A consortium of US scientists have developed and evaluated a robust
new system for analysing how drugs bind to proteins, which could
speed up the delivery of potential new drugs and improve existing
ones.
Biofusion has announced the creation of Genophrenix, a new spin-out
company that aims to focus on treatments originating from
biochemical pathways implicated in a range of neuropsychiatric
diseases, including schizophrenia.
According to a new report, the adoption of eClinical technologies
has been hampered by the ability to take the electronic revolution
to the next level, as the adoption of eClinical technologies
currently remain confined to localised...
Drug developer Biosante has been awarded a $250,000 (€210,000)
subcontract from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (UNL), to
develop recombinant Factor IX (FIX) formulations for delivery via
alternative routes of administration,...
Packaging specialist Ampac has unveiled a new thick-gauge lidstock
for demanding pharmaceutical applications, promising extra
durability and protection.
Dutch instrumentation specialist PANalytical has added new options
to its X'Pert PRO MPD X-ray diffractometer, providing a total
solution for high throughput diffraction and analysing almost any
material.
Increased sales and price hikes helped BASF achieve record earnings
in 2005, despite substantially higher raw material prices, Europe's
subdued economy and hurricanes in the US.
A species of frog, which may hold the key to future mosquito
repellents, is set to open up new avenues of lab research into frog
chemical ecology as researchers try to come up with alternatives to
synthetic repellents.
Analytic technology company Ometric is promising to revolutionalise
quality control with software that achieves real-time, in-line
final product testing at a rate of five tablets per second,
minimising product recalls, reducing waste...
Chiltern is expanding its clinical trial services business in
India, and in doing so will be the first company to provide
specialised staff recruitment services for the Indian clinical
research industry.
Asynt have launched the first affordable 500ml parallel reactor on
the market with its latest addition to the DrySyn range, providing
a safe and flexible alternative to oil bath and mantles.
A unique DNA-based targeting technology has shown to halt tumour
progression with significantly smaller chemotherapy doses opening
the way to reduce the side effects as well as increase the efficacy
of anti cancer therapies.
A natural compound could become the starting molecule for the
design of drugs that prolongs lifespan and delay the onset of
aging-related traits in vertebrate organisms, supporting the
potential utility of the compound in human aging...
A consortium of researchers has detailed the activity of a novel
drug compound that kills multiple HIV strains via a unique
mechanism of action. The discovery brings with it hope in using
this compound in both topical and systemic...
Swiss pharma giants, Novartis has formed a collaboration with
Alnylam, which aims to develop an RNAi-based therapeutic for
pandemic flu. The deal is in response to analysts who believe that
current vaccines and existing anti-viral...
IT specialist ComplianceControl has a introduced a comprehensive
new directory of compliance regulations with precise and accessible
information that can be used to assist pharmaceutical companies in
co-ordinating their corporate...
A disposable two-compartment flask bioreactor designed by Swiss
company Integra Biosciences has been shown to minimise production
costs in a new study, as opposed to cell cultivation roller bottles
which are 60 per cent more expensive.
Optio Healthcare introduces a new RFID and labelling solution,
which allows healthcare facilities to generate thermal, barcode and
RFID labels that can be used to track pharmaceuticals, as well as
manage controlled substances, pathogens...
Two days after it filed for approval of Hecerptin for the treatment
of early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer in the US through its
majority-own biotechnology firm Genentech, Swiss drugmaker Roche
has followed suit in the EU, looking...
Baxa Corporation has launched the first cap specifically designed
to fit sterile water bottles, which provide drip-free filling of
Exacta-Med Oral Dispensers simplifying weight specific dosing and
oral liquid medications.
Researchers are to develop new computational diagnostic methods for
key viral pathogens, which are set to make the storage, retrieval,
and exchange of molecular and diagnostic data on viral pathogens
more efficient and effective.
Chemical company BASF has developed a process for the production of
new chiral intermediates for the pharmaceutical industry on a
commercial scale, further raising the product efficiency of drugs
and reducing undesirable effects.
Warwick Effect Polymers (WEP) have chosen R&D outsourcing
specialist Avantium to jointly develop their polyethylene glycol
PolyPEG technology for biopharmaceutical compounds, enhancing their
bioavailability and pharmacokinetics.
German chemicals company, Degussa, said that its management board
supported a full takeover by mining company RAG and urged
shareholders to accept an offer price of €42 per share.
