Computer giant IBM claims to have identified seven key technologies
that will drive innovation in the pharmaceutical industry over the
next decade, raise the quality of development and manufacturing
processes and slash the pre-launch...
Sweden's Biotage has launched a system for carrying out microwave
synthesis reactions that for the first time is targeted at the
individual medicinal chemist.
A small German company has developed a new drug delivery technology
that can transport active drugs into the interior of cells by an
intrinsic, active mechanism.
The company Evotec OAI, a drug discovery and development solution
provider to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries has
announced the successful expansion of their in vitro and in silico
ADMET (Adsorption, Distribution,...
India's Dr Reddy's Laboratories has acquired a US company that
brings in a proprietary drug delivery technology that could be
applied across a whole range of dermatological products.
A US company is gearing up to start trials of a novel drug that
could provide the first orally-active treatment for a range of
genetic disorders, including cystic fibrosis and muscular
dystrophy, writes Phil Taylor.
The threat of emerging strains of bacteria with resistance to the
current arsenal of drugs was the subject of intense focus as the
14th Annual European Congress on Clinical Microbiology and
Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) got underway...
Dutch nucleic acid specialist Qiagen reported strong growth in
sales in the first quarter of 2004, ahead of its forecasts, as
spending by companies in the pharmaceutical industry returns to
historical levels, writes Wai Lang Chu.
A new patch product in clinical trials could provide a
patient-friendly means of delivering the only drug treatment for
osteoporosis that can actually replace lost bone, reports Phil
Taylor.
The number of animals tests needed for new chemicals could be
reduced significantly by the use of assays tests developed by
researchers at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre. And
this should be welcome news for companies...
Two years into a major drive to exit the drug development sector
and reinvent itself as an informatics pure-play, Germany's LION
bioscience trimmed its net losses in the 12 months ended 31 March
to €22 million, in line with its...
The cost and time required to develop a new drug and bring it to
market is determined by the therapeutic category of that drug. The
results are consistent with the model that predicts R&D efforts
are generally shifting toward...
The market for RNA interference (RNAi) products used as research
tools and therapeutics is still at an embryonic stage, but looks
set to more than double in value by the end of the decade,
according to new market research.
The raft of US laboratory equipment and consumables companies
reporting results for the first quarter of 2004 this week provides
convincing evidence that demand for these products has returned
among the pharmaceutical and biotechnology...
Applera has been awarded a broad US patent covering the use of
microdevices with built-in electronic memory that can be used for
storing and retrieving information about samples used in laboratory
experiments.
The discovery relates to the activity of telomeres - thimble-like caps that are added to the ends of chromosomes in order to protect DNA from damage....
Recovering cocaine addicts who suffer the misery of withdrawal
symptoms may be offered relief after researchers were able to
lessen cocaine cravings in rats by blocking signals in their
brains.
A microfluidic analytical system developed by Nanostream has been
used to assess the purity of oligonucleotides around 16 times as
quickly as conventional high performance liquid chromatography.
BASF and Merck KGaA have joined DSM in reporting encouraging
first-quarter 2004 results, raising hopes further that the European
chemicals sector may be about to move into recovery mode, writes
Phil Taylor.
In today's increasingly tense socio-political climate, with the
threat of bioterrorism looming ever larger, the race to find an
effective drug therapy for one of the world's most feared diseases
- smallpox - is hotting...
Manufacturers of custom synthetic oligonucleotides (oligos) could
see competition from new entrants into the sector, according to a
survey which finds that customers are not entirely happy with their
suppliers.
Osteoporosis sufferers are set to benefit from an influx of new
drug treatments which are expected to dominate the market and give
patients an unprecedented choice of treatment options, according to
new market research which suggetss...
The impact on the French chemicals industry of implementing the
European Union's REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation
of Chemicals) proposals could be as high €800 million in testing
alone and lead to the loss of...
A new range of vertical gel units which have been designed for DNA
sequencing and large format vertical gel electrophoresis
applications, have been introduced by UK firm Scie-Plas, a
subsidiary of Biochrom.
Scottish pharmaceutical company Strakan has started a Phase I trial
of a testosterone product that should overcome the limitations of
delivering the drug by mouth.
