October 2010- Volume 6, Issue 10
October 2010
In this Issue
Contract Services
Foursome aims to be outsourcing force
Foursome aims to be outsourcing force
Out of the merger of four portfolio companies will arise a new global biopharmaceutical development service organization
Encorium seeks world domination
Encorium seeks world domination
Acquisition of Progenitor gives the CRO added vaccine development capabilities on two continents
Cyprotex acquisition of Apredica includes assets from Cellumen
Cyprotex acquisition of Apredica includes assets from Cellumen
Combination expands presence in North America and in the fast-growing predictive toxicology market
Friends, not foes
Friends, not foes
Former rivals MDCI and CDSS join forces to streamline regulatory approvals in U.S. and Europe
Instruments & Informatics
From Russia with love
From Russia with love
How three scientists from the former Soviet Union are leading teams to discover new therapies for prostate cancer
An intrepid reporter for miRNA research
An intrepid reporter for miRNA research
Sigma Life Science and SwitchGear Genomics to co-develop simplified novel microRNA target validation system
Geospiza links with SAIC-Frederick
Geospiza links with SAIC-Frederick
Partners will collaborate to accelerate cancer research with PacBio RS
German groups improve genetic workflows
German groups improve genetic workflows
IMGM Laboratories and the Center for Human Genetics and Laboratory Medicine to develop workflows for use of 454 Sequencing Systems in human genetics
Life Technologies extends acquisition strategy, sequencing position
Life Technologies extends acquisition strategy, sequencing position
Company signs definitive agreement to buy Ion Torrent for $375M in cash and stock
Diagnostics
Tapping into tissue trove
Tapping into tissue trove
American, Danish and Swiss forces combine to develop molecular diagnostics platform for large-scale sequence analysis of FFPE tissue samples
An ounce of prevention
An ounce of prevention
Alzheimer's Prevention Initiative launches two clinical trials that will apply biomarkers to test the efficacy of pre-symptomatic treatments
On the trail of TB
On the trail of TB
Researchers find new genomic signature for TB that can predict future patients
Emerald BioStructures and SomaLogic forge strategic collaboration
Emerald BioStructures and SomaLogic forge strategic collaboration
Former deCODE company will apply its X-ray crystallography platform to SOMAmer-target complexes
Omics & Systems Biology
BMS picks pearl from Emerald City
BMS picks pearl from Emerald City
Acquisition of Seattle- based biotech ZymoGenetics strengthens hepatitis C program, virology portfolio
Great expectations
Great expectations
With exclusive license to novel Harvard methodologies for nucleic acid analysis, GnuBIO says it’s ready to crack the $100 genome
X-MAN to the rescue
X-MAN to the rescue
Horizon Discovery providing Sanger Institute human cancer models for research
Reduce, refine and replace
Reduce, refine and replace
Johns Hopkins and Agilent team up to pursue alternatives to the use of animal models in toxicity research
Alnylam and partners silence gene implicated in Parkinson’s disease
Alnylam and partners silence gene implicated in Parkinson’s disease
New research published in journal PLoS shows silencing of alpha-synuclein in the substantia nigra of non-human primates with an RNAi therapeutic
Research & Development
Deep in the heart of Texas
Deep in the heart of Texas
Ross Perot pledges $20 million to MD Anderson to pursue personalized cancer therapies
Anchors aweigh
Anchors aweigh
Anchor Therapeutics enters into collaboration with Ortho-McNeil-Janssen for its pepducin technology
Specializing is Swedes’ strategy
Specializing is Swedes’ strategy
Swedish pharma Meda signs $350 million acquisition deal for U.S.- based Alaven
Pfizer adds wrinkle to FoldRx
Pfizer adds wrinkle to FoldRx
Pharma acquires pharmaceutical company to boost its specialty care business
Feature
Of a mind to learn and connect
Of a mind to learn and connect
Neuroscience 2010 show aims to stimulate thought and provide networking for some 30,000 neuroscience professionals in sunny San Diego
Editor's Focus
Granny’s giggle gone too soon
Granny’s giggle gone too soon
For ddn Chief Editor Amy Swinderman, writing story about efforts to prevent Alzheimer’s disease hits close to home
Global News
One-two punch
One-two punch
Jennerex, Transgene forge partnership to co-develop cancer-fighting virus JX-594
A winning pair of partnerships
A winning pair of partnerships
CRT pursues deals with Bayer Schering Pharma for treating gynecological and oncological diseases and AstraZeneca for broad oncology therapy
Back to basics
Back to basics
An international team led by scientists from the Scripps Research Institute, the Swiss Tropical Institute, the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF) and the Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases has discovered a drug candidate that represents a potentially new class of drugs to treat malaria.
New chapter for neurodegenerative diseases unfolds
New chapter for neurodegenerative diseases unfolds
Roche and reMYND, developer of treatments against protein misfolding disorders, jointly pursue disease-modifying programs for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases
Special Reports
Report: Cancer diagnostics market could hit $90 million by 2014
Report: Cancer diagnostics market could hit $90 million by 2014
Cancer treatment is one area where the era of personalized medicine is arriving, according to market research publisher Kalorama Information. In its recent report, “The Worldwide Market for Cancer Diagnostics,” Kalorama predicts a $90 million market for pharmacodiagnostics, tests that determine whether a treatment matches the individual patient, by 2014.
Biomarkers: How good a test are they?
Biomarkers: How good a test are they?
It seems that barely a month goes by without a headline touting a new way of detecting, understanding or treating cancer. Whether it is a newly identified gene or protein in the blood, tracing biological fingerprints, known as biomarkers, can be a valuable and rapidly growing part of medical research.
Two are better than one
Two are better than one
The challenges and rewards of developing companion diagnostics for cancer treatment
Commentary
Quantitating multiple signaling pathway proteins in preclinical and clinical studies
Quantitating multiple signaling pathway proteins in preclinical and clinical studies
Combining multispectral imaging with advanced image analysis tools to perform tissue cytometry rapidly and on a large scale and using many markers at once has proven to enable a better understanding of the mechanism of disease and potentially better, more precise avenues of treatment.
Success is a reliable predictor of failure
Success is a reliable predictor of failure
Two of my favorite industries, pharma and medical devices, are clearly suffering as a result of their long run of success.
