September 2011- Volume 7, Issue 9
September 2011
In this Issue
Instruments & Informatics
Image is everything
Image is everything
Analysis software for umbilical cord blood focus of new partnership
Easing the growing pains
Easing the growing pains
Coriell Institute teams with IBM to advance personalized medicine efforts
Reverse, then forward
Reverse, then forward
GNS Healthcare to create inflammation disease models for Bristol-Myers Squibb
Brooks buys into biobanking
Brooks buys into biobanking
Automation company announces purchase of Nexus Biosystems
Research & Development
Going more than skin deep
Going more than skin deep
Gladstone scientists transform adult skin cells into brain cells
A cure for the common cold?
A cure for the common cold?
MIT team crafts drug that could treat broad spectrum of viral infections
Buying pains
Buying pains
Pfizer proposes to acquire pain-treatment collaborator Icagen in transaction valued around $56 million
ACE in the hole
ACE in the hole
Acceleron Pharma launches global collaboration with Celgene on ACE-536 drug to treat anemia
Unwilling to deal
Unwilling to deal
AMAG rejects MSMB acquisition bid, sticks with plans for Allos merger
Getting fired up for fibrotics
Getting fired up for fibrotics
Acquisition of Amira nets BMS fibrosis, inflammation candidates
Global News
Aiming at a target
Aiming at a target
Intercept, Servier in deal to develop diabetes drug
Far East pharma deal
Far East pharma deal
Dr. Reddy’s acquires JB Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals prescription business in Russia, other CIS markets
A world divided
A world divided
Trius Therapeutics and Bayer will collaborate on worldwide development and commercialization of Trius’ anti-infective torezolid phosphate
‘Oxford of the East’ meets pharma of the West
‘Oxford of the East’ meets pharma of the West
Merck and Serum Institute collaborate on pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
Valeant trumps Paladin's offer for Afexa
Valeant trumps Paladin's offer for Afexa
Afexa Life Sciences Inc. has learned that sometimes, being picky pays off.
Feature
Staking a claim
Staking a claim
Growing stem cell market entices Big Pharma to harness its power for drug screening, toxicity testing
Blazing the trail
Blazing the trail
Backed by strong venture capital funding, biotechs organize around promise of stem cell research
Best in class
Best in class
A roundup of North America\'s top five academic research institutions in the stem cell arena
Tools of the trade
Tools of the trade
Life science tool providers provide constant support to ever-evolving stem cell research community
Omics & Systems Biology
Sequencing 500 human genomes—just like that
Sequencing 500 human genomes—just like that
Illumina and University of Oxford collaborate in search for genetic basis of rare diseases
A matter of expression
A matter of expression
Covance, Broad Institute to collaborate on sequencing genome studies
All in the delivery
All in the delivery
Alnylam and MIT discover novel ‘core-shell’ nanoparticles for systemic delivery of RNAi therapeutics
Say ‘ah’ and become part of history
Say ‘ah’ and become part of history
Kaiser, UC San Francisco working on gene catalog of healthcare members
Double-down with ChK-1
Double-down with ChK-1
Array and Genentech announce new oncology deal that will explore both companies\' checkpoint kinase 1 candidates
Government Watch
With biosimilars, close counts
With biosimilars, close counts
But getting close will require a new, more vigorous review process
Patents prevail in Myriad case
Patents prevail in Myriad case
ACLU disputes Federal Circuit decision allowing patents on breast cancer genes, other human genes
Left hand, meet right hand
Left hand, meet right hand
Democratic Congressional reps urge United States not to propose limiting international trade language; Republicans counter with their own missive to the president
NIH finalizes financial conflict of interest rules
NIH finalizes financial conflict of interest rules
In late August, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) finalized rules to reduce financial conflicts of interests among federally funded researchers who also receive payments or stock from drug and medical device companies.
Stem cell case is dismissed
Stem cell case is dismissed
Court throws out Sherley case; government funding of hESC research continues
Diagnostics
Going with the flow
Going with the flow
Oral fluid diagnostics provider DNA Genotek scooped up by OraSure
Exosomes and real life
Exosomes and real life
New England Peptide and Atlantic Cancer Research Institute file joint patent application for new peptides that support targeted diagnosis and therapies
Biomarker-based blood test
Biomarker-based blood test
BioMarCare Technologies receives $900K grant for joint project with Ariadne to develop colorectal cancer test
To the max
To the max
BD, Lab21 partner to develop aspergillus assay
QIAGEN and Pfizer partner on companion Dx for lung cancer
QIAGEN and Pfizer partner on companion Dx for lung cancer
QIAGEN announced Aug. 16 that it has entered into a partnership with Pfizer Inc. for the development of a companion molecular diagnostic test for use with an investigational Pfizer compound in global clinical development for treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Not a done deal
Not a done deal
Alere acquires stake in Axis-Shield, but the Dx test developer rejects possible takeover
Commentary
Guest Commentary: Every drug deserves a second chance
Guest Commentary: Every drug deserves a second chance
How drug repositioning could be an industry game changer
Patent News
Embryonic stem cell funding suit is dead
Embryonic stem cell funding suit is dead
The Sherley v. Sebelius lawsuit was dismissed by a federal judge after an appeals court found the government-backed research is probably lawful. In a related move, lawmakers in Congress have reintroduced legislation to support hESC research.
Editor's Focus
ddn’s ‘summer of stem cells’
ddn’s ‘summer of stem cells’
From collaborations between the world’s top pharmas and biotechnology companies, to groundbreaking preclinical research, to the development of new tools to be used in stem cell research labs, ddn has become a veritable “Situation Room” for stem cells.
