A heavy smoker who suffered brain damage and promptly 'forgot the
urge to smoke' could unravel the mysteries of addiction and provide
scientists with a new strategy for designing anti-smoking drugs.
Charles River Laboratories confirmed it is persevering in its
intention to focus on its preclinical and Phase I businesses while
abandoning its late stage development services, during a conference
earlier this month.
Bruker Daltonics has launched a new technology that could
accelerate the use of MALDI imaging in drug discovery labs by
simplifying sample preparation procedures.
Several groups of scientists are developing compounds that slowly
release carbon monoxide directly into the bloodstream and that
could be used to treat diseases as diverse as high blood pressure,
heart disease and cancer.
New legislation has helped curb the number of animal rights
extremist attacks with fewer companies succumbing to extremist
pressure, according to a UK pharmaceutical industry group.
Researchers at the University of Leeds have genetically modified a
common gut bacterium to respond to a sugar and produce a treatment
for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
Cellartis has begun a new research programme in Scotland as part of
a £9.5m (€14.5m) programme by ITI Life Sciences to develop the
world's first automated process to produce high-quality human stem
cells.
AstraZeneca (AZ) has continued its pipeline consolidation by
investing a further $100m (€77m) in its Boston research centre,
which focuses on treatments for infectious diseases and cancer.
A vaccine that protects against the effects of nerve agents often
used in chemical weapons is ready to be tested on human volunteers,
according to developer Baxter Healthcare.
The development of a highly sensitive assay for the detection of
drug-resistant HIV strains could aid our understanding of how the
virus mutates, helping new drug discovery programs.
More effective and easier to administer 'Trojan horse' vaccines
could provide protection for the millions of people at risk from
malaria, TB and AIDS, thanks to a breakthrough from a global
research team.
Covance was nothing but optimistic about the future of contract
research organisations (CROs) during a JPMorgan healthcare
conference held last week, despite a slowdown in R&D spending
over the past year.
Novo Nordisk has decided to stop developing small-molecule drugs
and instead concentrate on protein-based therapies, capitalising on
the strong growth in this sector of the pharmaceutical industry.
BG Medicine will integrate Applied Biosystems' state of the art
technology into its systems biology platforms to enhance its
biomarker discovery and monitoring programs.
ReNeuron remains confident that its new stem cell therapy for
stroke will be approved to start clinical trials, despite a request
for further information from the industry regulator.
In response to mounting media speculation of another major
restructuring drive, sparked off by an article in the Wall Street
Journal (WSJ), Pfizer has called a meeting to discuss its strategic
direction, with CEO Jeffrey B. Kindler...
Tocris, a leading supplier of chemicals, peptides and antibodies to
the major pharmaceutical companies, universities and research
institutes has completed a $40m (€30.8m) management buy out (MBO)
from its founders.
The booming pharmaceutical contract research market sees a new
player enter the arena as analytical lab Eno River Labs separates
into two independent divisions to create a new business that will
provide analytical and formulation...
GrapeCity has joined Microsoft's BioIT Alliance, a collaboration
between the pharmaceutical and computer industries aimed at helping
make the vision of personalised medicine a reality.
Recent trial results have indicated a link between low
LDL-cholesterol levels and Parkinson's disease, especially if the
low levels are naturally occurring.
The UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has
called for a public consultation into the use of animal eggs to
create cloned hybrid or chimeric human embryos for laboratory-based
disease research.
Researchers have published an 'atlas' showing how proteins can
change shape and interact with other molecules, which could prove
an invaluable tool to drug developers.
In a deal worth up to $1.35bn (€1bn) AstraZeneca (AZ) have agreed
to co-develop and commercialise two of Bristol-Myers Squibb's (BMS)
late stage diabetes compounds.
The second in a series of periodic roundups of drugs that have
moved from preclinical research into clinical testing via the
announcement of a Phase I trial or an application for a trial to
industry regulators.
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has started the first human clinical trials
to evaluate a new antiviral drug against respiratory synytial virus
(RSV) - the major cause of pneumonia and bronchiolitis in children.
Caliper Life Sciences is making the most of its recent acquisitions
by launching a new drug discovery and development services business
- created from the integration of two companies it recently bought
- in a bid to offer a "in...
Several discontinued drug candidates that target the central
nervous system (CNS) have been given a second chance for success
after Synosis Therapeutics bought them off Roche.
Genentech has shown their faith in a blood cancer drug development
programme by licensing just one compound for up $800m (€615m),
highlighting the willingness of large pharmaceutical companies to
pay large sums for even a single drug...
Researchers at the University of Rochester and StemCapture have
unveiled a new device technology that makes it possible to harvest
stem cells from the blood, bypassing the controversial use of stem
cells sourced from embryos.
The use of virtual patients to simulate clinical trials on
computers can forecast their results, potentially optimising drug
development and saving the pharmaceutical industry billions.
BN ImmunoTherapeutics, the US subsidiary of Denmark's Bavarian
Nordic, has started clinical trials of MVA-BN-HER2, a new vaccine
targeting breast cancer.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Janssen's
new drug Invega (paliperidone); the first new prescription drug for
the treatment of schizophrenia since 2003.
Despite the many challenges facing the pharmaceutical industry,
drug developers should be optimistic, according to a report from
the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (CSDD).
Caprion and Ecopia have agreed to merge as equals to form an as yet
unnamed public entity with three programs in cancer and infectious
diseases in clinical development.
Scientists have discovered stem cells in the amniotic fluid that
surrounds the foetus in pregnant women, bypassing ethical concerns
over the source of the versatile cells.
Thanks to a small boy who couldn't feel pain, scientists have
discovered a gene mutation that opens the door to developing
powerful new drugs that could elimate all pain.
Pfizer has entered into a collaborative research and licensing
agreement with Elusys worth up to $200m (€152m) for new antibody
therapies, including an MRSA candidate
Forbes has highlighted the important role of nanotechnology in
driving forward the pharmaceutical industry with three of their top
five nanotech breakthroughs in 2006 having biological applications.
