Strategies & Technologies Driving Drug Discovery to Market
Site-Directed Mutagenesis via Gibson Assembly
May 21, 2013 12:11 pm | by Ezra Schildkraut, PhD; Peichung Hsieh, PhD, Applications and Product Development Scientists; New England Biolabs, Ipswitch, Mass. | Articles | CommentsGibson Assembly is a rapid and reliable method for the assembly of DNA fragments in a single-tube, isothermal reaction without reliance upon the presence of restriction sites within the target sequence. The technique is readily adaptable for site-directed mutagenesis.
NanoTab Pain Treatment Meets Goals
May 21, 2013 11:30 am | News | CommentsAcelRx Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that its NanoTab pain treatment system met its main goal in late-stage research, and the company is preparing to submit it to regulators for approval. Patients using the system experienced a significantly greater reduction in pain than those taking a placebo.
GSK Launches Partnership Competition
May 21, 2013 11:12 am | News | CommentsGlaxoSmithKline has launched Discovery Fast Track, a competition designed to accelerate academic research into novel therapies. Winners will partner with investigators on GSK’s Discovery Partnerships with Academia team to turn research-stage drug candidates into innovative medicines.
Drug Side Effects May Be Inevitable
May 21, 2013 10:32 am | News | CommentsA new study of both computer-created and natural proteins suggests that the number of unique pockets– sites where small molecule pharmaceutical compounds can bind to proteins– is surprisingly small, meaning drug side effects may be impossible to avoid.
Positive Results from Asthma Trial
May 21, 2013 12:00 am | News | CommentsA Phase 2a trial of dupilumab showed that the experimental monoclonal antibody has the ability to stick to certain inflammatory proteins and significantly reduce acute breathing problems in patients suffering from moderate-to-severe asthma.
Pfizer Halts Phase 3 Cancer Study
May 20, 2013 6:39 pm | by Linda A. Johnson | News | CommentsDrugmaker Pfizer Inc. has halted a late-stage study of an experimental cancer compound being tested in patients with a certain form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, because an interim analysis showed the drug wasn't helping patients live longer.
Gastoparesis Prevalent in Diabetes Study
May 20, 2013 12:28 pm | News | CommentsRhythm announced the presentation of results from a new epidemiology study demonstrating a higher prevalence of gastroparesis symptoms among diabetic patients in the U.S. than previously recognized. Prevalence of these symptoms is high among patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Molecule Linked to Cancer Growth
May 20, 2013 12:14 pm | News | CommentsResearchers have discovered how a key player in cell growth, immunity, and the inflammatory response can be transformed into a primary contributor to tumor growth. NF-kappa B induces the transcription of genes that trigger inflammation, promote cell proliferation, and undermine cell death.
Suvorexant Raises Red Flags
May 20, 2013 11:53 am | by Matthew Perrone | News | CommentsU.S. Food and Drug Administration regulators say an experimental insomnia drug from Merck called suvorexant can help patients fall asleep, but it also carries worrisome side effects, including an increased risk of daytime drowsiness and suicidal thinking.
Actavis Buying Warner Chilcott for $8.5B
May 20, 2013 8:00 am | by Michelle Chapman | News | CommentsActavis is buying Warner Chilcott in a transaction valued at about $8.5 billion which would create the third-biggest specialty pharmaceutical company in the U.S. The new company is expected to be called Actavis PLC and will be incorporated in Ireland, where Warner Chilcott is currently incorporated.
Osteoarthritis Progression Halted In Mice
May 20, 2013 8:00 am | by John Hopkins | News | CommentsScientists no longer see the painful degenerative disease osteoarthritis as a problem primarily of the cartilage that cushions joints; they now have evidence that the bone underneath the cartilage is also a key player and exacerbates the damage.
Antibody Offers New Route to Cancer Vaccine
May 20, 2013 3:00 am | by Christopher Vaughan | News | CommentsScientists have shown that their previously identified therapeutic approach to fight cancer via immune cells called macrophages also prompts the disease-fighting killer T cells to attack the cancer. The research demonstrates that the approach may be a promising strategy for creating custom cancer vaccines.
Depuy Ending Run of Two Hip Implants
May 17, 2013 12:05 pm | News | CommentsJohnson & Johnson's DePuy orthopedics business plans to stop selling a couple of hip replacement systems not widely used by doctors. DePuy will discontinue both its Ultamet Metal-on-Metal Articulation and Complete Ceramic-on-Metal Acetabular systems worldwide at the end of August.
Merck, Quintiles Sign Collaboration
May 17, 2013 11:42 am | News | CommentsIn a novel approach to clinical development that is founded on a shared commitment to cost-disciplined science, Merck and Quintiles have signed a collaboration intended to optimize productivity in the design and execution of studies with a focus on quality, speed, and efficiency.
Gilead Releases Positive Leukemia Data
May 17, 2013 11:18 am | News | CommentsGilead Sciences Inc. announced results from a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating idelalisib, an investigational, targeted, oral inhibitor of PI3K delta, in combination with rituximab for older patients with treatment-naïve chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
