out
SRI and Stanford to explore new molecular target for treatment of triple negative breast cancer
Discovery
Insulin signaling could link Alzheimer’s and diabetes
Insulin signaling could link Alzheimer’s and diabetes
Mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease were found to have impaired insulin signaling and insulin resistance, a precursor of diabetes
A first for CRISPR?
A first for CRISPR?
Scientists use CRISPR-Cas9 to target RNA in live cells
Protein p62 puts the brakes on inflammation
Protein p62 puts the brakes on inflammation
Findings could have implications for gout, atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, macular degeneration, Alzheimer’s disease and cancer
CRISPR for the liver
CRISPR for the liver
Regeneron and Intellia announce collaboration to discover and develop CRISPR/Cas therapeutics
Launch of The Hive project to promote innovation in early drug discovery and development
Launch of The Hive project to promote innovation in early drug discovery and development
Elsevier announced in late April that The Hive is now open for nominations and applications
Johnson Matthey and Domainex collaborate to enhance discovery and development services
Johnson Matthey and Domainex collaborate to enhance discovery and development services
Johnson Matthey and Domainex Ltd. have announced a collaboration to provide integrated small-molecule pharmaceutical discovery and development services
Preclinical
End in sight for omadacycline
End in sight for omadacycline
Paratek makes headway towards new broad-spectrum antibiotic
Preclinical positivity for Prothena
Preclinical positivity for Prothena
Antibodies against misfolded transthyretin successfully bind misfolded proteins, recognize amyloid deposits in vitro
Bioprinting frontier
Bioprinting frontier
Organovo offers human tissue with 3D printing to enable complex experiments
Mitochondria-based therapeutics against aging
Mitochondria-based therapeutics against aging
CohBar announces preclinical proof-of-principle publication for SHLP mitochondrial-derived peptides
DBV announces data on targeted regulatory T cell induction during epicutaneous immunotherapy
DBV announces data on targeted regulatory T cell induction during epicutaneous immunotherapy
DBV Technologies today announced the publication of experimental data in mice in Cellular & Molecular Immunology characterizing the response of regulatory T cell to allergen-specific immunotherapy intended for the treatment of food allergies
Q&A
Q&A with Geert Cauwenbergh of RXi Pharmaceuticals: Talking RNAi with RXi
Q&A with Geert Cauwenbergh of RXi Pharmaceuticals: Talking RNAi with RXi
The CEO of RXi Pharmaceuticals discusses the role of RNAi in general and in the advancement of his own company’s pipeline
Diagnostics
Translating signatures
Translating signatures
HalioDx, NanoString Technologies to collaborate on novel gene expression assays in immuno-oncology
Rheonix scores ‘positive’ with fast HIV test
Rheonix scores ‘positive’ with fast HIV test
Microfluidic system and assay can simultaneously detect HIV antibodies and viral RNA
Protagen identifies biomarkers in prostate cancer
Protagen identifies biomarkers in prostate cancer
The protein biomarkers in prostate cancer represent potential drug targets supporting novel strategies in precision medicine
Avant and Amarantus Diagnostics to combine operations with Theranostics Health
Avant and Amarantus Diagnostics to combine operations with Theranostics Health
Avant Diagnostics Inc. and Amarantus Diagnostics Inc. recently announced that the companies have jointly entered into a letter of intent for Avant to acquire assets and certain liabilities of Theranostics Health Inc.
A new PATH for eliminating tropical diseases
A new PATH for eliminating tropical diseases
PATH, SD/Alere announce commercial availability of diagnostic tools for two neglected tropical diseases
Contract Services
A ‘triple win’
A ‘triple win’
NovAliX and FEI partner up to provide Cryo-EM to biopharma
Robust rebuilding
Robust rebuilding
Vetter groundbreaking is a major element of investment strategy
Crown makes oncology, cardiovascular and metabolic strides
Crown makes oncology, cardiovascular and metabolic strides
Crown strengthens immuno-oncology capabilities with HuGEMM and acquires PreClinOmics to expand cardio and metabolic disease portfolio
Feature
Show Preview: ISSCR 2016--Stem cells in San Francisco
Show Preview: ISSCR 2016--Stem cells in San Francisco
Following a couple of times outside the United States, ISSCR brings its annual meeting on stem cell research to Northern California’s Bay Area
Commentary
Guest Commentary: Individualized medicine vs. precision medicine
Guest Commentary: Individualized medicine vs. precision medicine
Personalized medicine, or precision medicine, isn't really as personalized or precise as many think or hope, relying more on population data than personalized data. Researchers in Finland, Sweden and Spain have modified ex-vivo testing of cancer cells with significant results that may offer an approach far more “personalized” than traditional precision medicine and perhaps provide a missing link between genomics-based mutation determination and clinical efficacy.
Guest Commentary: Data visualization--New directions or just familiar routes?
Guest Commentary: Data visualization--New directions or just familiar routes?
There is a risk that visualizations could end up being used to confirm or justify our own hypotheses and biases, but could data visualizations bring to light patterns in our data, drive new hypotheses and show us things we weren’t expecting?
Out of order: A story about anecdotes
Out of order: A story about anecdotes
When it comes to anecdotes vs. evidence, people often latch on to highly touted 'remedies' in the news and social media feeds that are often more rumor or hype than actual promise. However, even in the anecdotes, we sometimes find the beginning of wisdom that leads to development and clinical testing of potential therapeutics.
Editor's Focus
The ironic agonies of pain relief
The ironic agonies of pain relief
We keep trying to find ways to make it harder for people to abuse opioids. Perhaps we should be working harder to find new ways to treat intractable pain.
