Strategies & Technologies Driving Drug Discovery to Market
Microscope Can Visualize Nanostructures
April 30, 2013 11:34 am | News | CommentsResearchers have found a way to see synthetic nanostructures and molecules using a new type of super-resolution optical microscopy that does not require fluorescent dyes, representing a practical tool for biomedical and nanotechnology research.
Electroporation Key to Skin Cancer Treatment
April 30, 2013 10:56 am | by Punit Dhillon, President and CEO; OncoSec Medical Inc., San Diego, Calif. | Articles | CommentsDespite advances that have been made in sunscreen technology and growing public awareness of the need for sunscreen, recent data have found that the average U.S. lifetime risk of invasive melanoma has increased from 1 in 600 in 1960 to 1 in 50 in 2008.
Dynamic Protein Drives Membrane Remodeling
April 30, 2013 9:14 am | News | CommentsCells ingest proteins and engulf bacteria by a gymnastic, shape-shifting process called endocytosis. New research reveals, on the real-life scale of nanometers, how individual molecules work together during a single act of endocytosis.
Pfizer Profits Up, But Outlook Down
April 30, 2013 7:55 am | by Linda A. Johnson | News | CommentsPfizer Inc.'s first-quarter net income rose 53% despite growing generic drug competition as the drugmaker benefited from a gain related to a joint venture with China. But the company's results still fell short of Wall Street's expectations, and Pfizer lowered its 2013 profit forecast.
Likely Role Of "Parkinson's" Protein Found
April 30, 2013 3:00 am | News | CommentsResearchers using a stripped-down experimental system have exposed the possible function, in the healthy brain, of a mysterious molecule that has been strongly implicated in Parkinson's disease, a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system.
Merck, Pfizer Team Up On Diabetes Pill
April 29, 2013 12:26 pm | News | CommentsMerck & Co. will work with Pfizer Inc. to develop a new combination pill designed to treat Type 2 diabetes. The experimental pill will combine Merck's drug Januvia, Pfizer's experimental pill ertugliflozin, and metformin, an older diabetes drug.
Auxilium Spending $585M on Actient
April 29, 2013 12:10 pm | News | CommentsAuxilium Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced the purchase of Actient Holdings LLC from private equity firm GTCR for $585 million. In the process Auxilium said it will get two testosterone drugs, impotence treatments, and two respiratory drugs.
Estrogen Fuels Autoimmune Damage
April 29, 2013 8:00 am | News | CommentsA new study may help explain why women are more prone than men to a form of liver damage by implicating the hormone estrogen in the development of autoimmune hepatitis. The study reveals that estrogen and interleukin-6 collude to form a powerful duo that leads to immune cell misconduct.
Bayer Paying $1.1B For Conceptus
April 29, 2013 7:47 am | News | CommentsBayer has agreed to buy California-based Conceptus for around $1.1 billion to expand the kinds of birth control it offers. Conceptus makes Essure, an irreversible birth control method in which small metal and polyester coils are inserted to block a woman's fallopian tubes.
Actavis, Purdue Settle Oxycontin Lawsuits
April 26, 2013 3:47 pm | News | CommentsActavis Inc. and Purdue Pharma LP are settling a patent dispute, and Actavis will be able to sell a generic abuse-resistant version of Purdue's painkiller OxyContin starting in 2014. Actavis expects more than $100 million in gross profit from generic OxyContin sales through 2015.
Abbvie Q1 Earnings Tops Estimates
April 26, 2013 1:13 pm | News | CommentsAbbVie Inc. topped Wall Street expectations in its first three months as a standalone company. On Jan. 1 Abbott Laboratories completed the spinoff of AbbVie, which markets the company's branded prescription drugs, including the blockbuster anti-inflammatory drug Humira.
Software Aids Medicine Tracking
April 26, 2013 11:44 am | Product Releases | CommentsCognex Corp. announced the latest version of the In-Sight track & trace identification and data verification solution for healthcare serialization. This version address additional requirements for pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers to achieve unit-level product traceability.
Raindance Working with Clients
April 26, 2013 11:37 am | Product Releases | CommentsRainDance Technologies Inc. announced a service partner program for its growing base of research customers who are developing next-generation sequencing-based genetic testing panels to identify and characterize inherited diseases, cancers, and other human health conditions in research projects.
Small Chillers Provide Robust Cooling
April 26, 2013 11:23 am | Product Releases | CommentsA range of chillers from PolyScience provide up to 1290 watts of cooling at 20°C, making them ideal for use with rotary evaporators, jacketed incubators, small reaction vessels, spectrophotometers, chromatography columns, condensers, and other devices that require robust heat removal.
EMA Panel Recommends Nuedexta
April 26, 2013 10:31 am | News | CommentsA panel that advises the European Medicines Agency recommended that Avanir Pharmaceuticals' Nuedexta be approved as a treatment for pseudobulbar affect. The drug is already approved in the U.S. Being able to sell the drug in Europe would likely increase Avanir's revenues.
