November 2018- Volume 14, Issue 11
In this Issue
Business & Government Policy
Patent Docs: Obviousness remains uncertain patentability standard
Patent Docs: Obviousness remains uncertain patentability standard
Public policy regarding innovator drug products need regulatory exclusivities outside mere patent protection in order to provide necessary incentive for further pharmaceutical innovation
Phase II SBIR grant awarded to Celldom
Phase II SBIR grant awarded to Celldom
Money supports advancing tech to process phenotypic and genotypic cell data at massive scale
Targets acquired
Targets acquired
A look at some recent M&A and licensing deals in the pharma/biotech world
On the cutting edge
On the cutting edge
A roundup of instrumentation, software and other tools and technology news
Feature
Show Preview for ASCB/EMBO 2018: Twice as nice
Show Preview for ASCB/EMBO 2018: Twice as nice
ASCB and EMBO host their second collaborative meeting focused on cell biology
Focus Feature on CRISPR: Deals advance CRISPR technology
Focus Feature on CRISPR: Deals advance CRISPR technology
Companies and academic institutions work together to unlock cellular reprogramming, single cell RNAseq-linked screening, stem cell-derived therapies for diabetes, engineered mammalian cell lines and more
Discovery
Biological engineers discover new antibiotic candidates
Biological engineers discover new antibiotic candidates
Screen of human proteins by MIT researchers reveals some with antimicrobial power
An ion channel drug discovery
An ion channel drug discovery
Metrion Biosciences awarded funding under Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst Primer Award
ProMIS tackles Parkinson's and Alzheimer’s diseases
ProMIS tackles Parkinson's and Alzheimer’s diseases
Company has high hopes for antibody candidates targeting toxic oligomers
Repurposing for neglected diseases
Repurposing for neglected diseases
Data collection of existing small-molecule drugs could expedite potential therapies
The promise of retinoic acid signaling
The promise of retinoic acid signaling
Research team publishes research on the anticancer effects of retinoic acid on cancer stem cells
Q&A
Q&A: New standards for IPF
Q&A: New standards for IPF
Dr. Wim Wuyts of University Hospitals Leuven discusses with DDNews how updated guidelines for diagnosing IPF offer physicians more clarity, and how Genentech's Esbriet was found to improve lung function in IPF patients
Clinical Trials
Attaining adhesion
Attaining adhesion
KB103 yields functional collagen production and sustained wound healing in chronic blistering patients
Therapy triumph
Therapy triumph
DNA immunotherapy and checkpoint inhibitor combination lead to remission
Out of the starting gate
Out of the starting gate
A roundup of clinical trial startups and progressions
Recruitment in the digital age
Recruitment in the digital age
Study reveals that ‘traditional digital advertising rules don’t apply’ in clinical trial recruitment
Preclinical
And the sheep shall lead them...
And the sheep shall lead them...
Day-blind sheep bring potential relief for human eye conditions into focus
Possible FOP therapy shines in preclinical study
Possible FOP therapy shines in preclinical study
BLU-782 offers hope for patients with difficult-to-target genetic disease that turns muscle to bone
Of antigens and antitumor effects
Of antigens and antitumor effects
Preclinical efficacy data of Apogenix’s HERA-CD40L published in Journal of Immunotherapy
Starving tumors
Starving tumors
Moleculin announces new data discovery for presentation at Society for Neuro-Oncology meeting
Ablexis inks licensing deal with Memorial Sloan Kettering
Ablexis inks licensing deal with Memorial Sloan Kettering
Agreement grants rights to research, develop and commercialize antibodies generated using AlivaMab Mouse platform
Contract Services
CrownBio expands model options in cancer and more
CrownBio expands model options in cancer and more
Company completes validation of prostate cancer PDX model and forms alliance with Shanghai Model Organisms Center
CMOs to benefit from double-digit approvals for ADCs
CMOs to benefit from double-digit approvals for ADCs
CPhI Annual Report predicts that therapeutic ADC market will reach $4 billion by 2023
Global CRO signs agreement with OmniComm Systems
Global CRO signs agreement with OmniComm Systems
Seven-year TrialOne agreement expands commitment to supporting early-phase studies
Research & Development
Gene, drug and environment interactions
Gene, drug and environment interactions
New modeling provides a more accurate analysis of complex genetic and drug/environment data
Biomarkers for autism
Biomarkers for autism
QBM-001 for non-verbal children set for clinical trials in 2019
Themis pursues oncolytic virotherapies with Max-Planck
Themis pursues oncolytic virotherapies with Max-Planck
Themis Bioscience plans to expand measles vector immunomodulation portfolio into oncology indications
It’s just an expression
It’s just an expression
Multicenter research team hopes modeling gene expression will answer questions about diseases
Attacking substance use disorder
Attacking substance use disorder
BioCorRx, forms deal with VDM Biochemicals for opioid antagonist
Diagnostics
Biogen boosts multiple sclerosis research
Biogen boosts multiple sclerosis research
Evidence supports serum neurofilament light as useful biomarker; Biogen and Siemens to develop blood test
Targeted TMB assessment
Targeted TMB assessment
MolecularMD validates Thermo Fisher assay that can help in trial stratification
UC Davis and NeuroPointDX to launch biomarker panel
UC Davis and NeuroPointDX to launch biomarker panel
New test will target autism diagnosis for children as young as 18 months
Special Reports
Special Report on Molecular Diagnostics: Prenatal probing
Special Report on Molecular Diagnostics: Prenatal probing
Cancer characterization breakthroughs lead to advances in understanding of and techniques for fetal monitoring
Editor's Focus
Editor’s focus: The balance between ROI and R&D
Editor’s focus: The balance between ROI and R&D
Are price controls the best way to rein in drug costs, or do we perhaps need to dig deeper into the issue of what is required to bring drugs to market to begin with?
Commentary
Out of order: Beyond the bubble
Out of order: Beyond the bubble
There is an increasing shift with pharma/biotech researchers and execs not just speaking about platforms and performance but also focusing more intently on people and impacts on daily lives
Guest Commentary: The right way to use genetic information in clinical trials
Guest Commentary: The right way to use genetic information in clinical trials
When differences in genetic variants are accounted for in clinical trial design, interventional trials can become much more successful for particular patient groups
