Scientists have discovered a true counterpart of the cerebral cortex in an invertebrate (a marine worm), which gives an idea of what the most ancient higher brain centres looked like. 02 September 2010
Cyprotex is giving researchers free online access to its database of the ADME and pharmacokinetic properties of marketed drugs via its online Cloe® Knowledge data visualization and interpretation tool. 01 September 2010
Fear can make you run or fight, or it can glue you to the spot. Now, scientists have identified the part of the brain and the type of neurons that determine how mice react to a frightening stimulus. 31 August 2010
Cancer Research Technology has signed an agreement with Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany, to evaluate new leptin antagonist peptides as potential experimental treatments, initially in the area of gynaecological diseases, including cancer. 25 August 2010
Researchers have used a drug to reset and restart the 24 hour body clock of mice, which could eventually help with human difficulties including some psychiatric disorders, jet lag and the health impacts of shift work. 24 August 2010
Researchers have made a discovery that could lead to a brand new class of drugs to treat chronic pain caused by inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis and back pain, without numbing the whole body. 18 August 2010
Cancer Research Technology has signed a deal to provide biotech company ValiRx PLC with the global rights to develop a promising compound to treat hormone-resistant prostate cancer. 16 August 2010
A pilot clinical trial examining Marinomed’s antiviral nasal spray, which contains carrageenan, has indicated that it is effective as a treatment against the common cold. 12 August 2010
Numerate and Intellikine have announced the successful conclusion of their research collaboration to discover novel small-molecule compounds targeting the PI3K/mTOR signaling pathway. 11 August 2010
During cell division, microtubules emanating from each of the spindle poles meet and overlap in the spindle’s mid zone. Now, scientists have uncovered the molecular mechanism that determines the extent of this overlap. 06 August 2010
Scientists are reporting a possible explanation for the bone loss that can occur after long-term use of a medicine widely used to treat epilepsy, bipolar disorder, and other conditions. 05 August 2010
Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory have discovered that a group of proteins named IRPs ensure that the iron balance is maintained in cells and, as such, are essential for cell survival. 04 August 2010
Dear subscriber: let me welcome you to the first edition of the new-style Editors Choice. As you can see, we have made some changes that we hope you will find valuable. 01 August 2010
Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Vince Cable today announced the appointment of Sir John Savill as Chief Executive and Deputy Chair of the Medical Research Council. 30 July 2010
In May, it was announced that new research into stem cell reprogramming would reduce the need for animal testing; now, we are really beginning to see the benefits of this groundbreaking science. 28 July 2010
Thermo Fisher Scientific has announced a landmark collaboration that aims to introduce mass-spectrometry-based workflows and technologies into Japan to advance personalized medicine and healthcare. 27 July 2010
Royal Philips Electronics and Dako, a Danish company specializing in tissue-based cancer diagnostics, have signed an agreement to integrate a selection of Dako's image analysis applications into Philips' future digital pathology solutions. 22 July 2010
Rising levels of antidepressants in coastal waters could change sealife behaviour and potentially damage the food chain, according to a new study. 16 July 2010
Cancer Research Technology and Medical Research Council Technology plan to ‘swap’ medical discoveries to accelerate the translation of early scientific research into patient benefit. 15 July 2010
Promega Corporation has partnered with SignalChem Pharmaceuticals to launch a complete kinase solution for the profiling of lead compounds against kinases representative of all major families of the kinome. 13 July 2010
Thuricin CD, an antibiotic licensed to Alimentary Health, has been found to be effective against the hospital-acquired superbug Clostridium difficile. 08 July 2010
Some of pharmaceutical’s big boys, for example Pfizer, have faced well-documented challenges over the last 12 months. The industry is only too aware of this and understands that now is the time to look at new processes and a change in the way they have traditionally done business. 07 July 2010
Research funded by hearing loss charity RNID has discovered a drug that repairs hearing after damage caused by loud noise. 06 July 2010
SeraCare is now offering access to an extensive and constantly replenished library of remnant patient samples consisting of serum, plasma, urine, cerbrospinal fluid and amniotic fluid for pre-clinical research studies. 02 July 2010
Roche and IBM are collaborating to develop a nanopore-based sequencer that will read and decode human DNA quickly and efficiently, with the aim of accelerating human genome analysis and advancing personalized healthcare. 01 July 2010
Marinomed Biotechnologie has signed a licensing agreement with Boehringer Ingelheim to market Marinomed’s anti-viral nasal spray for treating the common cold in Europe (except Austria and UK), Russia and CIS, South America, parts of Asia, and Australia. 29 June 2010
BICOLL GmbH and EMBL have announced the successful completion of a joint research project on the identification of active compounds as inhibitors of aurora kinases. 23 June 2010
Researchers have been awarded £1.8 million to examine whether the use of pesticides is hampering the cognitive functions of bees – and possibly hastening their demise. 22 June 2010
