BioNJ launches tool kit to assist
bioscience companies in troubled economy
BioNJ, the trade association for the US state of New Jersey's bioscience
industry, has launched the Troubled Times Tool Kit. The virtual program was
developed to assist New Jersey's bioscience companies by providing
strategies and tactics for weathering the current economic storm. 31
December 2008
deCODE discovers common genetic
variations contributing to risk of osteoporosis
Scientists from deCODE genetics and colleagues from Australia and Denmark
have reported the discovery of common single-letter variations (SNPs) in the
human genome linked to low bone mineral density (BMD), the clinical
measurement used to diagnose osteoporosis. 22 December 2008
Neglected diseases targeted by Genzyme
and the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
The collaboration to advance treatments for neglected diseases will
initially focus on the development of new, improved treatments for malaria,
a debilitating infectious disease of developing countries. 4 December 2008
Click on the arrows below to see more product ads
HepaLife liver stem cell line launched
onboard Space Shuttle
A liver stem cell line developed by HepaLife Technologies, Inc. was launched
on board Space Shuttle Endeavour on its recent 15-day mission in November. 4
December 2008
PerkinElmer launches high performance
imaging acquisition and analysis software
The Volocity 5 software is a complete solution for 3D and 4D image
acquisition from fluorescence microscopy systems, allowing data
visualisation, deconvolution, publication, object measurement, tracking and
charting. 4 December 2008
Toshiba develops novel biosensor array
with individually coded microparticles
Cambridge Research Laboratory of Toshiba Research Europe Ltd has developed a
novel, label-free biosensor platform that is expected to significantly
shorten the time taken to screen molecules for biomedical applications,
saving days or even weeks of research time. 25 November 2008
Marillion Pharmaceuticals licenses
Bracco Imaging's novel targetted prostate and breast cancer treatments
Bracco’s treatment for hormone-resistant prostate and advanced (metastatic)
breast cancers has unique targeting capability that enables it to home in on
tumour cells and spare normal tissues. 24 November 2008
Clinical Data launches genetic test for
arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.
The company also announced plans to make its databases of genetic mutations
associated with inherited cardiac conditions, such as ARVC, available to the
public. 24 November 2008
ArQule and Daiichi-Sankyo in strategic
partnership to develop novel anti-cancer compounds. 24 November 2008
Evonik industries licenses ERGO
genomics platform for production of specialty chemicals from microbial
genomes. 24 November 2008
Illumina launches the HumanCytoSNP-12
BeadChip to screen for genetic abnormalities
The HumanCytoSNP-12 BeadChip contains nearly 300,000 genetic markers per
sample that target all known cytogenetic abnormalities found in genes and
disease pathways linked to mental retardation, autism, and other common
chromosome anomalies. 20 November 2008
Report: Diabetes Drug
Pipeline. Competitor Analysis
The report includes an overview of the major marketed diabetes drugs and the
respective markets sizes and describes the corporate diabetes drug product
portfolios and R&D pipelines of more than 160 companies worldwide. November
2008
Report: Biopharmaceutical Expression Systems and Genetic Engineering
Technologies. Current and Future Manufacturing Platforms
In currently marketed products there has been little basic change in the
technologies used for commercial-scale manufacture of biopharmaceutical
products. New expression systems and recent improvements available for current
systems have the potential to revolutionize the biopharmaceutical industry! Lower
costs and efficiencies of newer expression systems are driving these
changes. This book provides manufacturers with the information they need to
make the shift to increased productivity. November 2008
Report: Why do drugs fail?
This report analyses recent drug failure events and examines
potential areas of remedy for regulators and companies. Greedy companies
being economical with the truth?
Overzealous regulators pursuing political agendas? Poorly designed or
inconclusive clinical trials? What action can the industry and
regulators take to improve their performance in this critical area? 20 November
2008
Invitrogen launches microarray to study
non-coding RNA
Invitrogen's NCode Human and Mouse non-coding RNA microarrays consist of
both non-coding RNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) content on the same array.
