A discovery by scientists may provide a novel method to generate
proteins, providing an effective way of generating therapeutic
enzymes and other medically important proteins to produce novel
drugs.
Researchers in the US have constructed a new virus-based gene
therapy delivery system that has uses in cancer treatment. The
findings are said to provide a solution to the problems that have
hampered gene therapy treatments.
Nabi Pharmaceuticals has received a $4.1 million grant to advance
the only vaccine being developed in the US and Europe for tobacco
addiction. The vaccine is being developed to treat nicotine
addiction and smoking relapse with a view...
GlaxoSmithKline has halted clinical trials of its first-in-class
HIV drug after cases of hepatotoxicity was discovered in
treatment-naïve patients. The setback does not mean the end of
development for this drug candidate but suggests...
A new drug candidate, which targets the protein that protects
cancer cells from dying, has been shown to exhibit increased
anti-tumour activity when combined with an existing cancer
treatments. The data gives hope to those who have...
EntreMed has entered into a research and development agreement with
the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to evaluate the role of
HIF-1alpha inhibition in the treatment of cancer. The agreement
aims to establish the relationship between...
Novis, the publisher of DrugResearcher.com, 22 other business news
websites and more than 50 specialist e-newsletters, is today
changing its name to Decision News Media, to convey the editorial
ethos that has made the group's...
Merck has signed a research and drug development agreement with
FoxHollow Technologies, which represents the first
pharmaceutical-medical device partnership aimed at identifying
cardiovascular biomarkers for use as diagnostics and...
According to a new report nanotechnology tools for drug discovery
will grow from $580 million (€471.6 million) in 2004 to $1.1
billion in 2010, driven by corporate R&D and new commercial
applications.
BioFocus enters a new class of compound libraries with its
collection of novel low molecular weight compounds. The compilation
will allow drug researchers to find ligands that bind to proteins
without having to invest in specialised...
SuperArray Bioscience has introduced a product that combines the
profiling capabilities of microarrays with the performance of
real-time PCR. This novel technology will bring expression
profiling to researchers who prefer PCR based...
Biovitrum has initiated phase I trials for its glaucoma drug
candidate that aims to improve over existing current treatments and
satisfy the need in the market for new drugs with novel active
mechanisms of action.
CyBio launches its new pipetting system designed for newcomers to
automation in small to medium sized laboratories. The system is
CyBio's response to academia and biotech research requirements for
a 96 well pipetting system.
Roche Diagnostics has announced it has settled all litigation in
the United States, Europe and Australia, with Promega concerning
Polymerase Chain Reaction Technology (PCR), ending a decade of
litigation between the two companies.
According to a new report, the global diabetic population is set to
double by 2030, with treatments currently falling way short of
medical needs. The focus falls on impending products offering novel
therapies to diabetics and for...
Scientists in the US have discovered a cellular switch that
controls immune system function. The research could lead to future
drug treatment advancements for rheumatoid arthritis, multiple
sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases.
Scientists in research and academia have called for the end to the
pharmaceutical industry's 'cynical use' of drug studies and its
subjects who are often misled into taking part.
US researchers think they may have solved the puzzle as to why p53
activity occurs in both the nucleus and cytoplasm during apoptosis.
The discovery could form a basis in the development of new
anti-cancer therapies that target protein...
Bayer Healthcare has selected InforSense technology for the
development of its integrative analytics infrastructure on a deal
that sees InforSense provide a workflow-based cheminformatics
platform.
Dutch biotechnology company Crucell and the Aeras Global TB Vaccine
Foundation has announced the initiation of a series of clinical
studies for a unique TB vaccine, which allows millions of doses to
be manufactured simultaneously...
Medical research bodies have joined together in a defiant effort to
combat terrorism by issuing a statement that aims to reduce the
risk of sensitive laboratory research being used in bioterrorism.
Thermo Electron introduces its new mass spectrometer, which uses a
linear ion trap delivering faster cycle times and improved ion
statistics. This latest addition to the ion trap product portfolio
is designed for use in both research...
The latest research included in the proceedings of the annual
meeting of the European Society of Cardiology, (ESC) means that
heart treatments and management therapies feature strongly in
DrugResearcher's round-up of the 5-day...
Pharmos has announced the initiation of a phase I trial with
cannabinor, a CB2-selective synthetic cannabinoid drug candidate.
The trial aims to assess the drug's potential as a treatment for
neuropathic, inflammatory, visceral,...