The UK launch of Sativex®, GW Pharmaceuticals’ oromucosal spray for the treatment of spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis, has been announced. 21 June 2010
Clinical results from a Phase IIb study have shown that MK-4305, Merck's investigational dual orexin receptor antagonist, was significantly more effective than placebo in improving overall sleep efficiency in patients with primary insomnia. 18 June 2010
Research identifying a novel, early biomarker for insulin resistance and glucose intolerance in a non-diabetic population has now been published. 17 June 2010
Latest NICE cost–benefit guidance includes Sandoz’s Omnitrope® as one of seven recommended somatropin products to treat growth failure in children. 11 June 2010
Researchers at the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center have studied the involvement of ‘microtentacles’, or extensions of the plasma membrane of breast cancer cells, in how cancers spread to distant locations in the body. 11 June 2010
Vital Therapies, Inc. (VTI) has announced that the first two subjects have been enrolled at King's College Hospital, London, in the expansion of its SILVER (Stabilization In LiVER failure) clinical trial in Europe. 10 June 2010
Stakeholders celebrate ten years of success of the EU regulation on orphan medicines at the European Parliament. 04 June 2010
Amgen announced recently that Prolia (denosumab), a new type of osteoporosis treatment for post-menopausal women, has been granted marketing authorization in the UK. 03 June 2010
Teva is investing £37 million to expand its Stouffville production plant and Ontario is providing a £4.25 million grant to Teva Canada, which will retain 182 workers and hire 20 more. 02 June 2010
Thermo Fisher Scientific is to provide novel protein research products to the Institute for Systems Biology, supporting a two-year project to map the human proteome that is expected to accelerate biomarker discovery and advance personalized medicine. 26 May 2010
Scientists at the Karolinska Institutet have developed a DNA vaccine that restricts the supply of blood to tumours and slows the growth of breast cancer tumours in mice. 25 May 2010
Scientists have revealed that a set of proteins act as the cell’s ‘nose’ to ‘sniff out’ molecules that trigger cell growth. 24 May 2010
Evotec has announced that a compound in its alliance with Boehringer Ingelheim has advanced into clinical trials. With the initiation of phase I studies, Evotec will receive a milestone payment of €2 million. 20 May 2010
CCS Cell Culture Service, an international supplier of custom generated recombinant cell lines and custom frozen cells and membranes, has announced the opening of its Princeton, New Jersey, laboratory and office space. 14 May 2010
London, UK, 11 May 2010 London Genetics Limited, an expert in the use of pharmacogenetics in clinical drug discovery and development, is pleased to announce that the proceedings of its inaugural 2009 conference have been published in the May 2010 issue of Drug Discovery Today. The conference, ‘Harnessing Genetic Knowledge To Improve Clinical Development and Patient Care’, brought together pharma and biotech companies, academia and regulatory bodies to discuss the value that pharmacogenetics can bring to drug development. 11 May 2010
New research funded by hearing loss charity RNID has revealed that even if hearing recovers after noise damage, permanent tinnitus could still develop. 11 May 2010
Gentronix’s specialized GreenScreen HC test aims to enable pharmaceutical companies to accurately test compounds for genotoxicity without disrupting simultaneous drug discovery processes. 10 May 2010
MDM2, the negative regulator of the tumour suppressor p53, is a major cancer target, and extensive evidence has shown that small molecules antagonizing this protein–protein interaction might have therapeutic value in fighting cancer. 06 May 2010
Evotec AG announced recently that it will receive funding of up to €1.5 million from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research to advance its H3 receptor antagonist programme into the clinic. 29 April 2010
Hearing loss charity, RNID, is travelling to Chicago to launch a special issue of Drug Discovery Today at BIO International, the world’s largest biotechnology conference. RNID will be exhibiting at booth number 4707 Produced in association with RNID and Fight for Sight, the publication highlights the exciting progress being made in developing treatments for hearing and vision loss. 23 April 2010
Scientists have made a major breakthrough in identifying new treatments for human African trypanosomiasis, a fatal disease that infects tens of thousands of Africans each year. 01 April 2010
Name a human gene, and you can find a movie online showing you what happens to cells when it is switched off. 31 March 2010
Nerve-growth-factor-targeting drugs could restore confidence in the pain relief field, boosting the market and enabling the development of novel painkillers. 30 March 2010
Vantia Therapeutics announced recently that it had revealed the structure of oral small-molecule drug candidate VA111913, a potential new treatment for dysmenorrhoea, for the first time. 29 March 2010
A team of scientists has pinpointed genes likely to be responsible for colorectal cancer by identifying genomic copy number abnormalities that are common in both canine and human colorectal cancer research samples. 25 March 2010
Sir James Whyte Black, the Scottish scientist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for the invention of propranolol, has died at the age of 85 after a long illness. 23 March 2010
Professor Shankar Balasubramanian has been named as the BBSRC Innovator of the Year 2010, winning £10,000 in recognition of his work on Solexa sequencing, a high-speed genome sequencing technology. 22 March 2010
The 1st International Symposium on Deuterium Depletion will be held on 13–14 May 2010 in Budapest, Hungary, and will enable researchers and medical practitioners to get acquainted with deuterium depletion, a novel tool of submolecular medicine. 19 March 2010
