Researchers have created a compact optical device that could
make"lab-on-a-chip" possible by shrinking all the sensing power of
biosensorsand developing a new design for photonic crystals in the
process.
Nanogen and Fisher Scientific have announced an expansion to their
relationship to include a research and development collaboration in
molecular diagnostics. The collaboration agreement complements
Fisher's equity investment...
Thermo has released an enhanced version of its Heraeus Pico & Fresco microcentrifuges that have been designed to cover a broad spectrum of life science research areas including drug discovery.
Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) has invested $100m to expand its
manufacturing plant in Singapore, bringing the drug giant's
investment in this budding region to over S$1bn (€0.5bn).
Researchers believe that a genetic discovery involving a cellular
signal that aggravates the symptoms of MS may be a viable target in
new therapeutic approaches, which could alleviate the burden of
this debilitating neurological disease.
Failure to get it right in designing and implementing a
manufacturing process results in the loss of time and money, but
the risk of this can be minimised if some basic organisational
steps are followed, argues Brookwood's director...
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has decided to outsource its research in
genotyping by awarding a contract to Expression Analysis who will
provide the pharma giants with microarray-based genotyping
services.
Researchers have identified a gene that plays a pivotal role in
initiating two DNA damage detection and repair pathways in the
human genome, suggesting that it functions as a tumour suppressor.
Are big pharma companies uninterested in supporting novel
formulations, preferring to stick to low-risk drug delivery
systems, or are they resourceful innovators that bring new
technologies to the market? Two pharma grandees holding...
More and more drugmakers are turning to health care companies not
just for their drug delivery technologies but also for their
regulatory and manufacturing expertise, asking them to take their
product from early stages all the way...
Cambrex's Q2 results show that the life sciences firm is slowly
making a comeback after being crushed by a $140.3m (€116.7m) loss
in Q4, however, it has failed to completely stem the bleed from its
Biopharma unit, blamed for...
Canada's National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease (NCFAD) has
been designated as a reference lab for Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE) by the World Organisation for Animal Health
known as the OIE.
Drug researchers have turned to an unusual source to boost the
efficacy of a particular anticancer drug by investigating the
properties of a mushroom that has been used for centuries in
Eastern Asian medicine.
SuperArray Bioscience has made available a range of pathway-focused
real-time PCR gene panels that allow scientists to use their
real-time PCR instrument just like a microarray in the multiple
stages involved in drug discovery and...
Aldevron has announced the expansion of its Genetic Immunisation
and Antibody (GIA) facility to meet the increased demand of vaccine
screening contracts.
As global contract research spending remains robust, business is
booming for Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD) as the US firm
reported a surge in sales, profits and new business for its second
quarter 2006.
Researchers have published a new article launching a scathing
attack on the growing incidence of healthcare professionals being
paid exuberant 'finder's fees' whenever they recruit a patient onto
a clinical trial.
CHDI and Edison Pharmaceuticals have entered into alliance that
looks to develop effective therapeutics in targeting Huntingdon's
disease - a disorder that currently has no way to stop or reverse
the its progression.
Predix Phamaceuticals has formed a collaboration with Amgen in a
deal that aims to develop S1P1 modulators for the treatment of
autoimmune diseases. The agreement has the potential to become a
$300m (€235m) payout for Predix.
Chimatica makes available its range of pre-selected,
target-specific screening compounds that provide new chemotypes and
opportunities for accelerated lead identification and further
optimisation.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will beef up its process for
disclosing the conflicts of interest of its advisory experts in a
bid to restore its reputation after a survey suggests its
scientists may be too closely tied with...
UK government legislation designed to curb animal extremism appears
to be working as statistics published this week records a reduction
in the number of incidents provoked by animal rights extremists
during the first half of this...
Nektar Therapeutics has closed its processing plant in Bradford, UK
as it shifts its focus to developing its own drug products using
its own drug delivery technology.
Even with the most advanced analytical equipment, elucidating the
complete conformational characteristics of proteins still
represents mission impossible, often making their formulation
problematic, yet there are always ways to improve...