A recent survey has revealed that Affymetrix continues to lead the
DNA microarray market - expected to reach $937 million (€751
million) by 2010. However, Agilent Technologies and Applied
Biosystems are eyeing the top position, particularly...
US researchers believe they have discovered a new method in
designing a better drug to treat cystic fibrosis - a disease that
currently has no cure. The scientists eventually hope a drug can be
produced that would work efficiently...
Chemical analysis specialists, Metrohm, have introduced its latest
ion chromatography system, which enables Gentamicin determination
without the complex set up that is characteristic of the current
HPLC method.
Researchers in the US have identified a molecular version of an
anchor, which allows the access of bacteria into the central
nervous system. By blocking the molecules anchoring ability, its
potential importance as a drug target may...
A new study, which uses a new method in identifying the specific
gene involved in high cholesterol has been hailed as, "a landmark
publication." The study also describes the potential to use this
approach in forming a treatment...
With blockbuster patents set to expire, the biogenerics market is
set to cash in as previous challenges such as a lack of regulatory
framework are nearing resolve, particularly in Western Europe.
Scentists have employed a new technique to manipulate the sugars
that power many front-line drugs, which has resulted in the
enhancement of a drug for heart disease. Manipulating the natural
sugars in a drug could help make natural...
US researchers have pinpointed a key molecule involved in
triggering rare but usually fatal cancers known as rhabdoid
tumours. This discovery could lead to novel therapies for these
tumours that mainly affect children.
New techniques aimed at directly controlling the expression of
genes by activating or inactivating them at the DNA level could
lead to drugs for the treatment or cure of almost any disease, say
researchers
The limited efficacy of existing diabetes therapies is set to pose
the main challenge for the European diabetes diagnostics markets as
the uptake and adoption for new innovative techniques determining
the future of this burgeoning...
PhotoMedex has announced it has received two US patents covering
the use of its copper peptide compounds in dermatological skin
disorders. The technology is set to have uses for a variety of
active agents, including active drug substances...
The creation of Sanofi-Aventis last year created a dent in its
second-quarter net profit as the French company looked to provide
good news to its investors. The drug maker managed to raise its
earnings target for the year and accelerated...
A recent report claims that nanobiotechnology is under growing
pressure to fulfil its potential and repay the private and public
funding that has been invested towards this emerging science
sector.
The first (14) Carbon microdosing study to take place in the United
States has been completed by Radiant Research, who believe this
approach to clinical trials will lead to more accurate and earlier
human pharmacokinetic (PK) data...
Increasing adoption of computational biology tools in today's drug
discovery is the industry's attempt to compensate for shrinking
product pipelines as the industry also expects to reduce the
duration of the drug discovery...
A harmless virus could hold the key to the production of a more
effective HIV drug after researchers employed this virus in ongoing
studies. The research aims to outmanoeuvre the mutating nature of
the HIV virus, which has become...
Swiss drugs firm Novartis are claiming success in its latest
treatment for hypertension. Aliskiren - the first in a new class of
antihypertensive drugs has shown to be effective as a single
treatment for patients with high blood pressure.
Researchers have developed a unique approach that predicts protein
separation behaviour. The approach may reduce the time it takes to
bring pharmaceuticals to market and may have significant
implications for drug discovery.
US researchers examining the role of a protein in nerve branch, or
dendrite, patterning, have expressed delight to the protein's
possibilities as a viable drug target in therapies aimed at
learning and memory disorders.
Vioxx. Bextra. Zyprexa, Seroxat. At no period of time have so many
high-profile drugs come under the spotlight as drug companies face
legal action over drug safety. It's make or break time for the
pharmaceutical industry as drug...
According to a new report, the bioinformatics market is set to
surge ahead, boosted by data proliferation and the need for
improved drug research productivity. Along with the solid support
of national governments, the European bioinformatics...
Researchers have achieved the first ever gene therapy success for
muscular dystrophy using a new systemic approach, which
demonstrated that the scientific challenges that have cast doubt on
gene therapy ever being feasible for children...
The news that the widow of a man who died after taking Vioxx was
awarded $253.4 million has opened up the possibility of US lawsuits
filed by patients worldwide, who were prescribed the drug that was
linked to an increase in heart...
The importance of high-throughput screening and human microdosing
during clinical trial processes has highlighted an emerging trend
in drug R&D that uses smaller and smaller test volumes, helped
by sophisticated automation technologies...
US drug researchers have synthesised a new class of carbenes -
molecules that have unusual carbon atoms - that is expected to have
wide applications in the pharmaceutical industry, ultimately
resulting in a reduction in the price...