A new preparation of an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid found naturally in fish could offer hope for thousands of patients at risk of developing an inherited form of bowel cancer. 18 March 2010
The acquisition will enhance SAGE Labs’ rodent husbandry capabilities, add new models to their product portfolio and add a strategic location for US animal distribution. 17 March 2010
The convergence of active lifestyles, aging joints and a more enlightened approach by practitioners to treating pain is contributing to an attractive demand picture for pain management drug products. 12 March 2010
Cellzome announces second major strategic drug discovery alliance with GlaxoSmithKline in inflammatory disease. 10 March 2010
Trophos, announcing the launch of MitoTarget Online on behalf of the MitoTarget consortium, hopes the site will support patients and carers and speed up finding a cure for ALS, which has attacked many people – including scientist Stephen Hawking. 09 March 2010
Construction work is underway on The Exchange, a new enterprise hub at Colworth Science Park that is being developed by Unilever and Goodman. 03 March 2010
The new facility, located in Runcorn, Cheshire, is a substantial investment for Thermo Fisher Scientific in the north of England and is a new designated Center of Excellence for its Anatomical Pathology business. 02 March 2010
Shire announced today it will actively support Rare Disease Day across the world by generating media coverage in many countries to raise awareness and understanding of rare diseases. 01 March 2010
A genetic link between schizophrenia and autism is enabling researchers to study the effectiveness of drugs used to treat both illnesses. 25 February 2010
The Gastrointestinal Drugs Advisory Committee of the FDA has recommended the approval of XIFAXAN® (rifaximin) tablets (550 mg) for the maintenance of remission of hepatic encephalopathy. 24 February 2010
Researchers have discovered a protein crucial in mediating the anti-inflammatory actions of nuclear lipid receptors. The findings create new possibilities for treating metabolic diseases associated with inflammation, such as diabetes. 19 February 2010
Researchers have uncovered how cells ensure inheritance of their genetic information in order to prevent diseases. 17 February 2010
Researchers have established a link between deprivation and the p53 gene that explains why women from poorer backgrounds are less likely to survive breast cancer. 16 February 2010
Scientists working at the University of Dundee have discovered a form of stem cell activity that might help lead to the early identification of cancer. 12 February 2010
A study in BMC Neuroscience has shown that chocolate-craving mice will tolerate electric shocks to get their fix. 11 February 2010
Silence Therapeutics announced recently that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued them a notice of allowance on a patent application covering a novel cancer target. 10 February 2010
UK cancer patients to gain access to the latest robotic radiosurgery treatments with the announcement that the Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology has ordered the country’s first Novalis Tx™ radiosurgery platform. 09 February 2010
A centre created by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and MRC Technology to fast-track the discovery and development of novel drugs opened its first call for targets recently. 08 February 2010
Xiaflex has recently been approved to treat progressive hand disease Dupuytren's contracture, which can affect a person’s ability to straighten and use their fingers. 05 February 2010
BioFine Europe 2010 will take place from 30–31 March and features The Peptide Conference 2010, the Synthetic Biology in Pharma conference and the BioFine Europe Exhibition. 03 February 2010
Novo Nordisk has announced that the FDA has granted marketing authorization for Victoza® for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults. 02 February 2010
A drug safety warning from the MHRA on the dangers of switching immunosuppressants calls into question the safety of the Department of Health’s proposal for Automatic Generic Substitution. 01 February 2010
First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones will open this year’s BioWales at the Vale of Glamorgan Hotel on March 17. 29 January 2010
ChEMBLdb, an online database of information on the properties of drugs and drug-like small molecules and their targets, has launched with information on more than half a million compounds. 28 January 2010
Companies to collaborate on an exclusive basis on Alizé Pharma's unacylated ghrelin (AZP-01) program for the treatment of type II diabetes. 26 January 2010
'The Robot Scientist' first to complete experimentation cycle without human involvement. 25 January 2010
The most common form of malignant brain cancer in adults, glioblastoma multiforme, is not a single disease but seems to be four distinct molecular subtypes, according to a study by the Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network. 22 January 2010
Rexahn Pharmaceuticals announces that the European Patent Office has granted a patent for its novel anti-cancer compound, RX-3117. 21 January 2010
The study is designed to confirm safety profile, pharmacokinetics and immunological effects and explore the impact of CYT107 on HIV-specific T-cell responses. 14 January 2010
Lowering triglyceride levels for at-risk patients: first patients enrolled in MARINE and ANCHOR Phase III clinical trials for AMR101. 12 January 2010
Astex Therapeutics announced recently that AstraZeneca has selected a clinical candidate from the PKB inhibitor collaborative programme. 08 January 2010
BioWales will return in 2010 to showcase the bioscience sector in Wales to an international, commercial and academic audience of 400 delegates with a brokerage event and exhibition and a conference covering hot topics such as stem cells. 05 January 2010