Non-coding RNA represents a new frontier of molecular genetic, molecular
biological, physiological and cell biological research. 20 November 2008
Cabernet Pharmaceuticals and Lilly in
alliance to develop patient-tailored therapeutic drugs. 20 November 2008
Portuguese scientists discover new
mechanism regulating formation of blood vessels
This finding has implications for wound healing including chronic wounds,
such as those found in diabetic patients and those suffering from morbid
obesity. 18 November 2008
Celgene Cellular Therapeutics receives FDA
clearance for first
placenta-derived stem cell clinical study
Celgene Cellular Therapeutics has received US FDA clearance for a clinical trial using PDA001, an immunomodulatory therapy utilizing human placenta-derived
stem cells obtained via CCT’s proprietary processes.
A multi-centre clinical trial will begin with a group of with Crohn’s
disease patients. 18 November 2008
First demonstration of telomerase
activator enhancing antiviral function of immune cells in HIV patients
Geron Corporation has announced the publication of preclinical data on TAT2,
a small molecule telomerase activator. The studies show that human CD8+
T-cells from HIV-infected donors exposed to TAT2 exhibited increased
telomerase activity, resulting in retardation of telomere shortening, an
increase in T-cell proliferation, and enhancement of critical antiviral
functions against HIV-1. 18 November 2008
Global Therapeutics initiates trial of
stent with RNA therapeutic agent to prevent artery closure
Global Therapeutics has announced initiation of the world’s first clinical
trial of a drug eluting stent that uses an antisense RNA therapeutics agent
aimed at silencing one of the genes (c-myc) responsible for causing arteries
to reclose after stenting (restenosis). 18 November 2008
Illumina announces breakthrough human
genome sequencing studies
Illumina has announced the sequencing results of the first Yoruban human genome. The study, published in the 6 November 2008 issue of
Nature was completed by Illumina scientists and collaborators at the
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and generated greater than 30x average
coverage of the genome. 12 November 2008
BioReliance introduces new protein array platform
BioReliance has introduced a new protein-array platform that offers
greater sensitivity, reduced testing time and reliable results. The
platform, brand-named ReliArray, can simultaneously screen for four
non-human pathogens in animal serum. 12 November 2008
Signature Genomic Laboratories makes
Genoglyphix microarray visualization program available to full-service
clients. 12 November 2008
New route for development of a malaria
vaccine
Researchers from Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre,
Nijmegen, the Netherlands and LUMC, Leiden, the Netherlands have
discovered a potential new route for genetically modifying the malaria
parasite and developing a new malaria vaccine. 12 November 2008
New chemical key could unlock hundreds of
new antibiotics
Researchers at The University of Warwick and the John Innes Centre, UK, have
found a novel signalling molecule that could be a key that will open up
hundreds of new antibiotics, unlocking them from the DNA of the
Streptomyces family of bacteria. 12 November 2008
New genetic test for baldness launched
by HairDX
PharmaGenoma, Inc. and its subsidiary HairDX, LLC have unveiled the next
generation of its genetic screening test for male pattern baldness, which
can tell a man who tests positive for the high risk genetic variant that he
has approximately a 70% chance of going bald. 12 November 2008
Kinaxo and Boehringer Ingelheim to
collaborate in drug discovery
Kinaxo Biotechnologies GmbH, a spin-off of the Max Planck Institute of
Biochemistry, has entered into a two-year collaboration with Boehringer
Ingelheim to study drug mode of action and target identification. 9 November
2008
First Arab human genomes sequenced
An international consortium consisting of Saudi Biosciences, Beijing
Genomics Institute Shenzhen, and CLC bio have sequenced and analysed the
first Arab human genome. The sequencing is part of a large project to
sequence 100 Arab human genomes to map the unique genetic variations of the
Arab population. 1 October 2008
Sigma-Aldrich launches breakthrough
genome-editing tools
Sigma-Aldrich has launched its CompoZr platform of zinc finger nuclease (ZFN)
reagents. The reagents are expected to provide researchers with the ability
to target and precisely manipulate the genome of living cells, resulting in
cell lines or whole organisms with defined gene deletions, insertions, or
corrections. 17 September 2008
Fairway Medical Technologies wins US Navy
contract to develop battlefield blood-borne pathogen detector
Fairway Medical Technologies has received a $900,000 contract from the US
Department of the Navy to apply its pulsed laser optoacoustic technology to
the real-time detection of blood borne pathogens and biological warfare
agents under battlefield conditions. 12 September 2008
