Charles River Laboratories has been awarded a $111.6m (€89m),
10-year contract from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), doubling
the size of the company's current contract with NCI.
According to a new study the European cardiovascular drugs market
is expected to reach $36.3bn (€28.9bn) in 2012, buoyed on by new
drug areas, classes and combination products.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has indicated it will rely more heavily on
Asian R&D in the future and has already been stepping up its
involvement in India and Singapore.
Findings from new study have offered an innovative profile of an
enzyme that aids tumour growth, which points towards a potential
new target for treatments for ovarian and breast cancers.
Researchers have developed a biochip that could prove crucial in
future drug development. The technology measures electrical
activities of cells and can obtain 60 times more data in one
reading than is possible with current technology.
Developing new drugs represents an enormous expense for pharma
companies with top firms spending up to £4bn (€6bn) a year on
R&D, according to new industry report.
Using a modified version of nuclear magnetic resonance technology,
(NMR) scientists have revealed the therapeutic potential of an
insect's venom, which could be utilised to provide a better
understanding of Alzheimer's disease...
For pharma companies that are hesitant about outsourcing during the
drug discovery stage, a world of opportunity awaits.
OutsourcingPharma.com gives a brief run down of what kinds of
services are on offer, as well as a few potential...
Mettler Toledo has introduced its new range of titrators, which have been specifically designed for repeated routine analyses focusing on time efficiency and fast results that are crucial components of a clinical drug trial.
Applied Biosystems introduces a new software tool that aims to
simplify DNA methylation research aiding researchers to further
their understanding of this process in the genetic basis of complex
diseases, such as cancer.
Covance has announced it has licensed the use of a technique that
is the only known in-vitro method to predict
in-vivo liver disposition allowing users to identify and
select better drug candidates.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has revealed the grant
recipients for its Cancer Genome Atlas pilot project, which will
see three institutions using microarray platforms from Agilent
Technologies.
Specialty chemicals maker Rohm and Haas has designed new equipments
for its drug dissolution testing that it claims can reliably
predict the release of oral drugs in vivo, and therefore
potentially reduce the amount of animal testing.
Genedata has formed a new collaboration with Wyeth Pharma in which
the computational biology firm will lend its support to Wyeth's
drug discovery efforts.
Lexicon Genetics has revealed details of the preclinical
development of a novel, orally available small molecule compound
with potential application in the treatment of autoimmune diseases
such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid...
Millipore has now made available its GPCRProfiler screening service
that allows more accurate characterisation of lead compounds
enabling pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to accelerate
their lead optimisation efforts.
ClinTec International and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories have announced a
partnership, in which both parties are to jointly develop an
anti-cancer drug that belongs to the topoisomerase inhibitors class
of compounds.
Researchers have demonstrated that a new compound has the potential
to effectively cure epilepsy, raising hopes that a new drug can be
produced to treat epileptic patients, who currently have no access
to treatment.
Scientists have come up with a DNA-based computer, which could lead
to faster, more accurate tests for diagnosing West Nile Virus and
bird flu more quicker and more accurately.
Tecan has made available to the scientific community a new Flask
Flipper module, which has been designed to fit onto the company's
Freedom EVO liquid handling workstations.
Integrated exploratory protocols could be the way forward in
carrying out early phase clinical studies, which not only reduces
drug development time and cost but minimises risk of late phase
failures.
According to a new report, pharmaceutical and biotech companies
have not fully exploited the potential outsourcing represents,
having only been adopted to a limited extent to date by companies.
The need for better exploitation of clinical data is linked
directly to the general challenges facing drug development today as
development costs for new products have rocketed from $100m (€79m)
to $800m.
PerkinElmer has introduced two multiplexing platforms for genomic
research, which provides important tools for improving gene
expression validation, molecular karyotyping and genome profiling.
Contract Research Organisations (CROs) have acquired an enviable
reputation for providing a good quality service that is carried out
by experienced staff, delivering all to budget and on time. But is
outsourcing early phase clinical...
According to a new report, the kinase-targeted drug market is set
to grow from $12.7 bn (€10bn) in 2005 to $58.6bn in 2010. Cancer
(mainly solid tumours) is expected to remain the dominant
application throughout the forecast period.