Drug Discovery Today staff taking short break over Christmas and New Year holiday period 25 December 2009
AstraZeneca and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville recently announced that they have entered into a strategic research collaboration to enhance the development of new treatments primarily for coronary artery disease with a secondary focus on peripheral vascular disease. 24 December 2009
Merck & Co. recently announced the appointment of Dr Michael Rosenblatt as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. Dr Rosenblatt will be Merck's primary voice to the global medical community. 23 December 2009
Chemicals found in cannabis could prove an effective treatment for the inflammatory bowel diseases ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, say scientists. 22 December 2009
The Children’s Hospital research team believes the discovery will lead to more accurate and efficient diagnosis. 17 December 2009
Cequent Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company that develops products to deliver RNAi-based treatments for the prevention and treatment of human disease, announced recently that the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research has approved Cequent’s first investigational new drug (IND) application. 16 December 2009
ThromboGenics NV announced recently that it has started a Phase II trial of microplasmin for the treatment of exudative (wet) age-related macular degeneration. 15 December 2009
Light Sciences Oncology is anticipating significant short-term progress in the company’s multi-front development of Aptocine™ (talaporfin sodium), a novel treatment for solid tumors and benign neoplasms, including BPH. 14 December 2009
The Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre has proudly announced the archiving of the 500,000th small-molecule crystal structure to the Cambridge Structural Database. 10 December 2009
The National Cancer Institute has entered into a research and development collaboration with Mayo Clinic to expand on recent research discoveries at Mayo, where researchers have demonstrated the importance of a key protein involved in pancreatic and lung cancer. 09 December 2009
An antibiotic that binds to a well-established target in a novel and unexpected way could be the inspiration for designing new, more potent antibiotic drugs. 04 December 2009
EMBL and CRG scientists reveal what a self-sufficient cell can’t do without. 03 December 2009
Domainex Ltd. has released the next generation of its LeadBuilder virtual screening technology. LeadBuilder is the proprietary lead generation platform developed by Domainex to provide unusually rapid and cost-effective access to high-quality small-molecule drug leads, particularly against novel or difficult target proteins. 03 December 2009
Research efforts to help the world's ageing population live longer, healthier lives have been given a major boost with the announcement of six new transatlantic research projects that aim to understanding the biology of the ageing process. 02 December 2009
UK-based Synexus recruited in excess of 2000 children aged between five and ten weeks of age over the course of three months, making Synexus the largest single source of subjects for a Phase III trial that investigated a paediatric vaccine against rotavirus and involved more than 3167 children across South Africa. 01 December 2009
Private industry has been urged to join a public sector commitment to fund advanced manufacturing research and development in bioprocessing. 26 November 2009
MedImmune has announced the winners of its European research abstract competition, which highlights the work of tomorrow's budding scientific leaders in cancer research. 25 November 2009
Astex Therapeutics announced recently that it has been granted orphan drug designation by the FDA for AT9283, its combinatorial oncogenic kinase inhibitor, for the treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia. 24 November 2009
Researchers have discovered that patients with recent-onset schizophrenia have higher levels of inflammatory substances in their brains. 23 November 2009
Heptares Therapeutics Ltd has announced the grant of a core patent in the UK on its technology for generating stabilized GPCRs (StaRs) and a series of UK patents on specific StaRs and their use in drug screening (GB2456235, GB2456237, GB2456904 and GB2456236). 20 November 2009
AFFiRiS AG will focus its Alzheimer's vaccine program on one product candidate at an unexpectedly early stage of development: the vaccine candidate AD02 is planned to enter into Phase II clinical trial early in 2010. 19 November 2009
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the approval of Qutenza (capsaicin) 8% patch, a medicated skin patch that relieves the pain of post-herpetic neuralgia, a serious complication that can occur after a bout with shingles. 18 November 2009
One difficulty with fighting cancer cells is that they are similar in many respects to the body’s stem cells. By focusing on the differences between the two cell types, researchers have found a new way of tackling colon cancer. 17 November 2009
'Visions of Discovery', a new exhibition featuring stunning images arising from biological and medical research, has opened at the University of Dundee. 16 November 2009
Astex Therapeutics Limited announced recently that it has entered into a new collaboration agreement with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to discover, develop and commercialize novel compounds directed against multiple therapeutic targets of interest to GSK. 13 November 2009
The GSM Association today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Manchester to establish an m-Health Innovation Centre in Manchester, which will act as a UK focus for m-Health activity. 11 November 2009
Researchers at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have discovered a mechanism that controls the brain's ability to create lasting memories. 10 November 2009