Marcus Mall, from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, genetically modified mice to generate the typical symptoms of CF, something which...
There are renewed concerns of another severe acute respiratory
syndrome (SARS) epidemic after the Chinese Ministry of Health
reported three more cases, including one death. This brings the
current number of people with SARS-like symptoms...
Switzerland's Lonza, one of the leading contract manufacturers of
active pharmaceutical ingredients, has forged a collaboration with
RNA-TEC of Belgium to provide broad-ranging contract production of
oligonucleotides, a new class...
A formulation of the steroid drug budesonide, made using a
solubility technology developed by US company CyDex, has
outperformed one of the leading drugs for asthma on the market in a
preclinical study.
The European Commission has reported on its progress in building up
Europe's competitiveness in the biotechnology and concludes that
while positive steps have been taken, there is still much to be
done, particularly with regard...
Researchers in the UK have devised a means of using bacteria as a
means of delivering proteins into tumour cells and killing them,
raising the hope that this could form the basis of a new treatment
for cancer.
A new screening approach which can identify a new drug mechanism of
action without the need for an appropriate molecular target has
been used to suppress genetic mutation. The discovery raises new
hopes of identifying potential new...
A booster dose of a growth factor naturally present in the body
appears to be safe and non-toxic for the treatment of pancreatic
cancer, and shows signs of arresting pancreatic cancer cell growth
in patients, according to researchers...
UK-based Inpharmatica is to provide a full range of ADME services
to drug discovery company Biotica Technology under a new two-year
agreement signed this week.
Growing knowledge about how to manage the risks of gene therapy
could improve the chances of developing successful treatments, said
experts meeting last week to weigh up the progress made on the
technology to date.
Illumina has announced today its latest system for performing DNA
analysis using the company's proven SNP genotyping technology was
being shipped worldwide to customers,writes Wai Lang Chu.
The Internet search engine Google has launched a pilot project with
17 universities around the world, including institutes in Italy and
the UK, aimed at improving access to research papers.
Germany's Merck KGaA has completed the $1.65 billion (€1.32bn) sale
of its laboratory distribution business, VWR International, to US
investment firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.
Researchers in France have discovered how HIV hides itself from the
host immune system, raising the possibility of developing new drugs
or vaccines for the disease, reports Phil Taylor.
The next generation of orally-active erectile dysfunction (ED)
drugs took a step closer as researchers isolated a receptor that
could be used as a target of drug treatment without the side
effects associated with the only approved...
UK fine chemical company Ultrafine is to be acquired by
Sigma-Aldrich of the US in a move aimed at strengthening the
latter's offerings for the pharmaceutical and biotech industry.
A team of researchers in the US has developed a technique that
overcomes one of the bottlenecks in research into the immune system
- identifying the antigens in a disease that stimulate attack by
the immune system.
Two medical charities - Cancer Research UK and the Netherlands
Cancer Institute - have completed the first stage of a pioneering
initiative to systematically uncover the function of human genes.
Membrane Extraction Technology has launched a new version of its
METcell - a chemically-resistant high pressure stirred cell used in
development laboratories in the pharmaceutical and chemical
industry - that can cope with more corrosive...
A new method to improve the accuracy and speed of fluorescent flow
cytometry has been developed. The technique, which is tipped to
become a new industry standard, promises to dramatically increase
the accuracy and speed of the technique,...
France's Sanofi-Synthelabo has announced plans to sell two of its
products to GlaxoSmithKline in a deal which forms part of its
strategy to take over Aventis.
General Electric has completed its €8.1 billion acquisition of UK
healthcare company Amersham, promising to create a new company that
will 'change the face of healthcare,' according to GE chief
executive Jeffrey Immelt.
Researchers studying cell migration and the screening of drug
compounds, can benefit from a new type of cell analysis system
developed by Guava Technologies. These processes are extensively
studied in cancer research and drug discovery...
Cobra Biomanufacturing has granted AstraZeneca the right to use its
proprietary DNA manufacturing process to make nucleic acids for use
in its drug discovery operations.
Scientists studying vaccinia virus, a close relative of smallpox,
have discovered that a gene necessary for virus replication also
plays a key role in turning off inflammation, a crucial antiviral
immune response of host cells.