Chinese company Dragon International has fought its way into its
first packaging materials distribution deal in the burgeoning
Indian pharmaceutical market.
French Healthcare logistics firm DGX Pharma has won a new
multi-year contract from Japan's Sankyo Pharma to provide logistics
and distribution services for its drug products in the French
market.
PerkinElmer has announced the acquisition of Macri Technologies and
NTL Laboratories in a deal that means the Health Sciences and
Photonics company take charge of a novel screening test for
first-trimester prenatal risk assessment.
Most pharmaceutical companies know little about how to make
biopharmaceuticals on a large scale and so they need to develop
in-house expertise as well as outsource several steps in their
production chain, advises the head of chemistry...
Premier Research has strengthened its presence in the US with the
recent purchase of Philadelphia-based clinical research
organisation (CRO) Scirex Corporation.
Purdue Pharma is the first drug manufacturer to implement a new
software program that allows firms to order all Schedule I & II
controlled substance purchases on a single electronic form -
potentially saving up to 90 per cent...
Murex Pharmaceuticals has licensed Ariadne's software solution,
which is to play a vital role in the visualisation and analysis of
biological pathways and gene regulation networks for cancer
therapeutics development.
Researchers have taken a special interest in mechanisms they have
identified as an explanation for the causes of Parkinson's disease,
which they say, may facilitate research aimed at finding novel
medical treatments and other...
The insulin market is set to explode over the next five years as
uptake of insulin therapy is likely to increase with sufferers
benefiting from heightened awareness and knowledge as well as the
influx of affordable, innovative product...
Partnerships in drug delivery need to fairly reflect the risk all
parties take but there must also be a champion to drive the project
forward, according to Pfizer's director of drug delivery.
A new report compiled in the wake of the drug trial scandal, which
left six men fighting for their lives, has re-iterated the call for
scientists to proceed with extreme caution when testing such drugs
in the future.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) said it has developed a vaccine against the
H5N1 bird flu strain that can trigger an immune response at a much
lower dose than other vaccines in development.
Genentech and Inotek have entered into a strategic alliance in
which they will concentrate on the discovery, development and
commercialisation of PARP inhibitors for cancer - a class of drug
that has demonstrated high efficacy in...
Quintiles has announced the opening of a new biostatistics unit
that it claims will help pharma firms cut the time and cost of drug
development through the "adaptive design" of clinical trials.
Avalon Pharmaceuticals and ChemDiv have revealed details on a
collaboration in which the two companies are to engage in drug
discovery in the oncology sector focusing on small molecules as a
basis for therapeutic development.
Locus Pharmaceuticals is to initiate Phase I trials of a novel
anticancer drug that could prove effective against drug resistant
tumours after the small molecule cleared the 30-day review period
by the FDA for its Investigational...
Aegis Therapeutics has unveiled a new formulation technology
employing non-toxic excipients that maintain the physical stability
and physiological activity of protein and peptide therapeutics
while reducing immunogenicity.
Mass spectroscopy as an analytical laboratory technique proved it's
worth again recently after Cerno Bioscience and Wyeth
Pharmaceuticals jointly produced a paper that demonstrates the high
mass accuracy that can be achieved...
In a controversial move, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has given the final nod of approval to pharma companies who want to
add colourful pearlescent pigments to their drugs to give them that
"special something."
Anderson Packaging has bought 12 acres of land next to its existing
US headquarters and now plans to build another new facility to
expand its contract pharma packaging capacity by 20 per cent.
Outourcing-Pharma focus on: FDA clinical trial initiatives
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a series of
new policy and regulatory developments to modernise the way it
monitors clinical trials and bioresearch.
Celera Genomics announces its new test that is used for genotyping
of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) has obtained regulatory approval for
commercial sale in Europe, signifying the first real-time test for
genotyping the HCV virus to...
UK and Chinese R&D firms are this week being urged to band
together to develop alternatives to the practice of using
endangered animal parts to feed the vast traditional Chinese
medicine industry.