Germany's Paul-Ehrlich-Institute approves clinical trial in rheumatoid arthritis patients. 09 November 2009
Astex Therapeutics Limited recently announced the signing of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the National Cancer Institute to collaborate on the study of its novel small-molecule HSP90 inhibitor, AT13387, for the treatment of cancer. 06 November 2009
This will be the first evaluation of CureVac's RNActive® vaccine technology in humans. 05 November 2009
TikoMed AB announced recently that IBsolvMIR® has been granted orphan drug designation for the prevention of graft rejection during pancreatic islet transplantation by the Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products of the EMEA. 04 November 2009
The European Medicines Agency has been formally notified by AstraZeneca of its decision to withdraw its application for a centralized marketing authorization for the medicine Zactima (vandetinib) in 100 mg film-coated tablets. 02 November 2009
The new biological medicine Ilaris® (canakinumab) has been approved in the EU to treat adults and children as young as four years old with CAPS, a rare life-long auto-inflammatory disease. 30 October 2009
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Arzerra (ofatumumab) for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, a slowly progressing cancer of the blood and bone marrow. 29 October 2009
Could exposure to the H1N1 pandemic flu virus protect people from H5N1 bird flu? 28 October 2009
Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. recently announced the results of an animal study that demonstrates Archexin’s potential to target and treat multiple life-threatening cancers. 28 October 2009
Human Genome Sciences, Inc. and GlaxoSmithKline PLC recently announced the full presentation of results from BLISS-52, the first of two Phase III trials of BENLYSTA™ (belimumab) in seropositive patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. 27 October 2009
New results have shown that the novel biological therapy ACZ885 (canakinumab) is significantly more effective than an injectable corticosteroid at reducing pain and preventing recurrent attacks or ‘flares’ in patients with hard-to-treat gout, one of the most painful forms of arthritis. 26 October 2009
A new spin out company from the Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge UK was announced this week. Bicycle Therapeutics is a new biotechnology company developing a novel technology platform for the creation of a new class of therapeutic entity which combines the most desirable features of small molecules and biologics. 23 October 2009
Scientists have for the first time produced liver cells from adult skin cells using the induced pluripotent stem cell technology. 23 October 2009
ELRIG (The European Laboratory Robotic Interest Group) has a mission to give back to the Industry whenever they can and to encourage the growth of Innovative Technology. It was therefore very appropriate that they agreed to Sponsor the Technobotts in their venture to enter the RoboCup 2010 in Singapore. 22 October 2009
The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, the ‘voice of the research-based pharmaceutical industry in Europe’, today unveiled its pilot project to verify medicines and help reduce the risk of counterfeit medicines being dispensed to patients. 21 October 2009
Scientists are developing new scaffolding technology that could be used to grow tissues such as skin, nerves and cartilage using 3D spaghetti-like structures. 20 October 2009
Scientists in the United Kingdom are reporting an advance toward overcoming one of the key challenges in nanotechnology: getting molecules to move quickly in a desired direction without help from outside forces. 19 October 2009
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has recently announced the final results from its four-year combination therapy with Avodart and tamsulosin (CombAT) study. 16 October 2009
Dr Leroy Hood-led venture has secured $30 million Series A financing from InterWest Partners, Wellcome Trust and dievini. 15 October 2009
Scientists have discovered why a group of cancer drugs are so effective in treating the disease. Although they have been used for many years to treat certain tumours, researchers didn't know how they worked until now. 14 October 2009
Data presented at the American Society of Retina Specialists Conference in New York. 12 October 2009
Cancer Research UK scientists at the University of Southampton have developed a potential new antibody treatment that, in the laboratory, shows significantly increased survival from neuroblastoma, a form of childhood cancer that grows from undeveloped tissue of the nervous system. 09 October 2009
Olesoxime in ongoing pivotal efficacy study for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. 08 October 2009
BioFocus has recently launched its new microsite, www.SilenceSelect.com, which is dedicated to the SilenceSelect® and FLeXSelect® adenoviral technology. 08 October 2009
Prisoners get drunk on alcohol hand gel. Many Muslims can’t even use it. According to a Manchester-based company, alcohol hand gel should be ‘a thing of the past’. 07 October 2009
The antibiotic minocycline could revolutionize the treatment of strokes. 06 October 2009
Major new collaboration announced at Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting. 06 October 2009
Sanofi-aventis announced recently that it has signed a binding agreement for the acquisition of Fovea Pharmaceuticals SA (‘Fovea‘), a privately held French research and development biopharmaceutical company, focused on ocular diseases. 05 October 2009
A provocative new theory – that breast cancer cells can self-seed by wandering off around the body and returning to the primary tumour or can stay in the body for several decades after the disease seems to be cured before growing or seeding in other organs – could pave the way for new therapies to destroy the wandering cells that have escaped initial treatment. 05 October 2009
