September 2020- Volume 16, Issue 8
In this Issue
Business & Government Policy
Interplay between obviousness and satisfaction invalidates claims in Biogen Tecfidera patent
Interplay between obviousness and satisfaction invalidates claims in Biogen Tecfidera patent
The same evidence that supports non-obviousness for patentability can also restrict the scope of what has been described
Q&A: Another look at aducanumab
Q&A: Another look at aducanumab
ProMIS Neurosciences’ CMO talks with DDN about why Biogen restarted its Alzheimer’s disease program
On the cutting edge
On the cutting edge
A roundup of instrumentation, software and other tools and technology news
Feature
Focus Feature on Neuroscience
Focus Feature on Neuroscience
The Society for Nueroscience meeting may have been called off this year, but DDN has a large roundup of recent news of neurological R&D to share in its place, from aging insights via sea urchins to machine learning advances to putting antibodies to work in treating neurodegeneration (and more)
Special Reports
Special Report on Stem Cells: Mother lode
Special Report on Stem Cells: Mother lode
Are cancer stem cells a better oncology target?
Discovery
Welcoming the fourth wave of drug discovery
Welcoming the fourth wave of drug discovery
Amgen executive forecasts multispecific drugs as the next key movement
Quantum (computing) gains
Quantum (computing) gains
Drug discovery expected to be one of the first beneficiaries of technology
Where AI meets biology
Where AI meets biology
TARA and VentAI collaborate on drug discovery
Human-on-a-Chip system models Alzheimer’s
Human-on-a-Chip system models Alzheimer’s
Publication validates potential of drug discovery platform to study early stages of disease pathology
An ‘exquisitely selective’ tool
An ‘exquisitely selective’ tool
Mission Therapeutics and Imperial College London report on deubiquitylating enzyme probe
Clinical Trials
Hopes on the rise in wake of ASCENT data
Hopes on the rise in wake of ASCENT data
Immunomedics shares strong data for Trodelvy in triple-negative breast cancer
Mighty micro PEA
Mighty micro PEA
Prospective COVID-19 treatment uses cannabinoid approach
In pursuit of emergency authorization
In pursuit of emergency authorization
RedHill Biopharma accelerates Phase 2/3 COVID-19 drug opaganib program
ISA101b and Libtayo vs. oropharyngeal cancer
ISA101b and Libtayo vs. oropharyngeal cancer
ISA Pharmaceuticals strengthens strategic immuno-oncology collaboration with Regeneron
Research highlights potential of Akero’s NASH candidate
Research highlights potential of Akero’s NASH candidate
Patients treated with efruxifermin show improvements in markers of insulin sensitivity and lipoprotein metabolism
Editor's Focus
Editor’s Focus: Alzheimer’s looms large in neuroscience
Editor’s Focus: Alzheimer’s looms large in neuroscience
Market research suggests that neurology-related pharma and biotech R&D is going to be dominated by Alzheimer's disease for some time
Commentary
Innovating scientific conferences
Innovating scientific conferences
More meetings are going virtual, and that may very well be a good thing even after COVID is no longer a pandemic
Guest Commentary: Automation software improves speed and accuracy of cell line production
Guest Commentary: Automation software improves speed and accuracy of cell line production
Innovative lab software automates scheduling, hit-picking and liquid transfer to boost walkaway time
Diagnostics
Exhaled biomarkers reveal lung disease
Exhaled biomarkers reveal lung disease
Nanoparticles create a ‘breath signal’ that could be used to diagnose infectious or genetic diseases
Antigens for SARS-CoV-2
Antigens for SARS-CoV-2
LGC acquires NAC, one of first to offer antigens for novel coronavirus
Critical for cancer
Critical for cancer
U.K.-Italy collaboration aims for precision oncology at scale
Trying to meet coronavirus demands
Trying to meet coronavirus demands
NIH awards nearly $249M into new COVID-19 testing technologies
Preclinical
Can a vaccine prevent type 1 diabetes?
Can a vaccine prevent type 1 diabetes?
Provention Bio advances work on coxsackievirus B vaccine
A (natural) killer match
A (natural) killer match
Kiadis, Sanofi ink license agreement for natural killer therapeutics
Research & Development
Tracking down gene fusions
Tracking down gene fusions
Stanford researchers use single-cell statistical modeling method to go after cancer
Gaining ground with Gemini
Gaining ground with Gemini
In-silico patient model moves industry a step closer to understanding human disease
Leveraging lentivirals
Leveraging lentivirals
Magenta Therapeutics joins with AVROBIO to evaluate a combination approach to gene therapy
Orchard and GSK announce license agreements
Orchard and GSK announce license agreements
New agreements will benefit patients with WAS and TDT
Contract Services
A faster new product pathway
A faster new product pathway
LGM Pharma acquires Nexgen Pharma’s CDMO operations
Integrated services for COVID and more
Integrated services for COVID and more
CaprionX-HistoGeneX and Viroclinics-DDL to offer complementary services for infectious disease research and therapeutics
Mid-Size CRO steps up
Mid-Size CRO steps up
Pharm-Olam positioning organization for growth trajectory