Scientists have demonstrated that a tumour suppressor gene could
actually stimulate tumour progression, which if confirmed, could
raise possibilities of using the gene as a novel prognostic
indicator of tumour aggressiveness.
BioDiscovery has released a new array module for its Imagene
software that provides an advanced array-based DNA copy number
analysis and visualisation tool for the drug discovery sector.
A new study has discovered what seems to be a novel compound that
offers protection against influenza viruses, including the bird flu
virus. The compound could represent a new class of antiviral drugs
to prevent and treat this killer...
Clinical research organisations (CROs) should be enlisted to run
Phase I oncology drug trials in order to improve efficiencies,
delegates heard at Pabord 2006 in London.
PainCeptor Pharma has announced it has been awarded a series of
patents for its drug development programs that focus on pain
management whilst avoiding the many detrimental side effects
associated with current pain drugs.
Researchers believe that a little-known antibiotic could well prove
effective against cancer, showing promise because it has not shown
toxic side effects, which continue to blight current anti-cancer
agents.
TTP Labtech has launched a microplate cytometer, which accelerates
transfer from development to screening, combining data collection
from whole well scanning with fast read times making it suitable
for industry and academia.
Scientists have come up with an innovative tool that may accelerate
the drug development process, which has slowed down considerably
despite the investment in new technologies and analytical
techniques.
Researchers believe that they have discovered a new treatment for
the severest form of Malaria, which may be able to help in
preventing the two million lives the disease claims each year.
Researchers think they have found an explanation as to why
"flesh-eating" bacteria are so resistant to antibiotic treatment,
which could contribute to new strategies for treating necrotizing
fasciitis, halting its rapid...
Illumina has made available the world's first multi-sample
whole-genome genotyping arrays that allow researchers to analyse
two samples simultaneously - useful when studying genetic variation
in disease in greater detail.
Several drug development companies are implementing leaner business
models, outsourcing nearly all stages of the drug development
process in response to escalating development costs in a move that
is proving increasingly popular within...
Targeting the market for drug metabolite identification and
biomarker discovery, Tandem Labs has acquired PharmaKD, a
Massachussets-based division of Linden Technologies.
Scientists have isolated a single protein that has a key role in
diabetes development, which could form the basis for new drug
therapies that could effectively treat a disease that has become
endemic.
With the cost of drug development expected to reach $1.9bn (€1.5bn)
by 2013, the pressure is on to reduce R&D development time and
cost without sacrificing clinical success rate.
Novexel has announced it is to put forward its novel small molecule
antibiotic into Phase I clinical development representing a new
class of antibacterials to treat hospital-based infections caused
by gram positive pathogens.
Researchers have isolated two proteins, which are involved in
stopping a gene from producing a protein that is essential for
cancer cell proliferation. The gene could form the basis for an
anti-cancer agent that targets this mechanism.
Mirus Bio has made available a new RNAi tool that analyses gene
function in vivo that allows scientists to study the biological and
physiological impact of a change in gene expression, which is
useful in the identification of new...
German drug manufacturer, Merck has acquired the Swiss biotech
company Serono in a deal worth SFr16.6bn (€10.4bn) that has taken
the industry by surprise and could signal the start of considerable
consolidation for big pharma.
AstraZeneca has entered into an agreement with two Contract
Research Organisations (CROs) with the intention of expanding
AstraZeneca's small molecule libraries and enhancing its global
drug discovery offerings.
Avidia has initiated a clinical trial for the novel inhibitor of a
protein for Crohn's disease as a potential treatment that belongs
to a new class of therapeutic proteins known as Avimer proteins.
A key study performed by US scientists has uncovered detailed
structural changes, which a catalytic enzyme undergoes in order to
carry out its biological function. The findings challenge
traditional hypothesis and may aid in future...
Pfizer has revealed details of its new agreement with Transtech
Pharma in which the two companies will focus on the receptor for
advanced glycation end products (RAGE) with potential for use in
treating Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers have isolated a protein that appears to encourage cell
movement when tumours begin to spread to other parts of the body
opening up the way for a drug that could block the beginning of
this dangerous process, or stop it...