Multi-disciplinary healthcare giant Abbott Laboratories has fought off competition from Nycomed to secure the $6.6 billion acquisition of Solvay's pharmaceutical business. 02 October 2009
The first ever BBSRC Diamond Professorial Fellow, Professor So Iwata, has been awarded the 2009 Aminoff Prize by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for his work in the field of crystallography. 30 September 2009
Karus Therapeutics Ltd, a company developing small-molecule drugs to treat cancer and inflammation, announced recently that it has signed an agreement to collaborate with Professor Bart Vanhaesebroeck at Queen Mary, University of London. 29 September 2009
Scientists have uncovered what happens to biomimetic nanoparticles when they enter human cells. 28 September 2009
Vaccine developers with insight into the latest advances will be drivers of innovation within the vaccine industry, yet there is a lack of available training courses in the field. 25 September 2009
ID Business Services (IDBS) announced yesterday that IDBS customer Dr Martin Vanderlaan, Director, Analytical Operations at Genentech, will present ‘Implementing an Electronic Lab Notebook for a Large Bioprocess Organisation’ at IQPC’s ELN and Advanced Lab Solutions Conference in Brussels, Belgium. 25 September 2009
AstraZeneca and Nektar Therapeutics announced recently that they have entered into a worldwide license agreement for two drug development programmes: NKTR-118, a late-stage investigational product being evaluated for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation, and the NKTR-119 programme, an early-stage programme that is intended to deliver products for the treatment of pain without constipation side-effects. 24 September 2009
Findings could lead to new targets for drug discovery. 23 September 2009
Cancer Research UK is set to extend its drug discovery effort by investing up to £16 million in two new Drug Discovery Programmes at the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research in Manchester and the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research in Glasgow. 22 September 2009
Integrated chemical genetics and proteomics approach identifies new potential drug targets in Wnt pathway. 18 September 2009
The Drug Information Association (DIA) has announced the hiring of Paul Pomerantz, MBA, CAE, as its new worldwide executive director. 17 September 2009
Orphan drug designation ensures market exclusivity for seven to ten years after market approval. 16 September 2009
Innovative Medicines Initiative, the public–private partnership between the European Commission and the European pharmaceutical industry (represented by EFPIA), today made its first major announcement of the success of the collaboration. 15 September 2009
A series of iron-binding agents to prevent Alzheimer’s disease has shown promising potential for getting into brain tissue. 14 September 2009
Further pain reduction on duloxetine shown during study’s extension phase. 14 September 2009
Synthetic hydrogels could soon be used instead of animal tissue to test the sticking power of future medicines, if new materials described at the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s annual event in Manchester, the British Pharmaceutical Conference, are developed further. 11 September 2009
At least a quarter of people with heart disease don’t take vital medicines that have been prescribed to them to prevent heart attacks and strokes. 11 September 2009
Two varieties of basil that are widely used in Ayurvedic medicine have been scientifically shown to reduce inflammation and swelling, suggesting that they could have potential in arthritis treatment. 10 September 2009
As the 20th Drug Delivery to the Lungs (DDL) conference approaches, DDL Chairman Sandy Munro offers his view on what he anticipates to be the highlights for this year’s conference; including the aims to maintain the Drug Delivery to the Lungs (DDL) technical focus while broadening its horizons. He will also be previewing what's in store for this year's special anniversary event. 09 September 2009
Space-age technology and crime research have combined for this new development. 09 September 2009
AstraZeneca recently announced results from the Phase III head-to-head trial PLATO that demonstrate that ticagrelor has achieved greater efficacy in the primary endpoint, reduction of cardiovascular events, than clopidogrel. 08 September 2009
Shire reported recently that it has completed its submission of a New Drug Application for velaglucerase alfa, its enzyme replacement therapy in development for the treatment of Type 1 Gaucher disease, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 04 September 2009
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recently issued guidance on the use of bevacizumab, sorafenib and temsirolimus for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma and the use of sorafenib and sunitinib for second-line treatment options for people with renal cell carcinoma. 02 September 2009
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recently published final guidance on the use of cetuximab for the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. 02 September 2009
Ablynx recently announced positive results from its Phase I study with ALX-0681, a subcutaneous formulation of its novel anti-thrombotic Nanobody® that selectively targets von Willebrand factor. 01 September 2009
A recent article in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics shows the anticancer potential of an inhibitor of ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7). 28 August 2009
Genentech, Inc. announced recently that a Phase III study of Avastin® (bevacizumab) in combination with chemotherapy increased the time that women with metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer whose initial chemotherapy had stopped working lived without the disease worsening (progression-free survival), compared with chemotherapy alone. 27 August 2009