The insulin delivery devices thriving in today's market will slowly
be replaced as new and better technologies continue to rise from
the R&D pipeline. For current market leader, Novo Nordisk, this
threat is particularly dangerous.
Capgemini announces a £30 million outsourcing contract to support
and transform the IT infrastructure at pharmaceutical giants Eli
Lilly, reinforcing an emerging trend that has seen companies
outsource IT resources as a means of slashing...
Pharsight, a provider of software and strategic services for
clinical drug development, has seen its revenues dip for the second
quarter in a row due to lower-than-expected business from a top
client in its strategic consulting services...
Contract Research Organisation (CRO) Averion, and the SIPLAS
Research Organisation has signed an agreement to provide promotion
and support of clinical trials in a move that that reinforces Latin
America as an emerging hub of clinical...
Honeywell launches a new formulation of BMI activator, which is
used to synthesise DNA and RNA oligonucleotides for therapeutic and
medical diagnostic applications. The formulation aims to result in
higher yields and lower overall...
Ventiv, which conducts clinical, sales, marketing and
communications services for the pharma industry, has added a new
arm to its business after agreeing to buy Adheris, a leading
provider of patient adherence programs.
Scientists exploring inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis have made
an unexpected discovery that may lead to new drug treatments to
ease the pain and discomfort endured by 66 million (nearly 1 in 3
adults) US citizens in 2005.
A collaboration between Anachem and chemists within the
pharmaceutical industry has resulted in the launch of the new
ReactArray Solo, which is designed to provide faster, more
efficient polymorph screening to aid drug patent protection...
Singapore's commitment to pharmaceutical research and development
goes from strength to strength after its government granted S$7.5bn
(€3.9bn) to sustain the innovation-driven growth the country has
experienced as Asia's...
According to a new report, the market for needle-free injection
devices and safety syringes will exceed $2.49bn (€2.1bn) by 2009,
buoyed on by the increase of incidences in needlestick injuries and
high consumer demand for syringe...
A new easy-to-use laser microdissection system from Olympus is set
to shake up the isolation technology market by reducing sample
handling and contamination when isolating cells for downstream
analysis and making the process routine.
Biotechnology firm Nastech has chosen Procter & Gamble to
develop and commercialise its osteoporosis nasal spray worldwide,
in a lucrative deal that could reach $577m (€480m) over the life of
the project and give both companies...
New data that shows the effectiveness of TTP LabTech's Acumen
Explorer for high content screening at high throughput reveals the
advances high content screening has made in applications such as
protein kinase activation, cell...
US pharmaceuticals and skin care specialist SkinMedica has
developed a timed release delivery system for the active
ingredients of an acne treatment that is said to up efficacy and
lower the chances of skin irritation.
British biotechnology firm Angel has won a manufacturing contract
from stem cell therapeutics expert ReNeuron Group to produce a
master cell bank for Huntington's disease, as the company's demand
for stem cells increases.
As China improves its resources and regulatory processes it will
soon become a hotbed of clinical drug research activity, and
position itself as one of the world's most important countries in
this field, according to a new report...
Sigma-Aldrich has strengthened its position in the RNAi and
cell-based assay market by signing a series of agreements in which
the life science company has acquired a minority equity stake in
Genospectra and is granted access to various...
Oral drug development company, Phoqus, has announced that it has
completed Phase I of its clinical study on Chronocort, the first
circadian endocrine treatment for adrenal insufficiency that
current steroid therapies for this condition...
Waters Corporation has introduced new capabilities for proteomic
research by enhancing its bioanalysis software, which will allow
researchers to identify and quantify proteins and biomarkers more
efficiently.
Biotechnology company, Amgen, and Biovitrum have expanded its
existing license agreement for its treatment of metabolic
disorders, focusing on type 2 diabetes, which currently afflicts
over 160 million people worldwide.
Arpida has announced it has successfully completed a Phase I
clinical trial with oral iclaprim in a capsule formulation. This
broad-spectrum antibiotic targets infections requiring hospital
treatment, including those caused by methicillin-resistant...
Dragon Pharmaceutical has bowed out of a development and
manufacturing contract with Austria's Polymun Scientific, selling
it instead to Swiss company AS Biotech for $1m.
Johnson Matthey, a British catalyst, precious metals and chemicals
firm with a division that provides contract manufacturing services
of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to pharmaceutical
companies, has bought chemical technology...
Dermisonics have come up with the first working model of an
antiseptic delivery system, which the company hope to provide the
US army with a battlefield version, reducing the severity of
infection providing a much needed tool for...