Cleveland BioLabs, Inc. announced recently that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its U.S. Patent Application Number 11/421,918, titled ‘Modulating Apoptosis’. Allowed claims cover the method of protecting a mammal from radiation using flagellin or its derivatives, including Protectan CBLB502. 26 August 2009
Healthcare workers and parents might refuse to get immunized or vaccinate their children against a pandemic virus if they believe the risks of a novel vaccine outweigh the benefits, according to research published in Emerging Health Threats Journal. 25 August 2009
Medical diagnosis requires doctors to make difficult decisions, beginning with the selection of the right diagnostic method. 24 August 2009
For the first time, scientists have used a genetically engineered ‘friendly’ bacterium to deliver a therapy. 21 August 2009
A new experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis completely reverses the devastating autoimmune disorder in mice and might work exactly the same way in humans, say researchers at the Jewish General Hospital Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research and McGill University in Montreal. 20 August 2009
Forty years ago men landed on, and walked on, the moon. 20 August 2009
79% of treatment-naïve HIV-1 infected adults taking once-daily PREZISTA (darunavir) reached an undetectable viral load (the goal of HIV treatment) at week 96, compared to 71% of adults taking lopinavir, the current standard. 19 August 2009
Deal combines ChemNavigator's database of searchable chemical compounds and cheminformatics tools with Sigma-Aldrich chemical services. 18 August 2009
The Royal Society of Chemistry will be re-launching ChemSpider, its free online resource for chemical structure searching, at the American Chemical Society’s Fall 2009 National Meeting and Exposition in Washington, DC, August 16–22. 17 August 2009
New technology designed to analyze large numbers of novel marine microbes could lead to more efficient and greener ways to manufacture new drugs for conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes, and flu and other viruses, as well as improving the manufacture of other products, such as agrochemicals. 14 August 2009
Medicago, the John Innes Centre and Plant Bioscience Limited announced recently that Medicago's 14-day production of the H1 virus-like particle antigen was achieved using, among other technologies, a technology that was invented by John Innes Centre researchers and is licensed by Plant Bioscience Limited to Medicago. 13 August 2009
The international Biological and Environmental Reference Materials 12 symposium, which was organized by LGC in conjunction with the BERM committee, was opened by Lord Drayson, UK Minister for Science and Innovation. 12 August 2009
Biota Holdings Limited has announced successful results from the Asian Phase III clinical trials of CS-8958, its second-generation influenza treatment. CS-8958 has now been assigned the new name of ‘laninamivir’ by the World Health Organization under its International Non-proprietary Names drug identification system. 10 August 2009
A compound initially isolated from a soft coral (Capnella imbricata), collected at Green Island off Taiwan, could lead scientists to develop a new set of treatments for neuropathic pain. 05 August 2009
The European Commission has approved the Marketing Authorisation Application for Otsuka's oral once-daily medication Samsca™ (tolvaptan), a selective V2-vasopressin receptor antagonist, for the treatment of hyponatraemia secondary to SIADH in adults. 04 August 2009
Shire has recently reported positive results from the first of three Phase III studies of velaglucerase alfa, its enzyme replacement therapy in development for the treatment of Type 1 Gaucher disease. 03 August 2009
Obesity, defined as having a BMI of 30 or greater, and type 2 diabetes are likely to be the greatest public health problems of the next decade. Type 2 diabetes has reached pandemic proportions, and the risk of developing the disease has increased up to ten times in people who are obese. 31 July 2009
Victoza®, the first once-daily human glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue that regulates blood sugar in a glucose-dependent manner, is now available for people with type 2 diabetes in the UK. 31 July 2009
Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) has introduced the novel peptide-based double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) transduction delivery system Transductin™. 30 July 2009
Debiopharm Group and MSM Protein Technologies have announced the signature of an exclusive agreement for the development and commercialization of Debio 0929, an antibody targeting a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) to be developed into a new oncology therapeutic drug. 30 July 2009
Axel Ullrich, PhD, director of the Department of Molecular Biology at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Germany, whose discoveries have led to novel cancer therapies including Herceptin® (trastuzumab), has been announced as the winner of the 2009 Dr Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research. 30 July 2009
The FDA is notifying the public about new safety information concerning products marketed for body building and increasing muscle mass. The FDA has sent a warning letter to a manufacturer of body building supplements that claim to contain steroid-like ingredients but in fact contain synthetic steroids. 29 July 2009
MorphoSys and the University of Melbourne have recently announced an agreement to cooperate on investigating new therapeutic applications for MorphoSys’s MOR103 program. 29 July 2009
Vantia Therapeutics has announced positive results from a Phase IIa clinical trial of its lead development compound, VA106483, for nocturia. The trial showed that oral VA106483 was successful in producing a predictable and sustained anti-diuretic effect in patients, as determined by increased osmolality and decreased urine output. 29 July 2009
The biotechnology medicine Ilaris® (canakinumab) has been recommended for approval in the European Union to treat patients with the life-long and potentially fatal auto-inflammatory disease cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome. 28 July 2009
Amgen and GlaxoSmithKline recently announced a collaboration in which the companies will share commercialization of Amgen’s monoclonal antibody denosumab for postmenopausal osteoporosis in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico once the product is approved in these countries. 28 July 2009
Roche and Google.org have recently started a joint project to demonstrate the feasibility of developing a multidisciplinary surveillance, research and response system. This system will enhance the ability to predict and prevent emerging infectious diseases in East Africa. 28 July 2009
Scientists have developed a new drug that can reduce the growth of tumours in mice by up to 98 per cent, according to a study published in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics recently. 27 July 2009
Cancer Research Technology, Merck Serono, Cancer Research UK, Cardiff University and The Institute of Cancer Research are set to begin a new research collaboration that will provide substantial investment in research on the WNT signalling pathway in the hope of finding new drug targets. 27 July 2009
Cancer Research Technology and The Institute of Cancer Research have recently announced a major research collaboration with AstraZeneca. The three partners will combine their expertise to discover and develop potential new anti-cancer drugs to target molecular ‘chaperones’ that support the growth of cancer cells. 27 July 2009
Prostate cancer has overtaken lung cancer to become the most common cancer in men, affecting more than 35,000 men every year in the UK. Now, new UK research has confirmed that the cancer drug abiraterone provides a significant benefit for up to two-thirds of men with advanced and aggressive prostate cancer, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. 27 July 2009
Domainex today announced a collaboration on new exciting drug discovery programmes with the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre and The Institute of Cancer Research to identify and develop inhibitors of two recently validated breast cancer targets, tankyrase and IKK-epsilon. 27 July 2009
Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden Hospital, working with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, have completed a Phase I clinical trial demonstrating the promise of a new type of cancer treatment. 27 July 2009
PerkinElmer, Inc. recently announced the winners of two industry awards for exceptional achievements in capillary chromatography. PerkinElmer presented the Marcel Golay Award to Barry L. Karger, PhD, of Northeastern University for his work in narrow-diameter liquid chromatography (LC) and the Leslie Ettre Award to W. Christopher Siegler of the University of Washington for his work in three-dimensional gas chromatography (GC). 27 July 2009
The pharmaceutical sector is set to get its own body dedicated to identifying and addressing key skills issues. 23 July 2009
Ontario is joining forces with Pfizer Inc. and leading Ontario research institutions to develop a new generation of drugs to fight colorectal cancer. 23 July 2009
Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic, life-threatening autoimmune disease. Approximately five million people worldwide suffer from various forms of lupus, including systemic lupus erythematosus, and symptoms can include extreme fatigue, painful and swollen joints, unexplained fever, skin rash, and kidney problems. 23 July 2009
Researchers studying the nervous control of nematode mating behaviour have produced video footage of a male worm preparing to mate with a hermaphrodite. 22 July 2009
Understanding the structure of proteins is a vital first step in developing new drugs, but to date, drug development has been slow because owing to their instability, proteins are difficult to work with in lab conditions. 22 July 2009
Actelion Ltd. has announced the launch of Zavesca® (miglustat), a licensed treatment available for people with Niemann-Pick type C (NP-C) disease, in the UK and Republic of Ireland. 22 July 2009
Changes in the brain measured with MRI and PET scans, combined with memory tests and detection of risk proteins in body fluids, might lead to earlier and more accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, according to new research reported recently at the Alzheimer’s Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease (ICAD 2009) in Vienna. 21 July 2009
New data presented recently at the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (BSACI) annual meeting have demonstrated that a new tablet treatment, Grazax®, is the first tablet treatment to provide sustained disease control in patients with grass pollen rhinoconjunctivitis (hay fever) after the treatment period ended. 21 July 2009
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative brain disorder that is triggered by death or degeneration of nerve cells in a part of the brain called substantia nigra. This brain region is essential in maintaining normal movement, so when the cells start to die off, patients lose the ability to properly execute and control movements. 21 July 2009
Ablynx, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of Nanobodies, has announced recently that it has advanced ALX-0061, a new Nanobody-based therapeutic programme, into preclinical development for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. 20 July 2009
Apthera, Inc. announced recently that it had reached an agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) for the planned Phase III clinical trial of Apthera’s lead drug, NeuVax. 20 July 2009
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